Intro
Analysing this brief and what would be expected of me as I make my way through it, there was no doubt I was skeptical at first. A different way of working, focusing more on how I think, explore, and develop my understanding of something. Rather than working towards a final product which is graded, receiving a final grade which is reflective of my work up until that point. This brief would require me to be curious, self-motivated, and actively engaged with new types of technology. As someone who can occasionally find themselves with a lack of inspiration to uphold these values, an open ended brief challenged me.
Technology has not always been something that interested me in the past when it comes to creating. While I have grown up surrounded by it and using it in different ways, I have begun to consider it far more in my practice. My creative pathway in the past has not exposed me to massive amounts of technology which I have felt sometimes has put me a step behind others. However, developing a more design based point of view, has urged me to become more critically engaged with both established and emerging technologies. Which has been especially encouraged by the range of tasks throughout this particular brief.
Innovations
Reflective Exploration Of Emerging Technologies
Augmented Reality Intervention
Workflow
Identifying Workflow Enhancements
Graphics and Motion Graphics
Going into my introduction to 3D graphics and motion graphics I was brand new to cinema 4D. However, through attending each weeks walkthrough session I have learnt to navigate a tricky interface and come out with a satisfying animation of red and white blood cells floating through a human artery. I feel like this experience was particularly interesting to me as it is so far from anything I have attempted before. To me it has always been one of those things that almost seen unobtainable so to complete this felt like a big step. Understanding how to build an environment using modelling, texturing, lighting, camera angle, environmental effects and more, was just as complex as imagined. From this walkthrough I feel confident that with research and time I could potentially see myself using 3D animation in the future with my own work.
As someone who is a massive fan of drawing and investing time and dedication into the detail behind them, when I found out about the chance to use a WACOM Graphics Tablet I was keen. Again I have always been interested in the workings behind animation and especially this type of frame animating which I found out could be done in photoshop.Photoshop gives me complete control over each individual frame in my animation. I am able to adjust the timing, visibility, and position of each layer, allowing me to precisely animate frame-by-frame. It is also perfect for someone like me who likes traditional 2D animation and illustration, photoshop allows me to draw and modify each frame in the same interface without needing to switch between programs. I really enjoyed giving this a go for the first time and is absolutely going to be something I turn to in the future to extend my work and drive it. I do feel a sense of inspiration from something that links so closely with how I love to work, so the fact that it is so hands on is good for my motivation to look into new forms of design.
Brutalist Website Research
Brutalist Websites Research Task
Conclusion
This brief has pushed me to think differently about the role technology plays, and can play in my method of working. Whether it is making my workflow smoother, or producing something using an entirely new software, I have learnt to be resilient. Not every new piece of technology has worked right away for me and it was challenging to overcome. I do think in certain areas I was able to work my way through this, and I was able to come out the other side having positively experienced something new. On the other hand, I do think I needed to be more proactive when it came to certain tasks, I think quite often, a lack of asking for assistance is what can set me back. While I do feel like I know quit well where my practice lies, pushing myself that bit further potentially could have allowed me to learn something entirely new about myself. In terms of technology I am happy with the things I have learnt, finding out that, to do some of these things it is not nearly as difficult as I perceive it to be in my head. So again it is that keen sense of discovery which should be at the forefront of my creative passage in order to learn things about digital and traditional design, as well as myself.
