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Graphic Communications: MINI BLOCK 3, Level 5, 2014
Critical design proposed/ realised
This assignment is a design project to conclude this block and to offer an opportunity for the theoretical analyses you have carried out in lecture, seminar, visits to be carried into/ re-imagined through/ realised in a design outcome. This project allows you to apply your accumulated theoretical understanding to your own practice.
For this assignment, you must re-read the ALL the MINI BLOCK texts, and you must read:
1) “Interpretation, Collaboration, and Critique” Interview with Anthony Dunne by Raoul Rickenberg, The Journal of Design + Management, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp 22-28, Parsons the New School, New York, USA. Found at: http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/bydandr/465/0
2) Dunne and Raby’s notes on Critical Design found at http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/bydandr/13/0 and
http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/content/bydandr/42/0
3) States of design 04: Critical Design, By Paola Antonelli
4) also read Critical Design as Constructive Provocation, by Trine Vu, MIND DESIGN, Vol 36
http://www.dcdr.dk/uk/Menu/Update/Webzine/Articles/Critical+Design+as+%C2%ADConstructive+Provocation
5) Critical Theory and Participatory Design, by Simon Bowen, supplied on weblearn as a pdf.
The critical design workshop is designed to explore the texts above and the possibilities of Critical Design.
Task:
Work alone.
Select which theoretical idea/s from all your reading/ thinking this mini block you both wish to draw on and incorporate in a design outcome.
Read and be familiar with what is meant by critical design, discussed in all the texts on critical design recommended. Add your own research on critical design.
Research and design/ propose a critical design outcome: that must be based firmly within your field of practice, interpreted widely (graphics, design, illustration).
In your research, you must seek to contextualise your proposal: consider who else is designing with the same theoretical ideas in mind? You will wish to refer to this context in your label.
This design outcome can be a finished or work in progress product/ image; a series of products/ images (finished or work in progress), a proposal for a product, a proposal for a method of working, a compound display of all the above.
Your design outcome must itself be drawn from critical theory and critical thinking, and work as an example of sound critical design. Your critical design must inspire/ encourage critical thinking in its viewers/ users.
These outcomes will be presented altogether as a collective display IN WEEK 25. You will have 5 minutes only to present and elaborate on your critical thinking, research and how your design will itself inspire critical thinking.
You must also write a coherent, intelligent and fully referenced 500-600 word, label. The label must be very clear in explaining how your design outcome incorporates your selected theoretical discussions, how it is contextualised and how it might work to encourage critical thinking. THIS LABEL MUST ACCOMPANY THE FULL SUBMISSION DUE IN WEEK 27.
In week 27 you will submit all this year’s work in perfect bound form, and you will represent this critical design project with good quality images and the complete label for summative assessment. Instructions for this will be posted on weblearn.
Further Reading
Please start to collect your own bibliography of relevant texts: collate these from the references in the texts you are reading and through advice given in seminar.
See also:
The Visual Culture Reader
The Feminism Reader
The City Reader
The Third Text Reader
Journals:
Third Text
International Journal of Design
Journal of Design History
Fashion Theory Journal
Screen
Journal of Art History
Journal of Popular Culture
All journals above are held in our libraries and can be searched electronically:
• Go to the journal entry by title in the library catalogue
• it will indicate the electronic resource to click on, click on this,
• then enter using your password etc and
• then you can search the journal and download PDF versions of your article.
Be sure to reference this correctly, according to journal as well as data base url and date accessed.
Academic journals are very easily accessible and often hold the most recent scholarship and writing in your area: use this facility, it is free, easy and wide ranging.
