I have shown that a blog, as a tool used for expression and design, can become an extension of a designer’s creativity and personality. The blogs I have reviewed in this body of work clearly demonstrate how designers can personalise a blog to provide a successful platform to showcase their work, communicate with peers and followers and market their unique products.
I have outlined the benefits that blogging can create for the jewellery design student. Not only is blogging a valuable method of recording design and creative development, it can be utilised as a platform for the student to increase his knowledge of and contact with the jewellery industry.
The feedback I have received from Xtine Stepcic, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology Design Lecturer, has been most positive. She has repeatedly remarked on the overall improvement of the first year Jewellery Design and Manufacture students design work. In conversation she spoke of how the students are communicating much more readily with her, improving their working relationship. By having to write on their blogs weekly, their thoughts and feeling are being expressed well, allowing Xtine to understand and communicate with them better.
Xtine has asked me to extend the project to the second year Jewellery Design and Manufacture students. She believes that they too would benefit greatly from converting their design diaries to blog format.
I have demonstrated that blogging as a subject would be a meaningful addition to the University curriculum.
If blogging is introduced in the first year of study the students would continue with their blogs for the duration of their studies. This would provide the lecturers with the ability to track a student’s progress. It will also be a useful tool to both student and lecturer during the external moderation at the end of each year, allowing the moderator to view each student’s effort and progress throughout the year.
I have personally experienced the positive outcomes of blogging. Since beginning my blog, Oh Dear, Megan my work has been showcased on other blogs. I have been featured on Between 10 & 5 twice and, on the second occasion I was interviewed. My work has also been featured on Miss Moss, a popular South African blog and Rooted, a South African online magazine (click here to view interview). These features have resulted in positive feedback, inquiries and business opportunities.
The value of a blog to support, assist and inspire the artist or designer should not be overlooked.
Monday, October 4, 2010
CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSION
I believe that the value of this research lies in understanding how modern technology, in the form of blogging, can aid the student in self-assessment and communication, which are vital areas in the formative education process.
The teaching methodologies practised in the Jewellery Design Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology fall largely in the sphere of ‘formative’ or ‘continual’ rather than summative assessment. Formative assessment occurs while content is being taught and learned. The teacher's role is to gauge what the students understand and to what degree, to inform students of their progress and to help them set goals. Educators strive to make the learning experience as individual as possible, as this one-on-one approach is a far more ‘design friendly’ method of unlocking the student's potential. All the the readings and research that I have done for this body of work emphasise the benefits of formative education for both student and teacher.
“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all” Abraham Lincoln
Formative assessment is a self-reflective process and it is to this end that the blog appears to be uniquely positioned. Through the use of blogs, students can learn to assess themselves and their work and take control of their own learning. This would seem to be the core goal of outcomes based learning and teaching. The First year jewellery design and manufacture students that I’ve included in this study have, in my opinion, become more motivated and focused. Xtine Stepcic the first year design lecturer has, in conversation, confirmed these benefits.
”I have found that the students are much more open and willing to communicate with me. They are also finding it easier to express their ideas and designs to me and each other”
Formative assessment creates a bi-directional learning process. In other words, a dialogue is established between lecturer and student. This research report argues that the blog is a perfect tool to this end. The second vital point is that the communication in the design studio has become more free and less daunting. A critique now becomes less intimidating to the students and encourages constructive communication. This also supports language skills, a problem in our multi-lingual society. These positive aspects of blogging and formative assessment will greatly benefit jewellery designers both during and after completing their studies.
It is appropriate to now analyse the positive progress of the three Cape Peninsula University of Technology students featured in this study, using their blogs as a tool to track their development.
The first student, Miles Lawn was born and raised in Kuilsriver, Cape Town. He is 21 years old and attended Belville Technical High School where he majored in electrical engineering. In 2009, he completed the Access course at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and was originally planning to study Architecture this year.
One of Miles’ first blogposts is of a bridge designed by Calatrava. Architecture, and bridges in particular are a very strong theme throughout his blog, Mowfunk. As a lecturer Xtine followed his process through his blog. She was able to see his design logic progress from bridge to a piece of jewellery. She was then able to have an intelligent discussion about his work and plan with him the variations that will form his subsequent jewellery designs. Portraying one’s design and being able to substantiate the design process is something that I have come to realise is very important to the jewellery designer. I found this realization hugely valuable and shall carry this into my own future career. Articulating what would seem to many as simply common sense, has made me aware that design is more than pretty pictures or ideas but is in fact the culmination of an intellectual process.
