RESEARCH INQUIRY PART 1
INTRODUCTION
To begin with, based from the statement of intent, it is to deeply understand the issues of design through a wider range of perspectives. Viewing from a different angle and scope, it will showcase and reflect a different contrast to the project outcome. Through that, the designer is able to have the ‘eyes to everything’, visionize each and every part of it. Not only that, the four principles that one should be attentive to are curiosity - achieve new ideas and inspirations that are far, aside from my boundary, processes - pay more details attention to the process rather than the outcome, experimentation - formulate ideas and creativity when executing the design and planning out - plan out in a different hierarchy before starting into the project (Zeynep, 2020). In addition to that, it is also about having tenacity in designing, meaning to hold a strong discipline and determination to the design practice. Further to that, this approach will strengthen the understanding to challenge the designer mindset to think differently. Training the mindset to see things in a wider scope rather than just a narrow hole. In conjunction, the designer EYES, to perceive everything will enable the idea and inspiration in a different manner. Therefore, in every way that he envisioned (mindset), it will drawback to the designer design process. This to be said that every individual has their own artistry and vision towards their design approach.
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REFLECTION FROM PREVIOUS CRITICAL CONTEXT 3
Leading forward from Critical Context Part 3, exploring the design principle further by experimenting and exploring more in-dept from his Statement of Intent. The perspective is to be more curious, vigilant and aware of any aspects or actions that are considered for the upcoming project brief such as independent and external projects. In addition to that, solving the user’s issues are also part of the Statement of Intent. Basically, trying to understand the overall scope by looking into the tiny details rather than the final outcome itself. This shows that seeing and exploring from a different angle, it will reflect the mindset to showcase things differently. Hence, curiosity will always lead to experimenting new things that are able to attract and spark the attention. As a result, it shows a great connection and design tenacity to the designer's Statement of Intent. Nevertheless, in the subsequent stage the designer will further elaborate the projects in a more cohesive manner.
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RESEARCH PROPOSITIONS
The topic of the Independent Brief is about “The Hidden Aesthetics To Our Eyes”. Producing an outstanding and unique tissue box packaging where it represents a mundane item that turns into a mesmerising outcome that sparks the audience's attention. There will be a few items that incorporate along with the tissue packaging. Items such as tissue sheets, orders form and coupons. Another part of it will be to incorporate words, verses or riddles on the table itself, as a typography design, to blend with the overall atmosphere and aesthetics of it. This to be said that every design element and piece serves as a purpose and message to convey the hidden context of aesthetics towards the students. Additionally, all of these are viewed as a form of interactive experimentation on how it motivates the students to value the mundane things around them. Further to that, the issues of “The Hidden Aesthetics To Our Eyes” that are being addressed will be the mundane items or things that college students rarely appreciate in their daily life. This shows that they tend to take things for granted. As a result, college students will not value and appreciate the things that they own or have around them. Let’s take an example of a normal ordinary tissue box, whereby students tend to think it is just a plain and unattractive item to be stared at in a restaurant while waiting for their food to arrive. With this project, it will change the students’ mindset on how they will look at a simple item. The purpose of specializing the tissue box packaging and writing on the table is to try to have the student interacting with each other or by themself. It can be seen as though looking at things at a different perspective and trying to evoke their mindset to think about a different outcome.
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External brief is about “The Aesthetics of Words”, producing an interactive poster to motivate the students' (teenagers) mindset into appreciating the beauty of words and poems in their daily life. In addition to that, they will be interacting with the poster design by valuing and gaining new experience from the beauty of words. Hence, valuing the words can make a huge difference towards the students' thinking. Apart from that, a few additional design items such as signages and words (typography or messages) around the school stairs or corridor. Both of the items are to enhance the student’s curiosity with new experiences and wonders around them. The overall scene will be focussing on school compound, giving motivation to the students studies or life. By looking into the “Aesthetics of Words”, the issue that focuses on is that teenagers' mindset are easily distracted. They often feel bored and unmotivated with their daily mundane life and as a result, negative thoughts will make an impact on them. Hence, issues such as depression and anxiety will crept in (Amelia, 2010). Therefore, educating and motivating them in an interactive way able to boost the teenagers' way of learning. A quote from Will mentioned that ‘I think education is one of the greatest tools for most kids not only to expand their knowledge, but their ability to experience new things - I think it opens more doors than my other experience I can think of’. Knowledge can come in all sorts of directions when something is fun.
