1. Understanding the Technological Landscape
Technology is essential in my design process, it serves as a toolkit and it enables me to think creatively. Software such as InDesign streamlines tasks such as prototyping and exploring my ideas, allowing me to focus more on the creative aspects of design and bring my ideas to life. I would say that I do rely on certain software and that can limit me in my designs, as I don’t reach the outcomes that I envision because I am relying on the specific tools and methods that I’m used to.
I believe finding a balance between established tools and emerging technologies is important, however it isn’t too easy. Established tools provide reliability, familiarity, and consistency, helping me form the foundations of my design processes. At the same time, emerging technologies offer opportunities for innovation and exploration, which improves my work and knowledge. However, I find that emerging technologies can be difficult to navigate if I’m unfamiliar with them, as it’s time consuming and takes a lot of practice. But once I’ve reached that certain level of knowledge of the technology, it is quite exciting.
2. Experimentation and Process
Recently, I’ve been exploring Cinema 4D. My goal has been to discover new ways to solve design challenges. For instance, in a recent project focused on creating red blood cells and capillaries, I learnt many tools and my goal has been to push beyond basic approaches and develop new strategies for executing my ideas. I practiced using the techniques I’d learnt by creating different variations of the red blood cells such as changing the direction of the travelling cells, moving them through objects and changing the lighting.
I would say I struggled to remember all of the individual adjustments and steps I had to make to reach anything significant in the designs, this could be very tedious, frustrating and time consuming, and I found myself being stuck not knowing how to proceed with my designs. However, the final outcomes were pleasing and taught me how to adapt and rethink my approaches. These experiments shifted my perspective on design from being quite linear to more progressive and exploratory.
I learnt that experimenting with these designs and ideas showed me that I work best in settings where I can test ideas with guidance and receive regular feedback. I also learned how important it is to balance careful planning of my ideas to create designs that achieve the outcomes I envision.
Overall, experimenting with new tools and software has deepened my appreciation for the connection between technology and creativity. It has encouraged me to approach design challenges with an open mind, continuously exploring new methods to enhance my process and outcomes.
3. Engaging with Emerging Technologies
I’ve recently explored technologies such as Adobe Aero, it offers exciting ways to make designs more interactive and personalised. It is a powerful tool for creating augmented reality experiences. For example, AR helps to create interesting immersive designs.
I would say Adobe Aero has such intense impressive features and can be quite daunting when first exploring it. However, that reduces the limitations that you can be faced with when using other technologies and software. For example, InDesign and Adobe Illustrator focus on 2D designs so it’s hard to visualise your designs and bring them to life, whereas AR integrates 2D and 3D assets and makes it simpler to make animations.
Also, Adobe Aero makes it easy to test AR designs and experiences on my mobile device and it was fun to see them function in real world settings. Bringing my ideas and designs to life is (in my opinion) what graphic design is all about. I also did think about possible ethical concerns, like making sure I used AR responsibly.
Using these AR tools encouraged me to think differently about graphic design, it made me think about how people interact with designs in real spaces. These technologies made me realise that the future of design will be more about collaboration between humans and technology. However, it does make me slightly concerned as for how we can use these tools without losing the human element.
AI is how we as designers could suffer from the negative impact of technology and it replacing humans. In the last year alone, we have seen extraordinary progress and development of AI. It has many benefits, such as personalisation- analysing data to adapt to individual needs, and 24/7 availability- AI can work consistently without rest or breaks, making it useful for customer service chatbots, data analysis or monitoring systems.
However, AI definitely raises some ethical concerns such as replacing humans in many jobs or being used in harmful ways. But it is an essential in today’s online world, it is all around us. With it growing so fast, I am concerned about the environmental damage it could cause. With the rise in technology, a lot of harm has been caused to the environment, and while people who are behind the creation and progression of AI are so focussed on what they think they could achieve, I think the negative environmental impacts do go unnoticed.
I see myself using these technologies as tools to enhance my designs, not replace my creativity. At the same time, I will stay mindful of their limits and make sure they fit with my goals to create meaningful and thoughtful designs.
4. Intentions and Future Directions
I want to explore tools like AR and AI further because they have so much potential to make my designs more interactive and personal. I want to use them to make my designs more engaging while still keeping a human touch. AR especially seems like a great way to create immersive experiences, especially for storytelling and banding.
I plan to keep exploring and experimenting with new tools and methods. I’ll try out different technologies, but I’ll also think about whether they actually help improve my work. Talking to my course-mates and staying open to feedback will also help me make good decisions. I’ll keep asking questions like; Does this technology make my designs better or more meaningful? Is it being used in a way that’s ethical and responsible? These questions will hopefully help me stay focussed on what really matters in my designs.
5. Reflection and Summary
This year, I’ve learned how fun and exciting technology can be in making my designs more interactive. I also realised that technology works best when paired with creativity and an end goal design.
Over time, I’ve learned to see tools as just one part of the design process. It’s not about relying on a specific tool that I’m familiar with, but about finding the best way to bring my ideas to life. I’ve also become more open to experimenting and learning from mistakes and not getting stuck with the lack of knowledge of the tools to continue my designs.
This reflection has reminded me to stay open-minded and adaptable. Technology is so important in today’s world. In future projects and modules, I want to keep experimenting with new tools and methods. Getting help from my course-mates and learning from each other is something I want to continue with. Moving forward, these insights will help me to keep exploring new ideas while staying focused on trying my best to create impactful designs.