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COMPULSORY QUESTION 2

(some images from our school of tomorrow field trip)

This week we were further introduced to the connections between design, social engagement and tradition. Since we were assigned to choose two design practices that relate to the topic of social engagement. My choice was the School of Tomorrow by Kinetic SG.

The School of Tomorrow is to learn about environmental issues in interesting ways through an immersive exhibition. From the sciences to the humanities, with a focus on sustainability. History Class, in partnership with Temasek Shophouse, will explore Singapore’s growth from its kampung days. The exhibition aims to create an adaptive learning environment that fosters critical thinking for a changing world where creativity rises to meet our social responsibilities for today and the future.

By being sustainable, the exhibit shows the many different ways waste can be recycled and reused to create something that humans can in turn use every day. For example, the environmental costs of the fashion industry are rising. Other than tips on how to extend the lifespan of clothing, students also learn about how fashion can be more sustainable by using circular manufacturing methods and eco materials like ‘leather’ made from seaweed, mycelium, and pineapple.

The exhibit manages to show everyone of all ages an interactive carbon footprint calculator that totals a student’s score across six areas: food, commute, shopping, home, travel, and recreation. No matter the score, using simple charts and infographics to share ways of changing our habits and lifestyle to reduce our ecological impact.

(Verboom’s “Fan Lamp” from the 2014 initiative “Fantasized – Design for Impact”)

(Livable Joias Tribo table & Livable Aya lounge chair)

I chose designer and social entrepreneur Sep Verboom as my second example since he manages to demonstrate design and social engagement with tradition. He was born in Ghent but grew up in a small village next to the city, known for traditional rattan weaving techniques combined with contemporary design, integrating different forms of knowledge and creating a piece that reinterprets waste and resources. He designed “Fan Lamp” from the 2014 initiative “Fantasized – Design for Impact” which repurposes the metal frame of a fan and combines it with woven rattan to create a lamp. This functional simplicity enhances the home’s sustainability by reducing waste and utilizing locally sourced materials.

In week 10, I dive into works and identities that regard my artistic vision. My design strengths are mainly UI/UX, photography as well as videography. I like the many ways we are able to convey a message through images, videos, or a compilation of information on everything on a website. My main aspiration is to be able to graduate with a Bachelor's degree and pursue a career as a UI/UX designer somewhere else in the world with a stable income to be a digital nomad or pivot to the art management field in Singapore.

The works that really resonated with me were limited-edition school bags jointly created by School of Tomorrow and textile studio YABAI YABAI which are made from old school uniforms donated by the public. And Living like the last days of 3 1/2 Earths. It really fascinates me how symbols like uniforms and planets can mean different design ideas that could be used to convey many forms of message depending on what you are trying to communicate.

(478 words)

reference:

"Award-winning sustainability exhibition, School of Tomorrow, returns with expanded ‘curriculum’" by Design Singapore Council accessed on 11 Nov 2024

https://designsingapore.org/news/award-winning-sustainability-exhibition-school-of-tomorrow-returns-with-expanded-curriculum/

"Preparing For Humanity’s Greatest Test At The School Of Tomorrow" https://kinetic.com.sg/school-of-tomorrow/ by Singapore Design Week - Kinetic accessed on 11 Nov 2024

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COMPULSORY QUESTION 1

For our class activity, we were split into groups and were assigned to create our own manifesto as designers. Our group's manifesto as a whole is to manifest what makes a person a designer in our design practices. We each wrote and included each of our own manifestos, as well as illustrations that highlight our own personality.

My written manifesto is 'Design or Art?'. Designs have to solve problems, while art should provoke thought and emotions. Designers work for others with a data-driven or mathematical process for a solution, while artists work intuitively using their instincts. Art is perceptual, while design is rational.

An Artist is a person who produces or creates art using conscious skill and creative imagination.

Designer is a person who visualizes a concept that is in the abstract form and prepares the blueprint.

Another manifesto I would consider would be "One day or day one". I discovered that quote recently and it also is relevant to me this semester since there is a bunch of assignments to do and it is easy to get burned out and procrastinate. In fact, it is so relevant to me now that I even used the quote for my digital skills assignment for the 45-second video.

(Art vs design manifesto is my written manifesto for this activity)

A change I would potentially make for the group outcome is to maybe include a more visually appealing and definite illustration in the overall manifesto as I think we are mainly just doing a bunch of wordplay and fonts. For example, "Sleeping at 5am is not normal". can have a visual representation of a tired person with the clock showing 5am to enhance the overall impact of the theme and people can easily tell what it is about been without reading the whole thing. Since our whole idea is what makes a designer a designer we could have formed a more unique visual statement.

The most significant aspect of CTS-B for me was the filming of connecting practice with society. I liked the filming aspect of the activity where we highlight the importance of design in modern society. I personally love analyzing the different contexts and symbolism. There is a reason for everything and I love studying the different techniques and thought processes behind each nuance and reference in a person's design choices.

(my video about one day or day one highlights procrastination as the main topic)

When it comes to my design practices and modules, I often explore themes such as self-discovery or the determination to find meaning in life I think by exploring many varieties of design choices, I get a chance to find connections between the people around me and their environments but also how I relate to them in return so I can apply appropriate design choices as a designer and not as an artist.