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RESEARCH INQUIRY PART 2
INTRODUCTION
The word “Aesthetics” is the theoretical study of beauty. Defined to the art of philosophy, which is the concepts and art of individual works. Aesthetics covers a wider range than art philosophy, which is one of its main aspects. Additionally, it addresses not just the nature and significance of the arts, but also the emotional responses to objects or things that are conveyed through the language of beauty and ugliness. On the other hand, there is an obvious issue that the words such as beautiful and ugly seem to be too vague and subjective in their usage of it. The meaning effectively divides the world into those things that demonstrate them and those that do not. (Roger, n.d.) Further to that, both Independent and External questionnaires focus on the same topic “Aesthetics” with different specific contexts. Nevertheless, in the subsequence paragraph the designer will further discuss the two different parts of the collective data (survey), first is the Independent then External brief.
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INDEPENDENT BRIEF
To begin with, Independent brief summed up to “How To Encourage College Students To Appreciate The Unseen Aesthetic”. The aim of it is to have college students realize and appreciate those unseen things around them and value the wonders of aesthetics. The specific context is to experiment by going beyond the designer's understanding, to gain further insight and knowledge from the target audience. According to Steinbergs (2017), the learning of mundaneness can benefit the users in so many various ways such as hanging laundry, paying bills, preparing food, weeding the garden, cleaning the house and so much more. As a result, having the students to discover and fascinate new discoveries along the journey in life. Additionally, it mainly reflects on the practice by appreciating and strengthening the mundaneness of everyday life. The data collection has accommodated a total of fifty responses based on the survey result. Hence, the type of questionnaire is an experimental type where the audience's opinions are based on their understanding and knowledge towards “The Hidden Aesthetics To Our Eyes”. The questionnaire mainly targeted college students from the age of 18 to 25 years old. The majority of the audience from age 18 to 21 mentioned that aesthetics can have a strong relation to our daily life, as an example, aesthetics bring meaning to every little thing around us, mundane items can be viewed as a beautiful outcome and others more. Based on the majority of students who voted yes, aesthetics can also have us aware of the surroundings and daily life. Everything in our surroundings can be viewed as something beautiful, even the everyday dull and boring things in our life. Another important part is that students from age 18 to 21 years old tend to pay more attention to their surroundings, spotting more aesthetically pleasing views. One of the main reasons they consider this is because it is pleasing to their eye which can change the perspective of the surroundings in a better light. Users learn from the unseen aesthetics that beauty is all around, as long as we can appreciate, everyone perceives differently. Therefore, we should never take things for granted and have them to realize by gaining new knowledge with those mundane aesthetics around them. Educating the younger generation, this will evoke students' mindset to think differently on the approach.
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EXTERNAL BRIEF
However, for the second part, the external brief is about ‘How to motivate students to appreciate the aesthetic of words and poems in their daily life’. Mainly focuses on improving the standard of learning by motivating them. This may help with issues such as anxiety, stress and lack of concentration towards learning. Thus, every aesthetic word has beauty on its own. Every word showcases a true potential in its own meaning, therefore students need to learn and know the right choice of words. Words can change someone’s life. Being articulate is one of the most important skills a person can possess (Ward, 2018). Not only that, striving deeper into the result from the questionnaire, the stakeholders are mainly concentrating on secondary school students from the age group of 13 to 17 years old. A total of 20 responses have been gathered to support the design outcome. Further to that, the age group of students, 13 to 14 years old stated that words or poems can stimulate and play with their mindset. As a result, this could evoke their psychological mind, enabling them to visualize every aspect differently. Additionally, through motivation, it can affect students' daily life by interpreting the words of affirmation differently. As a consequence, some students did mention that aesthetic words do nothing to their mind as they have this mentality of being down and unmotivated. Apart from the aesthetics of words or poems, the issues that the students (13 to 17 years old) are currently facing are easily getting distracted, being stressed and feeling competitive in this current world. To conclude the survey, every word or poem has a strong emotion and context towards their thinking skills. The designer hopes by producing the design’s outcome, it is able to motivate and uplift students' psychologically.
