OUGD405 - Printed Text and Reading

In our research groups we had to come up with reasons why we research:

• To find a new way of working
• To view past work
• To view current work
• To gain knowledge on the subject matter
• So you can see what works and what doesn't
• To see how other designers have targeted the same audience
• To see whats already been done so you can go in a different direction
• To inform different ideas
• To see how you can improve/develop ideas
• To look at different areas of the subject

As a class we then refined the list of different research methods:

• Visit exhibitions/events - trends, competitions, influence
• Setting up focus groups - gain feedback on products/concepts
• Take photographs - peoples behaviour, documentation, architecture
• Speaking to specialists/professionals
• Questionnaire - get facts, figures, opinions
• Collecting examples - historic, current
• Watching films
• Experiment with media or method of production
• Market research into context
• Observing life/universe

We then thought of the source materials that we get from these methods:

• Quotes
• Opinions
• Statements
• Facts
• Statistics
• Feedback
• Analysis
• Data
• Images/Photographs
• Knowledge
• Samples
• Documents
• Examples

As a group we then had to list 10 ways that will prevent us from researching things:

• Expenses (travel to events etc)
• Regulations (taking photos of inside of buildings etc)
• Having to pay for journals
• Availability and accessibility to books
• Not knowing if sources are reliable
• Biased answers from questionnaires
• People taking questionnaires not seriously
• Can't get in contact with professsionals to interview
• Fake/blocked websites
• Time constraints
• Co-operation from other people - photographs etc

We then thought of 10 things that can improve our research process as a group:

•  Create more questions in questionnaire
• Collect statistics from a range of sources
• Ask target audience questions/gain feedback
• Experiment with different media
• Go to reading corner of Waterstones
• See how the childrens section of library is decorated
• Safety in spacial awareness
• Find out most popular children's books
• Look at existing products aimed at children
• Look at other designers illustrations aimed at children
• Take photographs for the murals

 Then as a group, we assigned each person a research process to do, so that we can come up with a more informed idea. As we assigned each person a job to do for the project, certain research processes worked well for their job. As mine is to create the illustrations, I decided it would be beneficial to look at existing products aimed at children as I could see what other designers produce for them in terms of shape, colour and character.