Exotic Feline Rescue Center-Design Process Product

The second portion of our assignment was to use the design process we evaluated and “create something.” I looked through my gallery of images to try to find some inspiration since the assignment was so vague. I came across images from a trip to Indiana’s Exotic Feline Rescue Center that I visited over the summer. There was a beautiful lion that I took a picture of and when I viewed the image I felt the motivation or inspiration to get started. I decided to create a charity brochure to bring people to the Center.

            When I got started, I was conscious of the design equation but I tried not to think too hard about it while I was working. Once I was finished I evaluated my process. I followed the design equation exactly as the it was drawn out, however, before I got to the final product I refined and tried the process NUMEROUS times before I found the fonts, effects, and layout I feel looks best.

            The first image is my final product and the second image was my inspiration.

Evaluating the Design Process

Inspiration>Idea>Concept>Trial>Refine>Product

Inspiration

•   My definition of “inspiration” is a sudden thought that comes to mind that causes me to feel motivated or encouraged to act.
• When I feel inspired I usually feel overwhelmed with thoughts that need to be brainstormed into ideas.
• To me, this is a very exciting ‘step’ in the design process. It is what encourages me to complete a project.

Idea

• My definition of an “idea” is an inspiration that appears in my mind as an image.
• I feel like an idea needs to process in my mind before I am able to vocalize it as a concept.
• The idea is the result of brainstorming on an inspiration.

Concept

• My definition of a “concept” is a general idea or theory that attempts to explain something in my mind.
• It is a plan to conceive the idea.

Trial

• My definition of a “trial” is the process of testing a concept.
• It is my attempt to test the idea I was inspired by.
• A trial may be successful or unsuccessful.

Refine

•  If a trial is unsuccessful it will need to be refined.
• My definition of “refine” is to improve or make a process better to make a more perfect product.
• The ability to refine a process is very important because a good idea is not worth much if you cannot successfully complete the product.

Product

• When a process has been successfully refined, a product is the result.
• My definition of “product” is the end-result of a process.

When I first began to evaluate this design process I thought I started with an idea. The reality of it is I must always have some kind of inspiration even if I do not immediately recognize it as my inspiration for a particular idea. I feel this is exactly the design process I use when I create a product. Although I may repeat “trial” and “refine” multiple times, it is always in that order.

I missed the day we discussed the design process in class. I am unsure of the previous discussion about New Media and Target Audience so I will discuss my opinion about the relation. I believe it is very important to keep the Target Audience in mind when I design New Media products. Different Target Audiences view art in different ways. If I artfully design a very abstract New Media product for a conservative company, they will likely not be happy with the end result because it is not cohesive with their business appearance (and vice versa).

Most of the time, New Media people (especially students) start out with a product or project. We are told what the end result should be. This tends to cause me to have a delay in my design process because, initially, I tend to get stuck in a box. When I am told what the product should be like it changes my design process, but only slightly.  Regardless of the end result, I still need to start with an inspiration. That inspiration needs to be nurtured into an idea and then a concept. That concept will still need to be tried and refined until I feel the process will generate a product I am happy with.

Field Trip!!

Today we spent the day touring the incredible technology that New Media students have available to us. A man named Chancy (I hope I'm not spelling that wrong...) from UITS was the tour guide.

First he took us to the huge 3 screened projection room that provides an immersive 3D experience in any programmer's "world". I have never seen or participated in anything like it. It was awesome! The next room he took us to had a very large television with (I believe) 4 individual screens working as one. He showed us how clear the resolution is by pulling up an image from Google as well as a 4K video on YouTube. It was amazing how clear the resolution is. There was also a 3D television in the room. He showed us an educational video that he created for middle school children. He explained that grabbing the attention of middle school aged kids is typically very difficult, so their idea was to create a video that is fun and interesting for them to watch.

I learned so much from this tour. I had no idea that (1) IUPUI had all of those impressive technologies and (2) that students are able to use them!! As long as a student has a well developed plan, the UITS techs are able to help you use the technology.

Native American War Paint vs. Catholic Mass

My family and I belong to a very traditional Catholic church in Carmel, Indiana. Although now a written rule in the church-goer’s handbook, it is understood that you present yourself respectfully and purely when in the Lord’s house. From an early age, we are told God made our bodies exactly as he intended and therefore, we should refrain from getting tattoos.

While this is an idea I have grown up with, my heritage has a different way of being. I am of Potawatomi decent where tattoos are a common way of expressing themselves. For this assignment, I looked up several different Native American tribal paints and wore them on my face during Sunday mass.

I told my parents about my plans and I received exactly the response I thought I would. My Dad told me “NO you will not!” He reminded me it would draw unwanted attention to myself and it would likely be seen as disrespectful. I explained to him the whole point of the assignment would be to break the ‘rules’ and see how it goes. While he was not very happy with my decision, he understood what I was trying to accomplish.

The entire mass I felt people staring at me. I felt incredibly uncomfortable. I did my best to keep my head up, act as though everything was normal, and continue to sing the songs and read from along with the Gospel with everyone else.  I do not remember a single word never-the-less the actual message I was supposed to get from the homily because I was so distracted from my Native American face paint!

I was dreading the time when it was my turn to receive Communion. During Communion at a Catholic mass, you walk in a single file line up to the Priest, hold out your hand as he displays the Body of Christ, and then you receive the Sacrament.  As he was holding the Body of Christ, I could feel him looking all over my face, trying to understand why I had the ‘tattoos’ on me. I have never been one to break the rules and while this was not a written in stone ‘rule’ of the church, I could tell he was surprised to see me stray from the conservative ways of the church.

Overall, this was a very interesting experience. I learned how it feels to stray from the pack and be considered as an outsider in this instance. I understand why rules are in place and most of the time I feel they are appropriate. I tested the rules of the church and understood how it feels to be an outsider for an hour of my Sunday.