#reflectivelearning

Throughout WOII, I started to realise that design is not just about making something look visually nice. At first, I mainly focused on things like colors, layout, and making everything look clean. But over time, I began to understand that design is actually more about how people interpret what we create.

When we learned about semiotics and postmodernism, I found it quite confusing at the beginning. However, as I slowly understood it, I realised that a single visual can have different meanings depending on who is looking at it. This made me more aware of the decisions I make in my designs, instead of just choosing what looks good.

I can also see this change in my studio work. I’ve become more open to experimenting with layouts and compositions, even if they are not perfectly clean or structured. Before this, I always thought good design had to be neat and simple, but now I understand that sometimes a more expressive or even slightly chaotic design can communicate better.

For me, WOII didn’t just teach new skills, but it changed the way I think about design. Now, I pay more attention to meaning, context, and how others might interpret my work, and I think this will really help me moving forward.

Dive into the depths of reflective learning with the Driscoll Reflective Model! 🌟 Explore each stage of this transformative framework – What, So what, Now what

Before starting this assignment, I never would have dreamed I could get away with doing half of these things under the guise of homework. 

It’s almost half way through my personal change challenge so I thought it would be beneficial to note of some of my practices that have been helpful in challenging my gender stereotypes. 

Journalling

This has been one of my most important methods of reflection. Dedicating time to writing about certain parts of yourself instantly validates that which, until then, you were choosing to reject; lamentably, ignoring feels doesn’t make them go away. It’s also a great way for me to comprehend feelings before sharing them with other people in a way that we both learn from. 

Sharing thoughts and feelings

Whenever I have a thought trying to suppress another thought or feeling, I let that which I am trying to cling to go. These counter-acting anxieties are just years of ingrained ideas about what it is to be a man giving their own voice to my ideas, sadly for them, I’m not so attentive to what they have to say right now. 

Engaging my romantic

This used to be incredibly difficult for me, as romantic display is the height of emotional openness. Throughout the whole process you are thinking about that person and preparing to put your feelings on an open stage for them. 

Attending events outside my comfort zone

Ecofeminist exhibitions, theatre, singing, classical music, dance, and plenty of jazz (sometimes I forget this is a coursework assignment). That’s not to say any of these performance types are feminine, but these are art forms all of my role models would have firmly dismissed. 

Exploring my creative