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CONCLUSION
To summarize all through the survey data and secondary research, users appreciate the beauty of mundaneness and words of affirmation. This to be said that beauty can be anything, depending on how we view it (Schrader, 2018). Thus, in the subsequent progress, the designer will further develop the outcome and rationalization towards it.
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RESEARCH INQUIRY PART 3
DESIGN RATIONALE (INDEPENDENT BRIEF)
The research paper demonstrates two various parts of the designer’s outcome, Independent and External Brief. To begin with Independent brief, the design focuses on various typography elements which portrays the hidden message about the unseen aesthetics (beauty) through the user’s understanding and experience. The designer produces a total of three various outcomes such as tissue box packaging, tissue sheet and order form. Hence, using tissue box to represent a dull and boring subject, to cherish the mundaneness of everyday life. The packaging will be made from paperboard boxes material which is made up of recycled waste paper and environmentally friendly. Hence, the packaging comes in various grades, each suitable for different packaging requirements (Mark, 2017). The design outcome uses college students as a test subject to know more about their perception by having them to be curious and rejuvenate their daily experience of mundane subjects in an exciting way. According to Ryan (2020), we need to treat everyday as an important day to cherish everything around us. Most people usually are too busy doing their own tasks till they forget every little thing that happens throughout their daily life. Every small step will make a significant change to our life. Furthermore, here is the brief explanation of the outcomes. Upon entering the restaurant or dining area, students will receive an order form from the counter to their respected table. At the back of the form, there are a few questions that the students have to answer based on the tissue box, in order to get a promotion price when ordering food. However, the tissue sheet indicates messages that represent mundane subjects to the users, to have them appreciate and value the mundane things around it.
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Tissue box packaging, most of the words, phrases and poems derived from the respondent survey. A total of four parts from the box, every section explains different context which are ‘Beauty' – anything in our surrounding can be view as an aesthetics outcome, ‘Daily Things’ – always be curious to know more, ‘Mundane’ – reflect every practice in our life and ‘Poems’ – respect every creation around us by exploring beyond our boundary. The message, notes and illustration showcase a distinctive flow which connects to one another topic. In a way, the style of every typography text represents boring and dull moments of every context, using ugliness and turning into a beautiful outcome. Next, tissue sheet, showcasing mundane illustrations such as chair, leaf, food and soap bar to always remind users to appreciate any boring subject around them. According to Borchard (2018), words or messages do change our mindset in the way we think. Every word conveys a strong outcome that influences the expression. Therefore, meaningful messages will evoke our brain to visualise it in a more positive manner. Further to that, the order form is a way for college students to interact and have fun together based on the tissue box itself. Having them figure out the correct answer by finding it all around the box based on their understanding and interpretation of knowledge. Thus, challenges their mindset to explore deeper of the unseen aesthetics in another way. Apart from that, everyday order forms are usually boring, however when the outcome is viewed differently, students tend to appreciate the significant value of mundaneness.
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DESIGN RATIONALE (EXTERNAL BRIEF)
External Brief, the design focuses on affirmation and positive words in a library. The aesthetics of words is to foster and educate secondary school students to appreciate their true beauty of words. Additionally, it is able to motivate students to strive better in their education towards learning. Through a research article, words do carry an enormous approach that can either make us feel good or humiliated. Every word expresses differently towards individuals such as the process of idea, insights and emotions (Shakti, 2018). The designer produced a total of three various outcomes such as series of posters, a book and gift cards. The overall scene works as a treasure hunt, starting from poster to the typography book then the gift card. Every outcome delivers a hidden clue to explore from there. The approach aims to not only motivate students to appreciate the aesthetics of words but to solve their issues in school such as anxiety, stress and loneliness.
