woii-sueann

[woii-sueann]

WEEK 12 compulsory qn 2

'Analysing Traditions' topic plays an important role being an artist/designer as it requires us to think critically. For example, we need to consider the artist's intent, the cultural context, and the elements of the artwork. This can help us to develop our critical thinking skills and help with my aspiration to become a successful graphic designer.

I came across this artwork while researching for this topic. Lee Weng Fatt, a designer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the story behind his paintings on old buildings are that he wants to capture the mood of a scene rather than the physical details of the subject matter. In most of his works there are facades of shophouses, people milling about a medicine shop, an old vintage car, bird cages and the sunlight filtering through the open space. His art allows me to have a connection to the past.

By studying different artistic traditions, I learn about the history of different cultures and also gain new perspectives by analysing the techniques, materials, and subject matter of different artistic traditions. Learning about different techniques and materials links back to my ability on using different textures on my works and it gives me more insight on how I can utilise textures in my works.

Looking back at my artistic vision statement, I realised I can improvise some of the points with the help of my classmates feedback. For the 'action' part in my statement, if i want to pursue working or studying overseas in the future I think it will be better if i can do both at the same time overseas. If there is an opportunity in the future, I am interested in working as a graphic designer in Madrid, Spain, as it has a vibrant and dynamic design scene, with a rich history that interests me. There are also a few artists that are based in Spain and I get inspired by their works.

Being exposed to the working environment by taking on internships while studying, can help me gain more experience to get better job opportunities that will suit my working style more and promotions.

I thought of a luxury brand, Vivienne Westwood that i really like and it also links back with our CTS B 'Analysing Artistic traditions and lineages' topic. She is a fashion designer for mostly garments and jewellery, she redefined fashion with her daring and subversive designs. Her designs challenged conventional notions of beauty and femininity, incorporating elements of punk, rebellion, and historical references.

Her research for the 1981 ‘Pirate’ Autumn/Winter Collection research was into historical dress, keeping the original cuts as fashion. Inspired by Native American patterns, the ‘Pirate’ trousers had a baggy bum, in complete contrast to hippy hipsters and ‘tight arses’ of the time.

Many of the fashion trends these days are the revival of the vintage/retro style that incorporate styles from past eras. This trend reflects a desire for nostalgia, authenticity, and a connection to the past.

(1) Clara Briones Vedia, Antton Ugarte, Hermes Grau, Mabel Esteban

https://www.behance.net/gallery/174132595/Tribu-Festival-2022

(2) Vivienne Westwood

https://www.viviennewestwood.com/westwood-world/the-story-so-far/

(3) Eagle's Eye Art Gallery

https://eagles-eye.com.sg/collections/w-f-lee/paintings

(495 words)

[woii-sueann]

WEEK 11 compulsory qn 1

Our group's manifesto main phrase is 'Good design is something that can impact others' which I totally resonate with it. For example, creating a sustainable design that will help with the protection of the environment in the world. In our group manifesto we also included that 'our design can be used to make a positive difference in the world' which links back to our main manifesto point. To start making an impact to the world with my design, week 3 Connecting practice with society of CTS B comes in handy to help me with making a sustainable design.

Green hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity, it is a sustainable innovation to replace large amounts of hydrogen from fossil sources that are mostly from natural gas with greener alternatives.

Elizabeth Shove, a prominent sociologist who has extensively studied practices, argues that understanding how practices connect is crucial for comprehending large-scale social phenomena such as climate change. Climate change is an important factor on why creating environmental sustainability designs is important as it helps with reducing the impact on climate change to a certain extent.

'Good design is when you try out different techniques' is my own personal manifesto. I believe more skills and techniques you experience produces better quality work. Therefore, I feel like having the mindset to always explore new things and stepping out of your comfort zone is important especially being a student. However, it's important to note that simply trying different techniques doesn't guarantee good design as it's about understanding the needs of the user. While experimentation can be a generative force, it should be guided by a clear purpose and a deep understanding of the problem. One of the key consideration that we can take note is, Evaluation and Iteration. Experimentation is not just about generating ideas, it's also about evaluating them. Continuously assess the effectiveness of each technique, learning from both successes and failures.

Personally, I think that week 6 critical self-reflectivity of CTS B was more significant to me than other topics in CTS B. This topic links back to my own personal manifesto again as critical self reflectivity plays an important role if i want to achieve my manifesto. For example, self-awareness is crucial for documenting and reflecting while trying out different techniques. You have to be more self aware while documenting the experimentation process as you have to be aware on your findings, identifying patterns and insights that will be used in future design decisions.