(451 words)

references:

"Writing a Design Manifesto", Design for Mindfulness, by Miklos Philips. accessed 11 Nov. 2024,

https://www.toptal.com/designers/creative-direction/art-vs-design

"What is the difference between a Designer and an Artist?", by Dezine Quest accessed 11 Nov. 2024,

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-difference-between-designer-artist-dezine-quest#:~:text=An%20Artist%20is%20a%20person,form%20and%20prepares%20the%20blueprint.

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Connect Practice with Society

Today's class was to document and link how we contribute and relate to society as designers and apply it to our works as inspiration.

An example of what a socially engaged designer would do is research the location’s indigenous culture to seek innovative, creative solutions, whether or not they lead to an object. If we as designers and consumers don't know anything about the product, we can't evaluate it.

We were to also present our own take in a short form video of social issues we wish to highlight eventually.

(our video on important social issues to highlight)

Our group decided on everyday things that may seem small but greatly affect our daily lives as social issues such as blocking the way on the escalator or not giving up your seats to someone else in need even after recognizing they are there.

This shows that as designers we can tell people about a certain topic without putting it into so many words, In other words, show and don't tell. Other things like environmental issues for example can be shown by using recycled materials to design a product as well as women's gender equity can be shown by designing a wearable that protects them.

(Chloe McCourt’s design of Tiffany Apprise detects the tone of voice and physiological changes and warns a preparator that they are causing distress)

In short, designing for social good can raise awareness about important social, cultural, or environmental issues. For example, a marketing or graphic design campaign that raises awareness about a particular issue can help educate people about it and encourage them to take action.

(238 words)

reference:

https://www.homeanddecor.com.sg/design/rethinking-a-designers-task-with-sep-verboom/ assessed on 15/09/2024

https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-doing-good-with-good-design-products-that-championed-sustainability-and-activism assessed on 15/09/2024

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CTS B week 2: Connecting Theory and Practice

For week 2 we are to link theory and practice with our personal identity. I realized the importance of connecting personal identity with personal attributes to define myself to others who might not know me. Types of identities that people usually associate with others are personal identities such as individual attributes (funny, smart, etc), and social identity (such as gender, race, etc).

This can also be translated to your personal graphic design work by adding your flair to your design so that it would be unique and stand out from the rest.

(My personal graph of individual and social identity which was done in class)

I started with a social identity like my nationality and language since it's the easiest to define from the start. Following that are the languages that are usually associated with nationality and after that the rest. Personal identity is important for others to recognize your brand instantly by associating it with a certain consistent theme that is going on around you. For example, when people see a tick they would think of Nike as a brand. When people see a landmark in a country like the Sydney Opera House or Marina Bay Sands they would without doubt think Australia and Singapore respectively.

(These are some of the world's most recognizable brands that people easily can tell)

(some of the world's most recognizable landmarks which countries use for tourism branding)

(my design identity is mostly UI/UX as I think it's an important branding skill to have in a digital age)

I felt that as time passes and one gains more experiences and sees new things in their life, their perspective of individual branding changes over time. We create new definitions and identities through self-identified improvement and the things happening around us.

(235 words)

Reference:

https://nepsprint.com/blogs/news/the-most-famous-logos-in-brand-history assessed on 15/09/2024

https://vincentloy.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/worlds-most-famous-landmarks/ assessed on 15/09/2024

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CTS B Week 1: Creative thinking, creative practice

This week we are to explore the difference and apply between creative thinking and creative practice as well as structured vs unstructured. Afterward, we were to share with the class your chosen topic related to social issues in Singapore specifically. I have decided on the topic of the rising cost of living in Singapore with how global issues have affected the country significantly for us ordinary Singaporeans. I have turned mine into a script to play out a scenario between two married couples who live in Singapore and how they would describe their current situation and their own ways to cope with the cost of living.

(this is the script that I came up with two couples as the main characters)

So recently almost everything in Singapore has had a significant increase in price due to global inflation and global affairs such as the US and China. Many of the things are beyond our control, but the ones affected are always the regular folks. Things affected are necessities such as Food, Transport, and Housing. These are further increased by the rise of GST from 7% to the now current 9%.

Of course, with proper management, it should not be an issue but it brings doubt into one's retirement plan if it were to be greatly affected.

(Over the years food items have increased significantly)

(Eating out has also changed a lot. Gone are the days when for $5 you can buy most things)

In conclusion, proper creative thinking like implementing innovative solutions such as putting out graphics to raise awareness among the public is a great way to start a bit of change something. It could be from choosing a more practical option such as making graphics for raising awareness, or selecting a more impactful theme for a project such as documenting the dangers of rising cost of living.

(266 words)

references:

https://www.straitstimes.com/business/prices-in-s-pore-seen-moderating-but-likely-to-remain-above-pandemic-levels-in-2024 by Colin Tan. Assessed on 10/09/2024

https://www.expatica.com/sg/about/basics/cost-of-living-in-singapore-2172817/ by Kiera Healy. Assessed on 10/09/2024

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cost-of-living-in-singapore-slow-inflation-some-price-pressures-897631 by Tang See Kit. Assessed on 10/09/2024