Week 6 Journey - Breaking the "theme" [D4G: what wows]

This is the last week before the holidays, and I think it's the appropriate time to reflect. This week's reflective journey has been full of thought, and I've spent a lot of time thinking rather than putting pen to paper. This time, I will try out another framework for reflection, The four F's of active review, designed by Dr Roger Greenaway.

[Figure 1: The four F's of active reviewing, Greenaway, R., (n.d.)]

Facts:

At the start of the week, I thought about and worked on improving my project based on Gabi's feedback last week. Last week, I discussed with Gabi that I had decided to change from designing stickers with elements of Maori culture to Chinese culture. However, Gabi then asked me why Chinese culture? I have to say that was a really good question and provoked me to think. Why must it be Chinese culture, or should the theme be culture?

Feelings:

This was a question I couldn't answer at the moment, and I said I would think about it more. That's why I got nowhere with the sticker design last week. It was a mixed feeling at the moment. I was annoyed that I hadn't thought about it sooner. However, it was a happy feeling that I knew where to start with the next step.

Findings:

Returning to the original purpose when challenged to think again is a lesson I have learned from my previous reflections. Revisiting the purpose for which I set up my website, a site that allows users to customize their stickers with the pattern they prefer, its stickers serve the purpose of preventing birds from hitting the glass by reducing the reflection of the glass. And the reason I wanted to make a set of sticker designs was to put them on the site as examples. In other words, I am playing from both the user's and developer's perspective in this project. Therefore, the sticker design should be something I would want to put on my own house glass. I can't believe I didn't realize this simple thing earlier. I focused on the graphic design of the stickers in the initial design rather than the website. But the truth is the website is the foundation. Starting to design patterns without a clue led me into a "cultural" loop, where I got stuck on culture. Why should I set my own limits when no one else sets them for me? I should put myself in the role of a user and imagine what I, as a user, would like to have on the glass in my room. Instead of only thinking about which culture I should choose as an element of my design. I'm not saying culture as a theme is wrong, but I think it's limiting me right now.

Futures:

In future designs, I would try not to forget what the design was originally intended for. I would also try to remember what this design is about.

This reflective framework suits me well, as I'm good at analyzing experiences and getting inspired by them. This framework has no extra steps for me and is extremely efficient.

In addition to the first half of the week's reflection, I still tried to make some progress on the project at the end of the week. Mainly on the visual design aspect, I started by thinking about my brand adjectives, which are:

• Youthful

• Fresh

• Modern

• Joyful

• Energetic

• Naturally

• Sustainability

Then, I selected a color palette and typography that aligned with my project's theme. This ensured a cohesive design that was easy to navigate and visually pleasing.

[Figure 2: Colour palette and typeface, My Miro]

I have also come up with some potential names, slogans, and logos for my project. However, these are still in process, and I will use the holidays to decide.

[Figure 3: Logo and branding elements, My Miro]

Overall, looking back on this week's process, I would say it has been busy for me. The richness of my thinking has given me a more fulfilling feeling than the amount of paperwork I've been doing. I will spend the holidays thinking about my project and hopefully making more progress when I return to school.

Reference:

Greenaway, R. (1970) The four F’s of active reviewing, The University of Edinburgh. Available at: https://www.ed.ac.uk/reflection/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/four-f (Accessed: 27 August 2023).

Lu, Fei. (2023). Colour palette and typeface. Miro. https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMMgL1Cg=/RESOURCES

Lu, Fei. (2023). Logo and branding elements. Miro. https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMMgL1Cg=/RESOURCES