Sentence Summary for MX

Our programme is for American college students that want to study abroad and are interested in gathering first hand insight and information to confront culture shock and questions about the intended destination.

Blue Plaques

Just finished up the almost finished version of my blue plaque mapping. I'm unhappy with a lot of it right now but the project was taken almost like a warmup for me, for the year, and also a chance to get used to how to use a lot of the tools around the school and the Brighton area. Printing is in a different building, about 13 minutes away from the school. So testing printing didn't happen this time. I'm crossing my fingers to make sure that things turn out okay. Also, getting used to the paper size threw me for a spin as well. I hope it turns out. Here's one of the versions.

Mapping Out the Region

BREIF FOR PROJECT 1

For the first project, the brief reads as follows:

Mapping is a principal used in cartography and information design it is: 'the visual documentation of data translated or transformed into the visual presentation of information'. The task of collecting and recording material documenting data subjecting it to analysis, developing an order and a sequence which determines the form of presentation are skills which will help as you begin to consider the direction of your individual work.

You are to document through photography, video/film, drawing, text or symbols the category of information you have drawn form a hat. [I chose "blue plaques".] All area you gather information from must be within a two mile radius of the 'Clock tower' in central Brighton. Try to record all the details of the data category eg numbers, variables in the form of the object, type, classification, size etc. Attempt to find a link between each of the data elements eg bus stops are linked by route. Consider variables in relation to the nature of your presentation, eg speed, time, distance, concentration, quantity, frequency. Can you develop new visual narratives between the data entries.

Present your final work either as a large format folded map sheet, chart, interactive piece or short film.

GETTING STARTED

After collecting my information, I started with the first basic step. This was figuring out what this two mile radius looked like. Not being from the area, I have no concept of how far around two miles is. Below is a map pieced together, which will, I think, eventually become a vector of sorts.

First Project, New School

The first project I have come across is one that strongly intercepts and pushes the idea of gathering data, around you. When Loren and I came to school yesterday [our first day] we had a bit of a private meeting with our instructors. The learning style here can be explained as what I would like to call "open ended teaching & learning". This type of learning seems to be more embracing of the creative output of the student. Instead of being told what to produce, as far as ideas, format, medium, scale, etc. I can do basically anything I can think of. This opens barriers to anything, anything. It's quite incredible. It is making me feel a little more "free" than the curriculum at KCAI. Some projects are very open ended but there still seems to be a "stilt" that we need to use. It's kind of hard to put into words at this point but when I come back, I'll have a keener of an idea as to how to state this fact.

Once fact is that we have a lot more time to concentrate on a single project. Instead of pushing out 3 projects (some of which are due on the same day), I can put 110% to one project to really test and [more importantly] show the results of my learning and knowledge of design.

More on this specific project later.

Stories and Object Lists

Stories & Objects

Story 1:

"Under the Waves" or "The Adventure's End"

1. ship

2. storm

3. vomit

4. waves

5. crows nest

6. pirate flag

7. lightning

8. fire

9. treasure map

10. shovels

11. floating plank

12. parrot

13. ocean floor

14. air bubbles

15. seaweed

Story 2:

"Vision Quest"

1. feather

2. headdress

3. spear

4. canoe

5. water ripples

6. fire

7. smoke signals

8. falcon

9. moccasins

10. rocks

11. setting sun

12. forest

13. sunbeam

14. shell neckless

15. crane

Story 3:

"An Accidental Adventure"

1. dog collar

2. dog house

3. butterfly

4. grass

5. fence with a hole

6. dog dish

7. pink dress

8. tears

9. phone

10. flashlight

11. snapped twig

12. bushes

13.dog treat

14. smile

15. puppy