My manifesto reminds me of the images and materiality module, we did a mark making exercise where we had to use different materials to draw anything that comes to our mind while listening to different pieces of music. I found it interesting as it is the first time doing this technique and it shows different expressions of how mark making can be done.

(475 words)

(1) https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/shove/transitionsinpractice/tip.htm

(2) Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AL, UK

https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/faq-what-is-sustainability#:~:text=Sustainability%20is%20the%20ability%20to,to%20meet%20their%20own%20needs.

(3) World Wildlife Fund/Accessed on 17 November 2023

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-green-hydrogen-and-how-can-it-help-tackle-the-climate-crisis

[woii-sueann]

WEEK SIX Critical Self-reflectivity

Critical self-reflectivity involves questioning your own assumptions and biases, being open to new perspectives. It is an important skill for personal growth and development as it can help you to become more self-aware of yourself and your impact on others.

For example, we had to use empathy and social skill sets for the exercise today as we had to do it as a group work. Hence, I have to be more thoughtful and open minded to my group mates opinions and feelings.

Personally, I feel that I have a strong emotional intelligence on empathy out of all 5 elements. I usually can tell how people are feeling by their body language and facial expressions even though they might not say how they are feeling. I see myself being more empathetic to other people's situations and experiences because I try to put myself in their shoes and see from their own perspective.

One element that I think I need to work on myself is self-awareness of my emotions as I always let them rule me and do things without clearing my mind first. I can improve on this matter by taking some time to reflect on my behaviour at the end of the day to see what I could have done better in those situations and what I did well so that I can keep it that way.

In conclusion, different people have different thoughts and feelings which shapes them into their personality and character. It is important to know how to manage your thoughts carefully through methods that will work best for you.

(263 words)

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WEEK THREE Connecting Practice with Society

Connecting practice with society is a distinctive method of linking different trends and global issues around the world to social practices people engage with and experience. It means understanding how our daily actions and routines impact the world around us and is about recognizing that we are all interconnected and that our choices have consequences, both positive and negative.

Kinetic Singapore is an independent creative agency that has a project called ‘the waste refinery that turns waste into resource’ that turns solid wastes into refined useful resource instead of thinking them as meaningless abundance. This project helps with sustainability issue that is happening currently in the world.

Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is important because it is the key to ensuring that we have a viable future on this planet. We need to find ways to meet our needs without harming the environment or exploiting future generations.

For our class exercise, me and my group mates decided to do a short video on sustainability. In our video, we showed that how a simple action by bringing our own water bottle instead of using plastic bottles makes a difference in our lives and helps to save the earth by using less plastic. For example, by bringing our own bottles can help us to save money and allows us to refill the bottle as many times as we want.

Through this exercise, I think that social sustainability is an important factor because of the ability to meet the needs of all people in a society without discrimination.

(1)  Kinetic Singapore/Accessed on 17 November

https://href.li/?https://kinetic.com.sg/the-waste-refinery/

(274 words)

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WEEK ONE Creative thinking and critical thinking

Creative practice and critical thinking are two essential skills especially for a graphic designer. Creative practice is the ability to use your imagination to generate new ideas, solve problems, and create new things. Critical thinking is the ability to analyse information, evaluate arguments, and make informed decisions.

For example, The Personal Computer is an innovative design idea by Alan Turing and Steve Jobs, needs critical thinking of key aspects of user experience, as improving user experience is important to most companies, designers, and creators when creating and refining products because negative user experience can diminish the use of the product.

I feel that these two factors are complementary with each other, for example when we are working on our other modules like studio, we have to use our creative practice to generate new ideas and then use critical thinking to evaluate our work and make the necessary changes. For our studio module, I am working on the baybeats festival and i have to use creative thinking on how to use different elements and choose a art direction that will work well with a music festival poster.

It is also important to have both factors inclusive in our working process. Furthermore if you develop on these skills, you can become a more effective problem solver and innovator. Some ways to develop these skills are to be more open minded while considering different perspectives and be willing to change your mind, be reflective about the creative process and identify which areas are needed for more improvement.

In conclusion, I think that if i do not have these 2 important skill sets I will not be able to do well in my studies nor go through my daily life commitments.

‘Critical thinking is the most important factor with chess. As it is in life, you need to think before you make decisions.' as quoted from Hikaru Nakamura an American chess grand master said, I agree with him as critical thinking happens in our everyday lives.

(1) Alan Martinez, Process Engineer

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/critical-thinking-most-important-factor-chess-life-you-alan-martinez

(2)

JAY GREENE, August 11, 2011/Accessed on 17 November

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-computer-which-launched-the-pc-revolution/

(259 words)