“We are educating people out of their own creativity” – Sir Ken Robenson
Previously the ‘shy’ Miles would have found it difficult in a classroom critique to explain to Xtine his inspiration for his new design as anything more than a bridge. Formal classroom discussion prevents many a students from speaking their mind. Xtine can now engage with Miles’s creative process.
Through the blog Xtine can now track trends in the student's work and formulate a lesson to aid or encourage the class as a whole or individual students in certain areas.
The second student blog, White Wave by Genevieve Maurel, also gave me a better understanding of the positives of blogging. Genevieve's blog, as previously mentioned, is my favourite example of a student blog.
Genevieve originates from Mauritius and is 19 years old. She attended an international high school and was exposed to many cultures and individuals from around the world. At school she majored in Art, Design, Psychology, English, Maths and French.
When I initially introduced the first year students to the project, Genevieve's response was positive and enthusiastic. This positive response is evident throughout her blog. As well as keeping up to date with her design posts, Genevieve has also begun blogging personal pictures and poetry. She is using her blog in an extremely creative way by turning it into a mood board of her life. Genevieve feels safe to express herself freely on her blog and besides forging a relationship on a more personal level with Xtine, she is allowing herself to become more accessible to her peers.
Genevieve has included blog posts that comment on both social and environmental issues. She continues to find designs that have a substantial impact on her world. Her choices are slightly naïve but the blog is a format that allows Xtine to trace her creative jumps and teach Genevieve to justify her choices correctly.
Chrissane Louw, the third student under discussion is from Cape Town and is 19. She attended Jan van Riebeek high school in the city centre, where she majored in art. Her high school is predominantly Afrikaans speaking and her English is not very good. Chrissane is also very shy.
However her blog is not timid at all. She writes very confidently in her blog posts and her image choices are strong, as can be seen in her most recent posts. I find it interesting that different students use their blog in diverse ways. Chrisanne has styled her blog, Cinderella on clouds, in such a way that it has really become an extension of her personality.
It is evident that Chrissane has an interest in antique jewellery. When Xtine analyses Cinderella on clouds she will be able to steer Chrisanne’s design work in a direction that develops her interest into a body of work based on antique jewellery.
Another interesting positive outcome from this project is that the students have begun following each others blogs. They have now created a network. The students are able to comment on each others work and interact freely. The students have become aware of each others work and can draw inspiration from each other. This promotes discussion between the students and the lecturer in the classroom, making them more confident and comfortable in the classroom environment.
The students at first were hesitant at the thought of their work being public because they were not yet confident in their work or their ideas. I felt that one of the biggest challenges for the students when starting this project was writing their own artist statements and writing about themselves in general. They are in a transitional phase of their lives and education and many of them had never thought about what inspires them in life and in design.
Overall, I am very happy with the outcomes of this project and feel that it has had a positive effect on both the students and their design lecturer.
More than ever I believe that the education system needs to develop and move forward, embracing all the new technologies, as students are being prepared to take their places in this new technological age.
The teaching methodologies practised in the Jewellery Design Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology fall largely in the sphere of ‘formative’ or ‘continual’ rather than summative assessment. Formative assessment occurs while content is being taught and learned. The teacher's role is to gauge what the students understand and to what degree, to inform students of their progress and to help them set goals. Educators strive to make the learning experience as individual as possible, as this one-on-one approach is a far more ‘design friendly’ method of unlocking the student's potential. All the the readings and research that I have done for this body of work emphasise the benefits of formative education for both student and teacher.
“Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all” Abraham Lincoln
Formative assessment is a self-reflective process and it is to this end that the blog appears to be uniquely positioned. Through the use of blogs, students can learn to assess themselves and their work and take control of their own learning. This would seem to be the core goal of outcomes based learning and teaching. The First year jewellery design and manufacture students that I’ve included in this study have, in my opinion, become more motivated and focused. Xtine Stepcic the first year design lecturer has, in conversation, confirmed these benefits.
”I have found that the students are much more open and willing to communicate with me. They are also finding it easier to express their ideas and designs to me and each other”
Formative assessment creates a bi-directional learning process. In other words, a dialogue is established between lecturer and student. This research report argues that the blog is a perfect tool to this end. The second vital point is that the communication in the design studio has become more free and less daunting. A critique now becomes less intimidating to the students and encourages constructive communication. This also supports language skills, a problem in our multi-lingual society. These positive aspects of blogging and formative assessment will greatly benefit jewellery designers both during and after completing their studies.
