The research methods I have recently learned could be applied in numerous situations. For example I could use the methods to enable me to create a body of work tailored to the guidelines of a textile design brief. For a recent brief entitled ‘Ugly Beautiful’ I took inspiration from ‘ugly’ architecture such as tower blocks and derelict buildings in Dundee, which I combined with ‘beautiful’ floral images largely inspired by the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. The inspiration, development and final outcomes of this project are likely to have been different had the research I carried out for the ‘Ugly Beautiful’ brief been executed using a variety of research techniques.
To begin with, literature is often a valuable source of information, but for a brief such as this literature is unlikely to be a useful starting point, as the perception of ugly and beautiful is determined by personal opinion. Instead the best approach would be to ask a small group of people to mind map ugly and beautiful. Ideally the group would be made up of people for whom the outcome is intended, fashion conscious women aged 18-25 for example. This would quickly generate a large amount of ideas derived from a broad spectrum of influences. After creating the mind map, a discussion amongst the group could help to establish what people agree is ugly and what is beautiful. I would investigate further what the majority of people agree is ugly or beautiful, perhaps through source drawing. This method would therefore provide me with a good starting point.
Another or additional way in which to source inspiration for the project would be to ask everyone in the group to photograph 5 things they find ugly and 5 things they find beautiful. This is again likely to create a whole range of ideas and directions that I could investigate further. Although this approach would be more time consuming than creating a mind map it would be more visually stimulating. After this I could show the images provided by the group to a second group of people one image at a time and ask them to comment briefly on what they are shown. I would observe their facial expressions to see if they find the image ugly or beautiful. This could then be followed up with a semi-structured interview to see if the observations were correct.
Another approach to investigating whether the photographs are representational of something ugly or beautiful would be for me to carry out an experiment similar to a theory discussed by Roland Barthes in an article entitled ‘Rhetoric of the Image’ (Barthes, 1986). A set of 3 of the ‘beautiful’ photographs (selected at random) would be given to 5 people. Each person would be asked to describe the 3 images using only one word. If the word beautiful, pretty or similar was given it would be reasonable to suggest that these images do represent ‘beautiful’ and so the images would be a useful starting point for my research. However if the same or similar words were not given by each person this could be due to polysemy. A person’s background, age, interests and occupation for example can affect their interpretation of something so an image can trigger different thoughts within different people. Therefore the individual or target audience for which the outcome is aimed at would be ideal to help me source the inspiration for the brief.
Once I have areas to research and develop further the library or Internet is likely to be the best source of information. I would look at the work of artists and designers who have been inspired by a similar subject area to discover how the subject has previously been approached. In particular I would look at their style of working, the colour palette and fabrics they used as well as the outcomes produced. This would allow me to make well-informed decisions when developing my work.
Next I would ask the client to provide me with images of their home and some photographs of themselves from the past few years. These images would give me an insight in to my client’s background, interests and hobbies for example. I may be able to tell if my client likes bold or intricate patterns, modern or traditional design and pastel or bright colours. A colour palette could potentially be determined from the interior decor within the client’s home or by the colours they wear. Other factors, which may be important to the client, are also likely to be discovered. However The Johari Window is a diagram, which explains that it is only possible to obtain some information about any given person, you can never know everything about them. (Duen Hsi Yen, 1986). It is also impossible for anyone to know absolutely everything about himself or herself. From analyzing a persons photographs it is likely that I would discover information about the ‘open self’ and possibly about ‘the blind self’ of the client but I wouldn’t know about their ‘hidden self’ unless they chose to tell me, then it would become their ‘open self’. No one will ever know about his or her ‘unknown self’.
After analyzing some photographs it would be best for me to follow this up with a semi-structured interview in order to check the assumptions I made and to find out as much information as possible about my client. As a designer I need to know what my client wants, because in the UK most people consume when they want or desire things. In third world countries, people have to consume, as they need clothes, food and other basic necessities where as people in the UK are fortunate enough to fall somewhere between the ‘want’ and ‘desire’ to consume. Guy Julier discusses this in ‘The Culture of Design’.
In conclusion it would be useful and relatively easy for me to apply many of the research methods I have learned this semester to a textile design brief. The outcome for this brief would have had more thought and research behind it had these methods been applied and I feel this would have added value and interest to my work. Because of this I intend to incorporate these methods into my work in the future. In my opinion these methods will be very important to me as a designer, in numerous situations where research is required. I have built on my existing skills and acquired new skills this year, which have lead me to realize how versatile design students can be and the range of opportunities available to me as a result of this.
Word Count: 1099
Bibliography
Barthes, R (1986) The responsibility of forms: critical essays on music, art and representation. Oxford: Blackwell.
Duen Hsi Yen (1999) Johari Window Available:http://www.noogenesis.com/game_theory/johari/johari_window.html (30.03.2010)
Guy, J (2007) The culture of design 2nd Edition London: Sage
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