OUGD601. COP3. Progress Tutorial with Richard.

on the 31st of october i had a progress tutorial with richard concerning the progression of my research and dissertation. in preparation for the tutorial i went over my feedback from my cop3 presentation and looked into the areas suggested and the advice given. i researched the points made so that i had a more in depth understanding and then, from the themes of my essay, went on to consider a better working title. the main problem outlined in the presentation was that my title was too lengthy and encompassed to many broadly related topics. i made attemps to word in better and to word it so that it fully explained the question i was investigating.

the question i decided to choose, being the strongest, was the 'to what extent has communication technology...'. i thought this was the one that best illustrated what i want to investigate. richard agreed.
i was also asked to generate a loose plan for the structural separation of the chapters of my essay.

while i scribbled down feedback (below the line on the image above) richard wrote down a formal plan of action for my progression.

the meet was really useful and gave me a good idea of what i needed to do next.

OUGD601. COP3. Dissertation Presentation: Plan & Evaluation.

as part of the module, and as an introduction to our learning we were required to produce a presentation regarding our COP3 direction, question, progression and outcomes. the presentation, occuring on october 17th, should be about 5-10 minutes long and consider the different aspects of the module and its indicative content. i began by planning my presentation in terms of its contents in order to establish the information needing to be included. i then went on to develop the presentation as a pdf. i wanted to present visually so that i would have a greater freedom of verbal explanation and not have to constantly adhere to pre-written text on a screen. i think this choice was beneficial to me and my style of presenting through free speech, and to the audience because heavily text based presentations are not engaging and that contradicts the point of a presentation.

from these plans i then went on to digitally produce my presentation in indesign.

i think the presentation went really well and i spoke clearly and confidently about my proposal, question, progression and aims/intents for the COP module. i feel as though i covered everything i needed to in order to give the audience a full understanding of what it is i was doing and why. i spoke with understanding and with a clear interest in the themes and subjects outlined. at the end of the presentation i gained some feedback on my proposal and some advice for the direction of and research into my dissertation project. 

i think the presentation was really useful both for me to gain an established and written understanding of where i was and what i aimed to do, and for me to have a chance to verbally explain to an audience. i was really appreciative of the audiences feedback and feel as though the whole task was helpful.

OUGD601. COP3. Secondary Research: Documentaries/Lectures.

as part of my investigation into communication and digital technology i came across a series of short documentaries, funded by ericsson (of sony ericsson), that talked about how our world is changing technologically and how this influences methods and forms of communication. i thought it was a bit suspicious that the series was funded by ericsson because i thought it would mean their influence being apparent in the bias or conclusions of the shorts. having watched the documentaries, and having done a bit of investigation into ericssons motives (generally and in relation to the series), i concluded that their role was mainly financially and that they had, as far as i could tell, left the investigations, findings and outcomes presented to the researchers and academics involved. because the conclusions were not wholly positive, in terms of technology's impact on our future, the series' motives and presentation lead me to believe that the progression and production was independent. there was a bias to an extent (as there always is) but each short did consider multiple stances and viewpoints and gave a board context to each. still a little suspicious of ericssons financial involvement, i decided to conclude that their motive was to cast the company in a better light and demonstrate to the audience that they were making changes in line with considerations for the future of the plant and humanity. whether or not this was for my own peace of mind im not completely sure, however, it let me continue to take the documentaries at face value and not question every statement. i took notes in my notebook:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4zM3C1gLrI&index=1&list=PL_IlIlrxhtPNNqlVN88n-JJAyHlTtxyH0

Thinking Cities.

On the Brink.

Shaping Ideas.

The Future of Learning.

OUGD601. COP3. Module Briefing.

we had a module briefing with richard introducing the module details and our progression as part of his tutor group. it mainly concerned the dates and times we had tutorial slots with richard and what progress we should have made up to each point. i took notes in my notebook:

OUGD601. COP3. Lecture 2: Methodologies and Critical analysis.

we had a lecture with richard concerning our methodologies for research and the critical analysis and triangulation aspects of our essay and research project. i took notes in my notebook:

OUGD601. COP3. Lecture 1: Organising Your Research Project.

due to my absence in the first week i was unable to attend the first COP lecture, however, i recognised the importance of the information provided in it and so talked to my peers about the content and made some notes from their notes. i then went on to look over the powerpoint and take some more notes so that i fully understood what was said.

