What will I do today?
Today, I spent time reflecting on the insights shared by our guest speakers about the Type Here competition and brief. I began exploring some initial ideas and took notes on their design processes and what they expect from the brief. We were also introduced to our first formative project, a cupcake website, meant as a quick refresher of our HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills. I aimed to complete most of it today, using the time to get back into coding and apply what I’ve learned so far.
Are there any blockers?
I anticipate some blockers in regards to the formative, as refreshing these skills after a two-week break may be a brief learning curve, and the amount of work expected feels like it may take longer than the suggested three hours.
What did I accomplish yesterday?
I managed to complete the majority of the website formative we were given, though it took more time than suggested to reach a level that met the brief and that I was personally satisfied with.
What will I do today?
Today, I intend to complete the remainder of the cupcake website. Tuesday’s class focused on a walkthrough of how Simon approached the formative, which I’ll use as a guide while finishing up my own.
Are there any blockers?
At this stage, I have some general starting ideas, but I feel I need a clearer understanding of the brief and to explore a wider range of options before finding a direction that aligns with my goals.
What did I accomplish yesterday?
Yesterday, I completed and submitted my cupcake site. It was a generally difficult day due to a health appointment, which tend to leave me in a low mental state and definitely disrupted my workflow and motivation.
What will I do today?
Today we have a joint lecture, focusing on getting an overall idea of our problem, through activities. The lectures focusing on agile methodolgy and more.
Are there any blockers?
At this stage Im approaching ideas and brainstorming the idea of something related to chronic/invisible illnesses after seeing it and using it in the metaphor activity and feeling inspired by my personal experience.
What did I accomplish yesterday?
Yesterday I established my beginning stages of a idea, and worked on the process throughout the day.
What will I do today?
We spent the day primarily engaging in activities and listening to lectures. After hearing Simon’s feedback, I spent time at home reworking my concept and developed a new idea focused on street smarts and personal safety, inspired by the rise in crime and my own experiences.
Are there any blockers?
However, after Simon mentioned the boundaries around topics like mental and physical health, we had a conversation about my idea. He explained the ethical concerns involved and suggested it could be more suitable as a third-year project, where there’s more space to explore such themes. As a result, I now need to reconsider my direction.
What did I accomplish yesterday?
Yesterday, I felt incredibly demotivated after having my initial idea rejected, especially after spending the day developing it, leaving me feeling like I was back at square one.
What will I do today?
Today was focused on ideation. We took part in an ideation workshop that helped generate inspiration for our Type Now brief. The activities allowed me to develop and refine my ideas, making them more aligned with the brief.
Are there any blockers?
At this stage, I had come up with a new idea in regards to the enterprise breif, hoping it would better align with the brief after my initial concept was declined due to valid ethical concerns. However, I’ve since encountered similar issues with my new idea, which focuses on safety in cities and being street smart.
I felt a strong sense of productivity and personal growth this week, particularly in how I managed my formative tasks. I approached the work with focus from the beginning, dedicating time to understand the requirements and make steady progress. With the support of new medication, I’ve felt more capable and equipped to stay on top of my workload. Rather than procrastinating, I made a conscious effort to stay organised and proactive, ensuring I was on track and meeting expectations as best I could.
My progress was quickly disrupted after my ideas were denied, something I understand and accept, as the concerns were valid and justified. However, facing this setback repeatedly, with two ideas now being turned down, left me feeling disheartened and far behind. It felt as though the effort I had put into staying on track had been thrown off course.
I believe I made real progress in addressing previous challenges, I was more proactive, found a more effective way of working, and have been noticeably more productive as a result. However, I did encounter some unforeseen issues that disrupted my progress. Moving forward, I’ve learned to be more mindful of potential ethical or conceptual concerns early on. I also recognise the importance of developing a diverse range of projects in both my coursework and portfolio to reflect flexibility in my design practice.
For the next sprint I intend to continue to schedule I've created that is showing to be more healthy and productive, and am anticipating alot of catching up which will be done within this weekend, hoping to get back up to pace before the next sprint and continue the postive sides of the past week.