WEEK 12 (Semester II)

ALT- BOOK

— The Producing Process of My Alt-book

   

Aims

In my Alt-book project, I plan to create a handmade book that fully uses junks collected from my daily life. The purpose is to highlight my theme of ‘Upcycling’ that my chosen driver of change in last project – PachaKucha. This is a continuous study.

 

Research

The research of this project is based on the accumulation of previous projects, and I had watch a large number of Alt-book cases. At the same time I continued to let myself in-depth study and understanding of the previous information about ‘Uncycling’.

 

Idea

At the beginning I thought about several options, such as to use the form of roll film or zoetrope as my Alt-book or make a box that could replaceable cards to display the information or story that I want to expressive, since my chosen design lens is ‘the camera as archive machine’, I think more about how to display pictures. Until one day I was on my way to school and picked up a large piece of bark left over from the timberjack’s work, I think if the curled bark could flattened in some way, it will be a very interesting book cover. With this mind, I started to adjust my design thinking and to pay more attention on the content of my alt-book, and in the form I will let it to be special.

Process

I used two boxes of unopened mineral water for press the bark nearly 26 hours. At the same time, I also selected the material of the inside page – Amazon’s express carton. I cut the express carton according to the shape of the bark to serve as the inner page of my alt-book and I used tools to drill four holes in the book cover (bark) for through iron ring, and I have engraved the title and my name abbreviated, then I applied the glue that could brighten the color to the words that have been Seal carving.

   

   

 

Outcome

 

 

 

 

WEEK 10 (Semester II)

ZINE MAKING

— The feedback of my zine

 

Describe

In week 9 of this semester, we have a practice about a research zine making. Its design and production should be related to the driver of change (Upcycling) and design lens (The camera as archive machine) of the project 3 (PechaKucha).

 

Interpret

We select and pick up the material that we needed from some old and unused magazine to collage a zine, and using this zine to tell a story for the readers. Eventually I found that   for a zine’s storytelling, both text and images are important.

 

Evaluate

I learned from the feedback that from my teachers and classmates, for a zine making, the layout of the page design, clear and specific theme, rich content, storytelling and key points are indispensable.

 

Plan

I will I think about how to use visual to tell stories better and create good communication conditions in my next step.

 

 

WEEK 8 (Semester II)

“Point of View.”

“How Might We…?”

User, Need & Insight

 

“point of view” is one part of design thinking process. It focuses on understanding users’ needs and insights into design themes, and the ultimate aim is to solve problems.

“How Might We” is for the designers to ask questions or pose challenges in his/her point of view. The problems or challenges that will eventually be solved at last.

 

 

For example, my choice of driver of change — ‘Upcycling’. ‘Upcycling’ is the process of converting old or discarded items into something useful and often beautiful. It is different from ‘Recycling’, ‘Recycling’ requires energy or water to break down materials, and ‘Upcycling’ only requires your own creativity and elbow grease.

 

POV

To creative up-cycling works stimulate people’s creativity and provide fun, creative ideas could give a new purpose and new value to something that would have otherwise been discarded. Meanwhile, up-cycling is a way to save money and resources and protect the environment.

 

HMW

How might we upcycle the items that no longer useful to artworks or another form of daily necessities? Such as wine bottles, cans, newspapers, mild cartons, tires, suitcases, jeans, etc.

What’s might stopping us from upcycling does not have a set of specific methods and theories to teach people how to implement it? Upcycling is random and highly creative.

In what ways could we designing an application and website about upcycling that people could learn, share and discuss how to upgrade the junk in people’s daily life?

Why would we organise an exhibition dedicated to display the successful upcycling works that are highly creative, innovative and functional?

 

 

Reference list

Dam. R, (2017). Define and Frame Your Design Challenge by Creating Your Point Of View and Ask “How Might We”. [online] INTERACTION DESIGN FOUNDATION. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/define-and-frame-your-design-challenge-by-creating-your-point-of-view-and-ask-how-might-we[Accessed 21 Apr. 2018].

 

 

WEEK 7 (Semester II)

Review About The Exhibition

Comments you agree with and why.

I agree the comment that ‘I wish those points of gum could more eye-catching, how about use a light colour’. The colour of the chewing gum distributed on my thematic map of ‘THE GUM ROAD’ I choose from the real chewing gum package, and try hard to make the colour prominent and emphasised, but since the small size and the complex distribution of the chewing gum, audience need to be slightly careful in the map to watch all the chewing gum distribution on the roads.

Comments you don’t agree with and why.

‘What if put some stories on that’. I have a little bit do not agree this proposal. This thematic map of my are mainly to express a social phenomenon, the purpose is to let the audience intuitively feel the shock of these ‘THE GUM ROAD’ data and distribution patterns.

Things that will can inform your practice in forthcoming practice and why.

I have got so many lovely feedback from our classmates and tutors, I am very thankful to everyone for enjoying my work and making evaluations and giving valuable suggestions. I will try to think and solve problems in various ways in my future studies and creations.