Planning the Project:

- write down all the questions i want to answer

- critically evaluate each and choose the best two

- write down my first thoughts

- develop a working title

Project Outline:

- deadline 15 weeks

- consider that i have a life as well

- allow time for reading and writing

Literature:

- find key texts

- find secondary sources/critiques of chosen texts for triangulation

- use journals

Ethics:

- If a student’s CoP3 research involves human subjects

(1) and/or data not in the public domain (2) then ethical

approval must be granted by their supervisor / programme

leader.

Questionnaires/Interviews:

- is a questionnaire/interview useful/appropriate?

- consider the wording of the questions

- what do i actually need to find out?

- be precise

- how will it be recorded?

Observation:

- is observation useful to my project?

- what do i want to find out from it?

- plan carefully and consider how the data should be interpreted

Checklist:

- Don’t procrastinate

- Plan research methods carefully

- Select the most appropriate research

methods for the project

- Document all stages of the process carefully

- Produce a detailed project outline, with

timings, and stick to it

- Get the most from your supervision

OUGD601. Context of Practice 3. Module Overview and Disambiguation.

having done my presentation and proposal form, and because i missed the module briefing at the start of the year, i felt it was necessary to look into the module overview and other texts concerning cop3 and the module structure/requirements.

Module Aims:

recognise and utilise a form of research and a broad topic to research within art and design.

develop my written and practical process and research and evaluate my process all the while.

to use a theoretical and practical understanding, together, to become familiar with different processes, practices and contexts of design.

to become prepared for the professional world and professional study.

Learning Outcomes:

to show my understanding, critically, of the contexts involved in my essay and project. 

recognise the themes of my creative interests and develop a connection between the practical and theoretical aspects of it

show that i can logically and critically understand and judge research gathered based on subject relevance, legitimacy, and methodologies employed.

show that i have undergone extensive research collection in line with my subject matter and themes. consider how it is relevant/useful from a critical standpoint.

Indicative Content:

was the same as the module aims according to the module information.

Brief:

to highlight and understand the practices i and others utilise in graphic design and art, along with the contexts that house them. and to use my ability to research and academically write to produce a critical discourse based on selected themes of study/practice, and a problem outlined at the start. 

You will produce a 6,000 to 9,000 word extended essay AND a related practical artefact(s) (ie. prototype (testing of an idea) / or body of content in response to the knowledge researched) including research notes and documentation of development (blog/journal/poster ). in response to an agreed question / title.

The text should include an introduction to your theme, the development of an argument followed by a conclusion that makes clear your position at the culmination of your enquiries.

You will produce a 6,000 to 9,000 word extended essay AND a related practical artefact(s) (ie. prototype (testing of an idea) / or body of content in response to the knowledge researched) including research notes and documentation of development (blog/journal/poster ). in response to an agreed question / title.


although i recognise that this module is asking a lot and that i must really make an effort to fully understand all aspects of what needs to be done, i am really excited to progress in this module. 

OUGD601. COP3. Dissertation Proposal Presentation/Form.

prior to the end of the year last year, we were asked to produce and present a presentation concerning our cop3 topic and direction. this would act as a gateway to our thinking about the dissertation and encourage some preliminary research and practice. since the module consists of the essay + a practical outcome we were asked to talk about both things. i decided that the best way to visualise my ideas was through simple imagery that would explain the tpoics and promt my speaking about said topics. i didnt want to add any words because it was my own explanation that would serve and the audiences understanding.

the first slide relates to the themes of my dissertation; type, communication, digital platforms for communication, spoken word. 
the second slide indicates the digital element and the studies into text language and similar forms of communication.
the third slide outlines the direction for my practical outcome; a study into digital language through mechanical printing methods.

i spoke confidently and knowledgeably about what i intended to do and gave the audience a good understanding of the themes and directions i proposed my dissertation would take. richard was happy about what i had come up with and was excited to see what my outcomes would be. he said that it would be a lot of work and that i would have to make a number of field studies into different aspects in order to find out the information properly and reliably. he said that i should get on straight away with the practical exploration as this would feed my understanding more so.


i then went on to write up my cop3 proposal form to be submitted to tom and richard. 