The designer produced two series of posters regarding the topic of “Words that make you joy of wonders to Happiness” and “Words that make you believe as a Motivation”. Hence, the posters will be placed in front of the door before entering the library. The purpose is to have students be curious to appreciate the positivity of words by evoking their mindset to visualize a different perspective, words have power in every way. The content of the poster derived from the survey result. Through the missing words, students have to find the code based on the library bookshelf area. Further to that, the typography book works as an answer to solve the missing code from the poster. All the code and answer will be shown in the book. As a result, students have to hunt and match the words that they have chosen from the poster. Hence, it will be randomised and placed on a few bookshelves that are quite hidden from other books. According to Marie (2020), the longer students concentrate on positive words, the perception of our mindset towards thinking will gradually change to a better outcome. Thus, every word benefits its own aesthetics by structuring it differently. Based on the words that students have chosen, once they are keen to know more from the book (what is next to explore), they will receive a gift card from the library counter. The card is mainly to solve another missing code by sharing it among their friends. Through this card, students are able to expand their connection with other students to appreciate the aesthetics of words by motivating them to participate and continue the treasure hunt game.
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REFLECTION & CONCLUSION
All in all, creating the design piece, these projects give a great insight to always experiment and explore new creations along the process. Through the designer's Statement of Intent, Independent Brief is to have college students be curious to appreciate the aesthetics of mundane things around their daily life. Besides that, it serves as a purpose to convey the message by motivating the audience to be contented with the things around them. However for External Brief, it is to encourage students to value the positivity of words to enhance their learning standard. Looking into the tiny aspects rather than the bigger scope. Thus, exploring and trying out new things will strongly stimulate the students mindset to achieve greater outcomes.
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CITATION
Aksoz Zeynep (2020). 2.2 Information-Rich Exploration in the Early Design Phase. Retrieved September 26, 2021. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv13xprf6.8?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=design+to+influe nce+others&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Ddesign%2Bto%2Binfluence%2Bother s&ab_segments=0%2FSYC-5770%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly- default%3Ac5f734f8c3f2fde0f92e1ee9c6431b44&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
Amelia (2010 May 31) Why teenagers can't concentrate: too much grey matter? Retrieved September 7, 2021 https://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/may/31/why-teenagers-cant-concentrate-brains
Borchard (2018 January 28) Words Can Change Your Brain. Retrieved October 29 2021 https://psychcentral.com/blog/words-can-change-your-brain-2#1
Marie (2020 August 7) Words That Can Change Your Mindset. Retrieved October 29 2021 https://marieskelton.com/words-can-change-your-mindset/
Mark (2017 February 7) Packaging Strategies. Retrieved October 29 2021 https://www.packagingstrategies.com/blogs/14-packaging-strategies-blog/post/89440-packaging-types-to- consider
Ryan (2020 May 24) Learning to Appreciate the Every Day, Mundane Moments. Retrieved October 29 2021 https://midcenturymodernmag.com/learning-to-appreciate-the-everyday-mundane-moments- acaa76a8f564
Schrader (2010 November 2) Words Have Power. Retrieved October 5, 2021 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/let-their-words-do-the-talking/201011/words-have-power
Shakti (2018 July 31) Why Using Words Effectively is Important in our Daily Life? Retrieved October 29 2021 https://medium.com/@Shakti_Enterprise/why-using-words-effectively-is-important-in-our-daily-life- 5ed0940847b9
Steinbergs (2017 August 15) Seeing Strengths In The Mundane Of Everyday Life. Retrieved October 5, 2021 https://www.leadershipvisionconsulting.com/seeing-strengths-mundane-everyday/
Ward (2018 May 8) Showing Students The Power of Words. Retrieved October 5, 2021 https://www.edutopia.org/article/showing-students-power-words
Will (n.d.) Picture Quotes. Retrieved September 26, 2021 http://www.picturequotes.com/i-think-education- is-one-of-the-greatest-tools-for-most-kids-not-only-to-expand-their-book-quote-894159