å May 2016

Unit 18 slides (PDF)

Task
Design an outward-facing expression of your reflective process.

Form
A print product
An on-screen experience
An object

Function
You are making a practical but expressive tool that you will use to facilitate your end-of-year discussions.

Audience
Community (GD Commons, 5/18, 11:20am)
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Your instructor (5/18)
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Your end-of-year review (5/25)

We began the semester by asking you to ask questions.

This weekend, set aside some time away from distractions to think about those questions in relation to your own progress this semester.

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What’s working?
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What do you consider to be your strongest accomplishments as a designer so far?
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What are your biggest challenges moving forward?
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Where do you need help?

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What inspires you?

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What are your hopes for moving forward?

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How have your design values evolved?

Try to be honest and clear with yourself.

This kind of awareness is crucial to any creative practice.

An essential part of becoming a designer is recognizing the importance of reflection and self-evaluation.

Ideally, it’s a continuous part of your growth process, in school and beyond.

Wednesday May 11
Unit 17 review

Monday May 16
Unit 18 design studio

Wednesday May 18
Unit 18 review
11:30–12:30 Full group in GD Commons
12:30–4:20 Individual meetings

Wednesday May 25
Juniors end-of-year review

Overview

Juniors will present their work for review on Wednesday, May 25. It’s a great way to end the year for all of us, by allowing a closer look at each student and a wide view of the curriculum. Students receive critical feedback from faculty other than their instructors and can receive some of the best on-the-spot advising for future study (areas of improvement/strengths). Think of the review as your final Design Studio project for the year, a unit that carries the question: “how does one present 9 months of work in 10 minutes?”

Your Design Studio instructors may have specific advice, but below are the Department’s expectations of the review. This document is shared with faculty before entering the review.

Summary of goals for the review

• — To draw out strengths and weakness within a student and in the curriculum at large
• — To allow for a holistic view of a student’s body of work
• — To allow students to meet and hear from faculty other than their instructors
• — To advise students on future courses, internships, areas of interest
• — To force a student to present his/her body of work in a clear manner and a short amount of time (an important design problem in its own right)

Advice on what and how to prepare

• — Bring all of your work from this year. What you see as weak or irrelevant may really help instructors understand your trajectory. Consider how your presentation may emphasize the primary projects from each course while giving instructor’s access to the process or versions. We want to see your stronger and weaker moments in order to help guide you as best we can.
• — Include non-school work if it helps to complete a picture of your year. For example, if you spent months on a project for a student group, show it!
• — Show non-major studio work (wintersession) and be prepared to talk about Liberal Arts courses and how they fit into your GD work
• — Visit your room in advance to plan out your presentation. Arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled time to hang up work on walls and lay out projects on tables. Borrow a friend’s laptop if you need more computer displays. Use the projector if needed. Bring pushpins or other supplies that you need. Bring a laptop or plug in to a projector if available to show digital work.
• — You may need to reprint work or revise work to fit your presentation. Digital work may be best printed given the short time period.
• — You may ask a classmate or friend to be present to take notes or to hear the conversation. The review is considered closed except for peers you invite or faculty who are assigned or wish to be present.

The reviews go quickly so we will start and end on time. A list of student date and times will posted on a Notice (available online as well). Ask your DS instructor if you have any questions. Best of luck preparing your work and closing out the semester.