It is appropriate to now analyse the positive progress of the three Cape Peninsula University of Technology students featured in this study, using their blogs as a tool to track their development.
The first student, Miles Lawn was born and raised in Kuilsriver, Cape Town. He is 21 years old and attended Belville Technical High School where he majored in electrical engineering. In 2009, he completed the Access course at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and was originally planning to study Architecture this year.
One of Miles’ first blogposts is of a bridge designed by Calatrava. Architecture, and bridges in particular are a very strong theme throughout his blog, Mowfunk. As a lecturer Xtine followed his process through his blog. She was able to see his design logic progress from bridge to a piece of jewellery. She was then able to have an intelligent discussion about his work and plan with him the variations that will form his subsequent jewellery designs. Portraying one’s design and being able to substantiate the design process is something that I have come to realise is very important to the jewellery designer. I found this realization hugely valuable and shall carry this into my own future career. Articulating what would seem to many as simply common sense, has made me aware that design is more than pretty pictures or ideas but is in fact the culmination of an intellectual process.
“We are educating people out of their own creativity” – Sir Ken Robenson
Previously the ‘shy’ Miles would have found it difficult in a classroom critique to explain to Xtine his inspiration for his new design as anything more than a bridge. Formal classroom discussion prevents many a students from speaking their mind. Xtine can now engage with Miles’s creative process.
Through the blog Xtine can now track trends in the student's work and formulate a lesson to aid or encourage the class as a whole or individual students in certain areas.
The second student blog, White Wave by Genevieve Maurel, also gave me a better understanding of the positives of blogging. Genevieve's blog, as previously mentioned, is my favourite example of a student blog.
Genevieve originates from Mauritius and is 19 years old. She attended an international high school and was exposed to many cultures and individuals from around the world. At school she majored in Art, Design, Psychology, English, Maths and French.
When I initially introduced the first year students to the project, Genevieve's response was positive and enthusiastic. This positive response is evident throughout her blog. As well as keeping up to date with her design posts, Genevieve has also begun blogging personal pictures and poetry. She is using her blog in an extremely creative way by turning it into a mood board of her life. Genevieve feels safe to express herself freely on her blog and besides forging a relationship on a more personal level with Xtine, she is allowing herself to become more accessible to her peers.
Genevieve has included blog posts that comment on both social and environmental issues. She continues to find designs that have a substantial impact on her world. Her choices are slightly naïve but the blog is a format that allows Xtine to trace her creative jumps and teach Genevieve to justify her choices correctly.
Chrissane Louw, the third student under discussion is from Cape Town and is 19. She attended Jan van Riebeek high school in the city centre, where she majored in art. Her high school is predominantly Afrikaans speaking and her English is not very good. Chrissane is also very shy.
However her blog is not timid at all. She writes very confidently in her blog posts and her image choices are strong, as can be seen in her most recent posts. I find it interesting that different students use their blog in diverse ways. Chrisanne has styled her blog, Cinderella on clouds, in such a way that it has really become an extension of her personality.
It is evident that Chrissane has an interest in antique jewellery. When Xtine analyses Cinderella on clouds she will be able to steer Chrisanne’s design work in a direction that develops her interest into a body of work based on antique jewellery.
Another interesting positive outcome from this project is that the students have begun following each others blogs. They have now created a network. The students are able to comment on each others work and interact freely. The students have become aware of each others work and can draw inspiration from each other. This promotes discussion between the students and the lecturer in the classroom, making them more confident and comfortable in the classroom environment.
The students at first were hesitant at the thought of their work being public because they were not yet confident in their work or their ideas. I felt that one of the biggest challenges for the students when starting this project was writing their own artist statements and writing about themselves in general. They are in a transitional phase of their lives and education and many of them had never thought about what inspires them in life and in design.
Overall, I am very happy with the outcomes of this project and feel that it has had a positive effect on both the students and their design lecturer.
More than ever I believe that the education system needs to develop and move forward, embracing all the new technologies, as students are being prepared to take their places in this new technological age.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Cinderella on clouds by Chrisanne Louw
Cinderella on clouds is one of my favourite examples of a student’s blog. Chrissane’s blog is a complete reflection of herself. She has expressed herself through the use of colours in her background and text and has utilised the personalising options to her benefit.
Chrisanne is very proud of her blog and she is the first year student who has made the most posts on her blog. “It’s awesome to show other people your work and to show them more about yourself and your inspirations, it gives your jewellery a more personal feel”
The themes and colours she has chosen are reflected in the image that she chose for her post First jewellery crit. Thus showing how a blog can complement and enhancing the content.