 

 

 

WEEK 5 (Semester II)

The Design Bridge Studios Visiting Reflection

Last Wednesday, we had a visiting in London to visit an excellent design company called Design Bridge. Design bridge is a highly awarded brand design agency. This is my first time to look around such a real and professional design company, the working atmosphere of the design bridge was really strong and all departments were well organised, I think working in here must be a very happiness and tension concurrent feeling.

What impressed me most was the explanation given by the two instructors on that day, which benefited me a lot. Originality, Storytelling, and dedication to craft. are the concepts that the Design Bridge adhering to. Original thinking is at the heart of what Design Bridge do and cannot be compromised. Brands need a unique story, they need something that connects with people. Craft is a passion of Design Bridge and the forms’ list is endless. Originality, Storytelling, and dedication to craft have also become the principles that I must uphold and learn in my future study and creation.

The visit of Design Bridge was definitely insightful and beneficent, learning and seeing new things always make me feel excited and delighted. I hope that this kind of experience could be more in our future study in MACD.

WEEK 4 (Semester II)

Three Important elements in my thematic map design

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1 Map Has a Clear Purpose

I think the most important element in my thematic map design is to have a significantly clear intention, because design is a kind of communicated method to demonstrate information and concepts to audiences. For instance, in my design work of thematic map names ‘The Gum Road’, what I want to express is that people littering their chewing gum  on roads is not a pretty sight for the environment we live in.

 

2 Select Colours that Reflect a Theme and Purpose

It is necessary to choose colours that could reflect themes and intentions. Meaningful colours could show information and concepts clearly and directly. In my mapping work of ‘The Gum Road’, I have incorporated colours from the original packaging of the chewing gum, so that it is consistent, I choose that colour to express the chewing gum points on the map. Finally the main ingredient of chewing gum is natural gum, I use that colour on title of my thematic map design.

 

3 View All Ingredients in Your Map with Legends

Legends (graphic symbol) is an indispensable part in my thematic map. It is easy for the audiences to know what each figure, colour, polygon, line, point or grid cell’s meaning on the map. Map legends explain to the audiences that what these features on thematic map represent. They are one of the most important map elements to consider during thematic maps design. Designers must let audiences understanding all of the information presented.

 

Reference list

33 Map Elements to Include in Cartographic Design: A ‘How to’ Guide to Map Making [Online] http://gisgeography.com/map-elements-how-to-guide-map-making/

http://slideplayer.com/slide/10767055/ [Online] http://slideplayer.com/slide/10767055/

Defining Your Purpose [Online] http://drivingimprovedresults.com/defining-purpose/

WEEK 3 (Semester II)

Thematic Map

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What is the meaning of the Thematic Map?

Thematic map focuses on describing various aspects of a specific geographical area, and it can depict the change of geographical distribution, correlation and occurrence of some phenomena.

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The thematic map below significantly shows that the distribution of urban areas in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is successful to tell audiences the visual data about the urbanised areas and urban clusters in 2010 because distribution of the points and colours, it feels very intuitive visual of this map. This thematic map is effortless to understand. Urbanised areas are shown as silhouettes, representing their actual area, and urban clusters are shown as point symbols.

Urbanised Areas and Urban Clusters: 2010

https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/thematic/2010ua/UA2010_UAs_and_UCs_Map.pdf

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This thematic map is display that the flag in each prefecture of Japan map obviously. In this thematic map we could clearly see the distribution of the prefectures in the island of Japan, also the prefecture flag of each area. The different prefecture flag has different colour, all of those colours buildup a colourful Japanese map. It is visually very unique.

Japanese prefecture flag map

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/340936634284445800/visual-search/?x=16&y=13&w=530&h=432

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This is a perfect and powerful thematic map. It is clear and simple to indicate that the sustainability index of water supply. we could significantly know that 412 of these counties the risk of water shortages will be extremely high. The trend in this thematic is easy to get and visually distinct.

Water supply sustainability index (2050)

http://impactmapping.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/water-scarcity-map.html

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Reference list

https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/thematic/2010ua/UA2010_UAs_and_UCs_Map.pdf

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/340936634284445800/visual-search/?x=16&y=13&w=530&h=432

http://impactmapping.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/water-scarcity-map.html

WEEK 2 (Semester II)

Data & Information Visualisation

I read this week’s article on Lev Manovich to understand that information visualisation is of great value to modern information dissemination. The key to information visualisation is how to convert data into visual representation so that information could be communicate effectively, correctly, and with an artistic design.

How to design information visualisation should take into account font, colour, grid, information simplification, visual attribute selection, and grasp good visualised works that could learn from, it is also necessary to consider the connection with the content to be expressed.

Font

When design a visualisation better use no more than one typeface of font, with only a few variations in size or style.

Colour

If did not accept professionally trained before, could use the colour palette and colour palette generator on website. The colour use should relative with the content of information designed.

