Episode Three

Before cracking on with the silence brief I woke myself up this morning by catching up with Design for Life with Philippe Starck, in which the remaining 8 had a week to design a final product, which if successful would actually be put into production.

Mike is desperately worried. After being thrown out last week and then saved in a rebellion by fellow students Ana and Ilsa, he knows he must now excel if he's to show he deserves his reprieve.

But Mike's difficulties don't end there. Starck interrupts the students research for their next brief to send them to a circus. Starck considers selling an idea to be almost as important as the idea itself. He feels the students lack presentation skills and thinks making them perform on stage as clowns will help address this.

But even as the students grapple with the fact they'll be judged on their presentation as much as their idea, they discover that with just 24hrs to go they've all seriously misunderstood Starck's brief. They have failed to turn their ideas and concepts into an actual product. This time it's not just Mike who panics: they all do. 

Unfortunately all of the students left Philippe discouraged and no one was stacked but the pressure is really on for next week now. The only hopeful product was Mike's magnetic cutlery.

Dissertation Document

So the weekend ended up being busier than I thought with two thirds of it spent at the seaside,

the fresh air cleared my head and allowed me to focus.

Continuing with my note making from my library books I then set about the task we had been given of producing a document to detail the progress we was making.

From my initial proposal back in June I have followed Hitch’s advice and taken a very broad subject and narrowed down my options.

Now I have made this decision, it has been my task to research my subject but also rekindle my enjoyment of the history of graphic design lectures from first year. Looking back at my folder and my reading of a concise history I have made notes, purely to timeline graphic design as a history in order to know my subject but also the positioning of Swiss design and influence before and after it.

I have made notes on

The art poster

Bauhaus

Propaganda posters

Futurism

Typography

Switzerland until 1940

The international style

Neue Grafik

Black and white posters

Word and image

Currently I have about 40 pages of notes from 4 of the current books I have from the library, I personally feel this note making will allow me to tackle my dissertation with reference and fact along with my personally opinion.

Also though I know I wish to concentrate on the Swiss poster at this stage with my research I am unsure whether I should tackle distinct elements/aspects of the poster as a whole or one particular component.

I have a great interest in how the international style and teaching from the Bauhaus has made graphic design what it is today, the system of the grid, use of new typography, development of photography and advances in printing.

I feel more knowledgeable of my subject at this stage but I still have a way to go, I have the library books until the 6th October, some I’ve had to renew once due to one week loans, I hope by this date to of finished all my note making and have come to a decision as to the actual subject of my dissertation in order to start writing next week.

Amsterdam

So whilst the rest of the course head off to New York New York at the beginning of November, I've decided to go on my own culture trip to Amsterdam.
£44 for return flights... only for 3 days... but still gonna get my research eye on to find out whats on before I get there so I can maximize my time there... Van Gogh, Waxworks, countless Museums and galleries :) inbetween a few beers, the hiding of a bike and perhaps a canal trip.


http://www.iamsterdam.com/ has been a good starting point

Wounded

This program aired earlier this week but basically my boyfriend requested I watch it. He's a paratrooper in the army and only last week he'd ungone a med course for when he's on active service, they trained and constantly briefed on such realities of what can happen at war. Sean wanted me to watch this to give an insight into the reality of what could happen to him next year when he goes to afghanistan next year. 

What was really moving for me in this documentary was the fact one of the lads that they followed was infact a paratrooper. The absolute horror of what war can actually do to someone both mentally and physically. You watch the two lads on their journey to recovery and their new normality you find yourself laughing with them in their high spirits, feel their frustration when they were struggling with their new limbs and I found myself screaming at the tv when Tom was taking his steps on his awards parade whilst tears streamed down my face. 

A truly moving documentary, that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

"Documentary following the journey of two injured soldiers: 19-year-old Ranger Andy Allen who, in July 2008, had his right leg blown off and his eyes badly burnt by an improvised explosive device; and 24-year-old Lance Corporal Tom Neathway, who lost three limbs after moving a booby-trapped sandbag.

Unconscious and watched by their families they fight for their lives, but surviving their injuries is just the beginning."

Design For Life

Arron told me yesterday in the union of design for life, which started last week. So I thought I'd check it out! I got on our virginmedia catchup tv, the joys of living at home :) and watched episode 1 & 2 back to back.

"In an effort to find a new generation of British design talent, Philippe Starck, one of the world's best-known product designers, invites 12 hopefuls to a school of design he has set up in Paris. Over coming weeks, he will whittle them down until one fortunate student wins the opportunity of a lifetime - to work alongside the master for six months at his agency in the French capital. Ranging from unemployed retail worker Jess to college lecturer Ilsa, the students meet Starck for the first time and discover what a larger-than-life character he is. And they face their first challenge - to head to a local hypermarket and find examples of good and bad design. When they explain their thinking to Starck, he critiques them and selects the weakest five for a further nerve-wracking test. When it's over, the group of 12 is now 10 and the school of design can begin in earnest."

My first thoughts on this episode...

"The 10 surviving students are set their first design challenge by Starck. Cocksure North London boy Nebil Avas is confident that he can pull off something to delight the master of design. Whilst the rest of the students seek inspiration from all over Paris to come up with a design, Nebil employs a 'free-thinking' method relying purely on his own imagination.

As the pending deadline looms, tensions rise among the students and the night before the presentations to Starck, there's an argument after Nebil announces that he has no competitors in the house. When D-Day arrives Starck is presented with 10 very different interpretations of his brief - but he's less than impressed and tells the students they've been a little lazy. He eliminates three of them, but in a shock turn of events, concedes to send only two home, after some of the students step in to save a friend."

My thoughts of this episode...

Summer Project Bring to the table... Kino4

The first day back on the 21st was exciting, the start of our final year and seeing everyone. :)
To bring with me was my "in progress" of the summer brief Kino4.
They was a work in progress and lacked impact.
Its times like this you realise just how much you learn from your peers and then direction from your tutors

Not putting your eggs in one basket...

I've decided to look at teaching as a "back up" for next year.
So before I apply for a pgce I got in contact with my old high school and another school in the area to undergo some hands on experience to see if teaching is really for me.
Teaching in art and technology over a number of days working with ks3 and ks4 pupils.


Well its not put me off :) and it was weird going back to school on the other side of the staffroom door but all in all a good experience, in which I made lots of notes to help with my application process.


Responsing to Miss Williams was bizare! 

Superdry, Supercoat

With commuting in and the great british weather that I'm often subjected to I thought it was about time I purchased a proper waterproof jacket. As with most things I research the hell out of the numerous jackets on the market and decided on a superdry jacket.
"Superdry mesh-lined Technical Windcheater jacket with ribbed collar & cuffs, embroidered shoulder & back motifs and cuff thumb holes." 

It's warm, it's waterproof and its got three zips I love it and I've yet to be parted with it :) bring on winter!