“I think it’s something I will continue now since I know how it works and because I’m actually starting to like it and getting creative with it and it’s good for my own business (range of jewellery) one day.”
Chrisanne is very proud of her blog and she is the first year student who has made the most posts on her blog. “It’s awesome to show other people your work and to show them more about yourself and your inspirations, it gives your jewellery a more personal feel”
The themes and colours she has chosen are reflected in the image that she chose for her post First jewellery crit. Thus showing how a blog can complement and enhancing the content.
“I think it’s something I will continue now since I know how it works and because I’m actually starting to like it and getting creative with it and it’s good for my own business (range of jewellery) one day.”
White Wave by Genevieve Maurel
The first thing that struck me about White Wave was Genevieve’s mature use of colour; red, grey, white and blue. This instantly gives her blog the feeling of an experienced designer. I would assume that she has been exposed to many images and art works in her prior education and in her life.
Genevieve is confident in her use of text. She writes beautifully. Genevieve writes in the first person, making her blog personal and interesting to read.
Examples can be found in her post old vs. new (posted on Friday August 13th 2010), “i love this modern take on the 'cameo'”, “the reason i love it”, “when i think”.
Regarding her blog, Genevieve states that she “enjoyed starting it” but that she does “find it more therapeutic to write in the design diary.” She also states that although she thinks that blogging is a good tool, it “becomes too time consuming”. I feel that in a few more posts time, Genevieve will find that a blog is less time consuming than she originally thought and she will find means of expressing herself by scanning in and posting sketches and drawings.
Despite her doubts, Genevieve does feel that a blog is a useful tool for jewellery designers and design students as “it helps people share ideas and communicate between themselves”
Overall, her blog is a brilliant example of the successful use of colour, images and text to communicate with her reader.
Genevieve is confident in her use of text. She writes beautifully. Genevieve writes in the first person, making her blog personal and interesting to read.
Examples can be found in her post old vs. new (posted on Friday August 13th 2010), “i love this modern take on the 'cameo'”, “the reason i love it”, “when i think”.
Regarding her blog, Genevieve states that she “enjoyed starting it” but that she does “find it more therapeutic to write in the design diary.” She also states that although she thinks that blogging is a good tool, it “becomes too time consuming”. I feel that in a few more posts time, Genevieve will find that a blog is less time consuming than she originally thought and she will find means of expressing herself by scanning in and posting sketches and drawings.
Despite her doubts, Genevieve does feel that a blog is a useful tool for jewellery designers and design students as “it helps people share ideas and communicate between themselves”
Overall, her blog is a brilliant example of the successful use of colour, images and text to communicate with her reader.
Mowfunk by Miles Lawn
2.3 Student blog reviews
Miles’ blog, Mowfunk is the first blog that I chose to discuss. It is a simple and straight forward example. The only thing that Miles has personalised on his blog is the background colour of his blog, from white to black. Initially he used very little text and did not give his opinion on the designs that he chose to include, despite the fact that they were very interesting and inspired choices.
However in his most recent post (posted on Thursday 26th August 2010) he states “I like this fork bracelet, because of the organic and free feeling you receive from the stylized contour lines as fork fingers.”
Interestingly Miles whom I initially assumed did not enjoy blogging says that he “enjoyed starting it and that he finds it much easier than the visual diary”. He has also shown his blog to his family and friends. “I was quite boastful and ecstatic about my blog”.
When I asked Miles if he though that blogging was a useful tool for jewellery designers and design students he replied very positively. “Yes, it reveals each person’s style of jewellery in a different way. I could also receive newer or better ideas from seeing other student's blogs (of how they think, design and produce their style)”.
I feel that Miles has benefitted greatly from blogging. Updating his blog weekly has helped him with his design work. The more he posts, the better his self expression has and will continue to become. In time he will be able to look back at his blog and see how his communication and observation skills have improved.
Miles’ blog, Mowfunk is the first blog that I chose to discuss. It is a simple and straight forward example. The only thing that Miles has personalised on his blog is the background colour of his blog, from white to black. Initially he used very little text and did not give his opinion on the designs that he chose to include, despite the fact that they were very interesting and inspired choices.
However in his most recent post (posted on Thursday 26th August 2010) he states “I like this fork bracelet, because of the organic and free feeling you receive from the stylized contour lines as fork fingers.”
Interestingly Miles whom I initially assumed did not enjoy blogging says that he “enjoyed starting it and that he finds it much easier than the visual diary”. He has also shown his blog to his family and friends. “I was quite boastful and ecstatic about my blog”.