Grid

Grid is very important on combine more than one visualisations together in a single design.

Information Simplification

Less is more. Just catch the main content of information.

Visual Attribute Selection

Every information visualisation design has a variety of visual attributes.  Common attributes include point, colours, line widths, font family, font sizes, locations of text blocks, etc. The most important design principle is to use only a few options for each attribute. For instance, for lines, use only maximum of two line widths. For font size, similarly use only two sizes, one for the title, one for the labels (for example). For colour, use a palette of three or four colours, etc.

Grasp good visualised works that could learn from, and consider the connection with the content to be expressed.

 

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Making visible the invisible: data in art and design

• Making visible the invisible

• Data in art and design

 

What is data?

Data: Simple facts lacking context.

Information: Data put within context.

Knowledge: Information that has been justified true and believed.

      1. Data is ubiquitous.

‘Data could drive pretty much everything, found in everything that you do…’

      2. Data is diverse. 

‘Since it is everywhere, you can find it in sorts of different things.’

      3. Data is important as well

 

Reference list:

Lev Manovich. 2012, ‘5 Minute Guide: Graphic Design Principles for Information Visualisation’,[Online] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CVbRgxAby5AdS6ERCmAde69v7_gXSWoK-YcJZzs-KKY/

Popovich, N. and Pearce, A. 2017. It’s Not Your Imagination. Summers Are Getting Hotter.[Online] Nytimes.com. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/28/climate/more-frequent-extreme-summer-heat.html [Accessed 4 Feb. 2018].

Aaeron S. 2013, ‘Making Visible the Invisible’, [Video] https://vimeo.com/52832102

WEEK 1 (Semester II)

The Quantifed Self

 

In Morden society, people are more and more interesting on show solicitude for the data of relating to their self, such as sports data, sleep data, chat data, reading data, and so on. People use this method of recording data to quantify and clearly see the changes and details in one aspect of their life. In my point of view, this kind of data collection is like people keeping a diary, it is a kind of way to record people’s life .

There is a person who called Alberto Frigo, he is come to be known because he use a camera to keep record of everything he used and touched by his right hand. He thinks that everyone could motivate their lives and create an interesting environment  to get more involved in their daily life. I also love recording my life, for instance, I often shoot a lot of photos of my room, I think every item in my room could reflect my life track and my lifestyle when its at different times and positions, even including the items’ tracks of use on its body.

 

The other person I want to talk about is Nicholas Felton, he is an information graphic designer. The focus of Nicholas’s work is ‘the daily life data into meaningful things and experience’, His goal is not only to analyse data, but also to focus on exploring new ways of presenting data to artistically data and to combine aesthetic design with art. I quite agree with his point that data is one of the main sources of information for contemporary designers and tell stories visually is an exciting pursue.

 

 

Reference list

Alberto Frigo: A 36-year Tracking Project. 2014. Ernesto Ramirez. [ONLINE] Available at: http://quantifiedself.com/2014/07/alberto-frigo-a-36-year-tracking-project/. [Posted on 3 July, 2014].

An Annual Report on One Man’s Life. 2010. Nick Bilton. [ONLINE] Available at: New York Times. [Retrieved on 16 June, 2013].

WEEK 15

Time flies，it has been one semester since I started MA Communication Design at University of Southampton, and I have to say that I have learned a lot during these time.

There are some key words about the knowledge and skills that I learned in the first semester: Design thinking, Personas, IXDA, Sketch-notes, Prototype, Affordance, PACT, Interaction Design, User Interface design, etc. All of those keywords were essential to redirect my way of thinking on design in the future.

The ‘keyword’ of making a persona is one of the most useful skill that help me to do the design project. ‘A persona is a representation of a particular audience segment for a website, product or service you are designing, based on various types of qualitative and quantitative research. It captures a person’s motivations, frustrations and the “essence” of who they are.’ I know that when I make a persona, I have to pay attention at the users’ or customers’ experiences, emotions, feelings,actions, thoughts, etc. This is an influence on my design behaviour. The pain points is the crux of the users/ customers for my design. This allows the me to make a comprehensive research and try to find a way to know the user groups’ feeling and thoughts, design that follow this way is the most accurate also could resonate with the users.

PACT is another most important ‘keyword’ for me doing design, It has an affect on my design thinking.  P means people (who), A means activities (what), C means contexts (why), and T means technology (how). Those could help me to do communication design better.

The New Year and new semester are both the time to reflect on and sum up what has passed and to look ahead to the new challenge to come. This semester I will study more hard in our major MA Communication Design, since I had I have completed a bachelor’s degree and a master‘s degree in China, two countries of China and UK are two different ways of teaching. For me, every day here is new. I came to England to learn something different, and to make the world a little different because of me is my aspiration.

Finally, thanks to the teachers who have taught us t, I will work harder for the next semester. Wish us all have a peaceful, prosperous and happy new year.