Week 02

A front-loaded start to the course indeed! A week filled with sessions on data vis practices, tools & techniques, discourses on design research methodologies, inductions to facilities and an introduction to statistical approaches. Time to revisit the books at home and borrow more.

We examined data visualisation as defined by various practitioners and identified key themes in this week's readings.

Reflecting on the various definitions and approaches — academic and critical vs practical and utilitarian — I attempted to formulate my own definition based on the aspects that resonated with me.

I penned my definition in another post.

I went back to basics with an introduction to spreadsheets, working with plastics data, gathering context and exploring effective chart types.

In the postgraduate research methodologies session, we identified approaches to research within arts and design. I read Christopher Frayling’s Research in Art & Design to understand research as a practice. He delineates a clear contrast between (r)esearch for design and (R)esearch through design. The former involves conducting research as a precursor to the design process, aiming to inform design decisions, while the latter integrates research directly into the design process itself, treating design as a method of inquiry and discovery. I like how this emphasizes the iterative nature of design, where the act of designing serves as a means of generating knowledge and understanding.