October 16, 2022
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.
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We examined data visualisation as defined by various practitioners and identified key themes in this week's readings.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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