BA (HONS) GRAPHIC DESIGN CONTEXT OF PRACTICE 3 PROPOSAL FORM 2014

Make sure you print a copy off for your own records

Name: JOSEPH THOMAS HARRISON

E-mail: jh102385@students.leeds-art.ac.uk

Subject of contextual research already undertaken:

Level 4: The history of Graffiti and its social impact over time.

Level 5: How advertising and the media influence and create gender roles.

1.    What research needs to be undertaken in the general and specific contexts of your practice?

-       What is language/communication? How was/is the English language manifested within its society?

-       How does spoken language relate/differ to printed language across different media? How has this changed over time?

-       What new platforms for communication have become widely used through the emergence of new technology?

-       How has the digital age changed digitally displayed language and the way people communicate? How has this altered spoken language?

-       Which has influenced the other more; the evolution of digital or spoken language, over recent years?

-       To what extent has printed language incorporated new digital communication methods and formats? Why is this?

-       Will printed language and typography ever completely mirror digital forms of communication and language?

-       What mechanical printing processes exist and how can they be used to mimic digital language? What will be produced?

2.    What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and tools are to be involved in research into your practice?

-       Approaches – Open minded; without assumption or preconception. Alert; aware of what research means. Thorough; attempt to extract many different perspectives.

-       Processes – different digital processes used in language, different printed processes used in language, different verbal processes used in language.

-       Methods – questionnaires, sound recordings, Internet research, book research, primary research.

-        Materials – phone/computer, apps, blogs, communicative software & devices, mechanical print processes, printed material, printed language.

3.    What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?

-       Exploration of digital media, mediums, platforms, ephemera supporting and enabling digital communication.

-       Exploration of print methods used to produce printed language and typography as a printed practice.

-       Exploration of digital and printed language (noting the differences).

-       Exploration of spoken language; how it is delivered and conveyed, accounting colloquial/geographical influence.

-       Questionnaires about peoples views on the changes in digital language and whether/ how this has altered verbal communication. Further questions on whether they think printed language will follow suit?

-       Gather materials and methods in order to conduct primary investigation into printed and digital language and digital through printed.

4.    What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?

-       Who is my creativity for? – (investigation based in England) Those who would consider themselves immersed in the digital age and who use and produce digital language, in order to highlight the progression of digital language over time and how it can be seen to differ from printed language. Those who would affiliate themselves with the use and perforation of printed forms of language, in order to inform them about the possible benefits of digital communication. Those interested in how spoken language has changed over time and how the digital age has influenced this.

-       What research do I need to undertake? – Research into who prefers digital or printed communication. Research into why those preferences exit. Comparison of reasoning. Research into how those people read, write, speak, use language and assimilate. Research into how typography informs and influences language, in particular printed language. Research into how digital language is interpreted, its communicative value, success in conveying the intended message, the range of understanding.

PRIMARY sources of information:

1.    Mechanical printing methods – exploration, use, understanding – will use to replicate digital language. Some found in college others at home or outsourced.

2.    Digital communication methods (social media) – exploration, use, understanding – will use to understand methods of communication and reasons for digital forms of language. Found on various forms of technology (phone, tablet, laptop etc).

3.    People talking/writing – exploration, experience, replication, understanding – will use recordings, questionnaires, writing samples etc – found in different parts of the country to provide geographic inquest.

SECONDARY sources of information:

1.    Internet

2.    Books and other publications

3.    Theory about language

4.    British Film/TV

5.    British Radio

Perceived problems or difficulties:

Insufficient evidence to prove theories and investigations

Poor understanding of data/information collected

Inability to cross reference data well or true to the brief