The 5.2 module has pushed me to experiment with processes I never thought I would use & enjoy. It has also drastically improved my workflow and efficiency in certain parts of my design process, and has given me a wider view to how technologies can be used in graphic design.
The Technological Landscape
Before the module, I thought of technology in graphic design to be a somewhat limited to things like the Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma, and the various 3D Design programs, but I never thought that things like coding, VR & AR would be part of our space, I've realised that we aren't as confined to a keyboard and mouse as I thought we were.
In my opinion at the moment we are in a crazy and scary stage within technology in graphic design, but also an exciting one. A.I is integrating into huge established tools and programs, allowing more people to experiment with it's capabilities, and as time goes on the bridge between design and other disciplines such as coding and game design is being closed. When it comes to programs evolving I think the Adobe Creative Suite is so ingrained within the work process of every graphic designer and will always be used, however as technology progresses designers find themselves branching out, using programs from other companies such as Figma.
In my design process, I use the Adobe Suite heavily, as it is incredibly reliable and bears a lot of the tools we need as designers. I think that by only using these programs you are limiting yourself slightly, but In my opinion Adobe are where they are for a reason. Using the Adobe Suite as your main programs is key as it is industry standard, however it is important to evolve with emerging technologies as they come out in order to future proof yourself and open yourself up to other opportunities.
Even though I use the Adobe Suite on a daily basis does not mean I haven't adapted it my self! I have recently been playing around with using 'Actions' in Photoshop, in order to speed up my design process, and will continue to adapt and create new Action sequences similar to what we did with the Apple Shortcuts app.
Experimentation & Process
I had never looked at or even thought about how I could improve my messy design process before now. It was always something that I just thought had to be messy because I was a creative! Even though I like experimenting freely with analogue methods, my digital process was something I realised I needed to simplify. I looked at and researched many different programs during this module, some of which I am still using now, and I will continue to use in the future.
The program mentioned in the first blog "Motion" drastically helped me plan tasks I had going on, making it easier to actually get things done, which is very important for me as I can easily get overwhelmed. Although I stopped using it because of it's hefty price tag, I have now integrated a different, similar program which works just as well, and is free!
The programs in the second blog helped me simplify tasks. "Rectangle" helped me when multitasking, allowing me to quickly arrange tabs, something that could be quite finicky before. I used this heavily whilst writing my 5.3 essays, but also whilst writing this blog! "CleanMyMac" simplified the process of freeing up space on my Mac, deleting useless files, and scanning for viruses. I really needed this one as with so many different programs and projects on the go, my MacBook storage fills up very quickly.
In the third blog, "ManyChat" helped me automate tasks, allowing me to take a step back from social media, and even getting me more leads due to the simplified communication! In the past month or two, it has made my life much easier as a freelancer, and has given me more time to be creative and saved me constantly messaging potential clients.
Experimenting with generative design
During the past few weeks, I have experimented with coding and generative design, which is something I thought I would never have chance to explore. Through doing these workshops I have realised that coding isn't my thing, although I can certainly appreciate the amount of thinking and creativity that goes behind it. Experimenting with this technology has made me realise that as designers we really can utilise whatever we want to our advantage, and that the world of graphic design has endless possibilities. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone in these tasks was important too, as I often find myself reverting to methods and processes that I am used to in my typical design process.
Experimenting with 3D Design
One thing I have found very interesting and will continue to develop my skills for is 3D Design. Starting with the Cinema 4D workshops that we had with John, we made a blood vessel with different blood cells moving inside of it, and tracked a camera to the path. I realised from doing this that I loved the satisfaction of getting a final product from nothing, and I wanted to do more. I started looking on instagram at different 3D artists for inspiration, and whilst doing this I noticed they all used Blender, so I decided to try Blender for my 6x6 brief in this module too!
Although fairly similar to Cinema 4D, I preferred how you navigate and render things in Blender, as for me it seems a little more simple. Unfortunately we did not get to record our work with John as we ran out of time, which I suppose is one of the downsides to making things in 3D, however in my own work I did get a final outcome. Learning Blender did not come without its problems though, as I was constantly going back and forth from Youtube and asking peers that knew Blender a bit better, but I think that's just part of the process of learning. In the future I definitely want to pick 3D up again, as you can create little worlds and characters and a sense of immersion that you just can't really replicate any other way.
I chose Generate Something New - and - Immersive 3D Environments as my 6x6 brief, allowing me to create a short film that I was very proud of. If I had more time I would have definitely learnt how to model and modelled everything myself, but I think already having the models allowed me to learn how to navigate the program and animate/render easier.
Research
As mentioned before, I have researched a lot of different programs and reflected on them, however I also looked at a few different websites during this module. Having a few research tasks set during this module was helpful when gathering inspiration, and that eventually led me to look at 3D design! (second blog)
I also took a look at some brutalist websites, which is a style that I really love, and this was helpful to refresh my memory with new inspiration. I feel like sometimes I get too caught up in a certain part of design, I forget what other parts of design I like. For example if I'm doing 3D design, I tend to only surround myself around media about 3D Design. This task forced me to have a look at things I wasn't currently focusing on, in turn reminding me to continuously interchange inspiration and research in order to give me a wider view on what I'm designing.