When I asked Miles if he though that blogging was a useful tool for jewellery designers and design students he replied very positively. “Yes, it reveals each person’s style of jewellery in a different way. I could also receive newer or better ideas from seeing other student's blogs (of how they think, design and produce their style)”.
I feel that Miles has benefitted greatly from blogging. Updating his blog weekly has helped him with his design work. The more he posts, the better his self expression has and will continue to become. In time he will be able to look back at his blog and see how his communication and observation skills have improved.
Methodology
2.2 Methodology
I worked in conjunction with Xtine Stepcic, the design lecturer in the Jewellery Design and Manufacture department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She is responsible for the first-year student’s sketch book format design diary, in which the students have to include and discuss two examples of design each week. One design must be an item of jewellery by any designer. The other can be any form of design of their choice – architecture, a photograph, advertisement etc. Xtine allowed me to teach the students to covert their diaries into blog form.
I introduced the students to the concept of blogging and to the uses and benefits of blogs. I wrote and presented them with a brief detailing how to create their own blogs and instructed them to continue with their design diaries in blog form. They began this on June 1, 2010 in the class time that I had been assigned and were given two days to complete the task. I was very fortunate in being given class time to work with the students. This was very important to my study as it allowed me to work hand in hand with the students, observe their reaction at being introduced to other designer’s blogs and their responses to creating their own blogs.
As each student expressed themselves differently, it also played a larger role in showing how different people tackle blogging, allowing me to further understand the blogs I included in my body of work. Overall this allowed me to further demonstrate the importance of blogging as a multi- functional tool.
I have included three examples of student blogs to show how different the structure and content is of each, despite the fact that they were all given the same brief and the same amount of time to complete the task.
I worked in conjunction with Xtine Stepcic, the design lecturer in the Jewellery Design and Manufacture department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She is responsible for the first-year student’s sketch book format design diary, in which the students have to include and discuss two examples of design each week. One design must be an item of jewellery by any designer. The other can be any form of design of their choice – architecture, a photograph, advertisement etc. Xtine allowed me to teach the students to covert their diaries into blog form.
I introduced the students to the concept of blogging and to the uses and benefits of blogs. I wrote and presented them with a brief detailing how to create their own blogs and instructed them to continue with their design diaries in blog form. They began this on June 1, 2010 in the class time that I had been assigned and were given two days to complete the task. I was very fortunate in being given class time to work with the students. This was very important to my study as it allowed me to work hand in hand with the students, observe their reaction at being introduced to other designer’s blogs and their responses to creating their own blogs.
As each student expressed themselves differently, it also played a larger role in showing how different people tackle blogging, allowing me to further understand the blogs I included in my body of work. Overall this allowed me to further demonstrate the importance of blogging as a multi- functional tool.
I have included three examples of student blogs to show how different the structure and content is of each, despite the fact that they were all given the same brief and the same amount of time to complete the task.
CHAPTER TWO: A project on blogs conducted with first year students of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology
2.1 Motivation
Blogging, as a means of marketing and communication and as a form of recording designs and progress, is not currently included in the curriculum of the ND Jewellery Design and Manufacture at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
I wanted to show that using a blog, instead of a book-form Design Diary, would be an efficient method of recording work, allowing review, feedback and comment.
I believe that introducing students to blogging will be a great benefit to them in their future careers. It will aid them in the process of designing and displaying their own work and marketing themselves as designers, as well as allowing them to keep abreast of trends in the industry and work that other jewellers are producing.
I also believe that student blogs, as a method of producing and submitting design work, would be of great advantage to the lecturer. The lecturer could access student work from any computer and would not have to carry piles of heavy books. In addition, student blogs would allow for better control of work, as the lecturer could see when work was completed by the time of the post.
Blogging, as a means of marketing and communication and as a form of recording designs and progress, is not currently included in the curriculum of the ND Jewellery Design and Manufacture at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
I wanted to show that using a blog, instead of a book-form Design Diary, would be an efficient method of recording work, allowing review, feedback and comment.
I believe that introducing students to blogging will be a great benefit to them in their future careers. It will aid them in the process of designing and displaying their own work and marketing themselves as designers, as well as allowing them to keep abreast of trends in the industry and work that other jewellers are producing.
I also believe that student blogs, as a method of producing and submitting design work, would be of great advantage to the lecturer. The lecturer could access student work from any computer and would not have to carry piles of heavy books. In addition, student blogs would allow for better control of work, as the lecturer could see when work was completed by the time of the post.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)