I also really enjoyed reflecting on how technology could be integrated into a campaign at the start of the brief as it pushed me to really think about what I already knew about technology in our industry. I soon realised that there was much more technology out there than I realised, which got me excited and motivated for the project as a whole.
Engaging with Emerging Technologies
Using generative A.i
Throughout this module and in my own work, I have been using A.i to aid my design process. I have also been using A.i generative tools to create images and videos, experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with this new technology.
A.i is heavily looked down upon by designers at this stage in society I feel, but as we have learnt from this module, it can be great and used to our advantage in many ways. The idea that "A.i does all the work" and "there's no skill in using A.i" is false in my opinion, and working closely with some creators that use this technology in industry, I have learnt how it can be used to our advantage. I think using text A.i frameworks such as ChatGPT can be a great way to learn programs, as it can be great for things like copyrighting for a business, and doing everything else that we as designers don't want to be focusing on! Using tools like this saves us from getting caught up in the tasks that we don't want to be doing, and saves our creativity for creating!
When it comes to generative A.i, I think it can be an amazing tool to add to your repertoire, but we as designers should not rely on it. Having used it on its own, in combination with traditional methods of design, and not at all, where it shines in my opinion is in combination with other tools. Using generative A.i can be a great way to get a certain high quality image for a design, or to create a quick storyboard, even to tell a story and I've even seen a peer use it for a story game, which I thought was excellent. From my experience however, solely relying on these tools to create things for you can sometimes drain you of your creativity, as you end up only using words to create things rather than actual processes. I really think A.i is amazing in combination with traditional techniques, and I think the workflow of designers that use it will be drastically more efficient than those who don't, but is that what we're aiming for? Efficiency? Or will A.i help create a space for us to create Quality AND Quantity. Im not sure yet and I think it is going to be extremely interesting to see how people integrate or push away this tool in our industry. Myself, I will continue to grow and learn this tool alongside everything else, as it is progressing at an insane rate, and I enjoy combining these tools to create brilliant outcomes.
Using AR
Another emerging technology I had the chance to use was AR. I enjoyed experimenting with this technology in our workshops and I think that it can be used in brilliant ways as demonstrated in the lecture we had about emerging technologies. Using AR bridges the gap between designers and 3D Design/Game design, and I think it's a great experimental feature to use, one that I will keep in mind for future projects. Will it be gemechanging for the industry? I don't think so, but it still adds that extra sense of emersion to our work, which is important as we design politically, and in my opinion emersion is directly correlated with being able to influence someones feelings. The more immersed someone is in an experience, the more they are going to emotionally feel, and ultimately as designers our job is to make people think and feel.
I've found this technology interesting, and will keep it in mind when experimenting in the future, but I don't think it will be a tool that I will use often. Experimenting with it came with its challenges, for example Adobe Aero not recognising where I was when trying to see my AR work in real time, the app crashing etc etc. At this stage, I feel like it is still something slightly gimmicky, and doesn't match up to the power of VR for example.
Reflecting on how I could use it in my past projects was interesting however, allowing me to see the project from a different perspective, and opening up that project to the world of technology, reminding me that it exists and can be used in many ways, even in an analogue based project.
Using VR
I didn't get chance to use VR this project, but it is something I would be interested to see how it effects my way of seeing certain things. I think building a story in VR could be an amazing project, and I think pairing this technology with something like Blender could work really well. It would've been interesting to see if I could bring my Blender projects into VR, making them even more immersive than before, but this will have to be something I experiment later down the line.
Intentions and Future Directions
My relationship with technology will continue to grow and adapt, as I keep and open mind to what I experiment with and test. The process that I most enjoyed this project was 3D Design, and it will be something that I certainly start to use more, and to learn. I love how you are able to build whatever you want, in any style, in any way. I also have used A.i a fair amount in this project, and that will be something that I integrate into my workflow for the foreseeable future. It would be interesting to see if any developments from combining A.i with 3D design arise and how that would work. As new technology emerges, I will continue to explore it and keep myself tuned in to social media, as that is often where I discover new tools and artists. As all these technologies arise, I do question how long these analogue methods will stay around. As technology develops I fear the analogue methods will get lost, which is not something I'd want to see.
Reflection and Summary
At the start of university, I looked down upon technologies such as A.i within graphic design, but now, I find myself using it more and more often. From this module, having experimented with lots of different technologies, having pushed myself out of my comfort zone, reflected on past projects, and made new ones, I have realised that it is extremely important going forward to keep an open mind towards technology in our industry. Technological advances have always brought progression in any industry and I think being able to adapt to these technologies will be important in future proofing yourself as a designer. As a designer myself, I will be sure to experiment with both analogue and digital technologies throughout my career, as I don't want to lose the tactility and authenticity that analogue technologies sometimes provide. I will continue to learn 3D Design software and integrate it into projects, as I will with A.i. I will also continue to refine and simplify my work process as I have really enjoyed it so far. I have really enjoyed this module and I look forward to combining technologies in future projects.
