the reflections coloured purple are the final/concluding reflections for each phase. The rest of the reflections are my own additions.
MY SUBJECT OF STUDY
My chosen object of study was Rice.
A very versatile ingredient and my favourite form of carbohydrate. It is one of the staple foods in South India. Rice can be a great addition to any dish. It is grown everywhere from the dry northeaster region to the high altitude of Himalayas having more than 2000 varieties. It was once seen as a symbol of prosperity and exchanged as form of gratuity. Apart from being a major component of ones meal, rice also has a cultural significance and is used during vidai in weddings to symbolise the exit of the bride from her paternal household and often applied on the forehead with tikka during festivals like rakhi. Rice is usually seen as the solution to everything, as evident with the popular meme “put it in rice”. It’s hard to image how a tiny grain could carry such significance in the life of those who consume it.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY CREATIVE SELF - REFLECTION
It was more difficult to make this animation than I had imagined. I had to watch multiple tutorials in order to understand how to go about it. I was also doubting my approach many times. I was worried that the faculties might think that I over complicated a simple assignment or I over did it. Perhaps providing 2 Different submissions would not be appreciated and seen as a symbol of my indecisiveness. However I still wanted to give it a try and in the end even if it was not accepted, at least I’ll learn a new skill.
UPDATE: In the end the video saved me as I injured myself during the day of the presentation and had to leave but i was able to participate in class by having my peers project the video on my behalf, so perhaps everything happens for a reason
FINAL REFLECTION-PHASE 2 DETAILED STUDY
The first week of capstone was intense and tested me in many different ways. My approach towards research in capstone was extremely different as compared to my previous approaches. In the past I always focused on collection and segregation of information. This caused me to struggle at the end when I had to draw connections and culminate the research. So this time I took a different route and made connections while collecting of the information. I wrote down the connection in my physical log book and then mapped them on my pin up board. This enabled me to create a comprehensive story rather than a collection of facts. The use of physical log book as an outlet for random thoughts, pin up board as a way to organise these thoughts and miro for the final presentation proved very useful in creating these connections as well. I also gave more attention to the area of primary research by incorporating new techniques such as experiments and sampling. This helped me understand that research can take place away from the screen. I broke down complex scientific information by making hand drawn labelled posters. The information I retained by doing hands on work stuck to me better than what I read off the internet. I exercised my visual learning abilities this week and was able to create the process fun and interesting while also insuring minimum screen time. My key take away from this has to be the use of different methods of presentation and researching to try to move away from the tradition “google it” approach.
PHASE 3 (DAY 1-4 : 15-18 APRIL 2021)
FEEDBACK, FAILURE, & REFLECTION
During my first mentoring session I got to know that the threads I selected were wrong. My threads were actually topics. This required me to re plan and re organise my entire work after already having worked on it for 4 days. Initially this made me quite anxious about my ability to effectively execute my work. Even though my plan had space for such a change I was still felt overwhelmed, this was due to the great importance given to capstone. I was afraid of losing time and not being able to do my best. However I then reminded myself of what I would have done if this was not capstone and just any other project. I decided to take the challenge head on and started with the creation of a new plan, identification of my revised threads and reorganisation of my physical log book, ripping apart pages and re arranging them in an order that suits my new plan. I revised my goals and objectives according to the time available and starting executing it immediately.
FINAL REFLECTION - PHASE 3 (IDD1)
Phase 2 really took me back to the ma previous projects, especially think lab. I found myself referring to my Think Lab blog and reading my description of various tools in order to understand how I can use them in the ideation phase. While working on abstraction and lines, I went back to the work done in FVL 1 and the teaching I gained. Doodling, which I incorporated first during transform, was my greatest aid. However unlike the first time, I was now able to apply these learnings and use the tools in a more matured manner. Earlier I approached doodling as a final sketch, however I now understand that doodling is the first step to future explorations. Similarly the use of dots and lines was way more matured and “crazy” than the explorations done during FVL. I was and still am not satisfied with the quantity of my explorations. I believe I could have done more if it wasn’t for the fact that I had lost 4 days in the beginning. However I understand that regretting over something that can’t be changed is only going to hold me back. I might be disappointed right now but I realise that even if I had achieved my goal I still wouldn’t be satisfied and that’s just a part of design learning. I was however extremely satisfied with my ability to adapt my plan according to my initial failure and get back on track as soon as possible. In general, this phase was like a rollercoaster ride that tested my patience, planning, organisation & time management in many ways and i am glad that i was able to overcome that effectively.
PHASE 3B (DAY 1- 29 APRIL 2021)
REFLECTION ON WHAT WENT WRONG
During my feedback the faculty continuously kept saying that my explorations show a lack of observation. Initially this confused me a lot since I had been observing my panicle intently. Despite the fact that I only had access to the images of the panicle I was able to acquire resources that enables me to study it. On the first day of IDD 2 my faculty asked to go back to the observational drawings. Initially all my drawings came out to be the same, they all looked rigid and identical to one another. However while I was looking at the image I clicked at ICAR (Indian centre of agricultural research) I noticed how their diagrams were very similar to mine. This led me to wonder that why would an institution of scientist and botanist make such rigid diagrams, and then a light bulb went inside my head. Because they have no other options. Each and every panicle is different, no 2 panicles are exactly alike. In its diagram ICAR could not represent the organic form of a panicle because it’s different for each one, all they could do was give a general idea of what a panicle looks like. And that’s what I had been doing. Since I was looking at 10 images to make one drawing (in order to explore the different angles) I couldn’t capture the organic sense of all of them. All I could do was give a general idea. After this, I stopped following the rigid pattern and focused on one panicle at a time, trying to capturing its unique curves.
REFLECTION ON THE PROCESS OF WORKING IN IDD-2
IDD 2 was a much more complicated phase than what I had expected. I remember creating a solid plan to follow through the week, however nothing went according to my plan. IDD 2 required extensive back and forth enquiry, connecting the past explorations and studies with the present which was mind boggling at time. During the earlier projects I used to treat each phase like a new project all together, focusing all my energy on what was required for me to do for that particular phase. Naturally there were many areas where my connections with the past research were weak and this caused me to struggle during the culmination. It was only during Galaxy of art and design that I started to understand and the importance taking a step back and reviewing your work, and capstone helped me develop this to my fullest. Using my pin up board and a yarn I spent 10 minutes everyday playing detective and understanding how I can connect what I am doing presently with what I have done in the past. I followed this approach beyond my pin up board, during IDD 2 and allowed myself to go back and explore more. One day I was deciding my final form and the day after that I was doing observational drawings to reconnect with my subject. This, through tedious and time consuming, made my transition extremely natural and smooth. In the end, I realise that though having a plan and executing everything on time is important, there is no plan when it come to ideation, the ideas come and go as the please and sometimes you have to listen to them instead of the Calendar.
FINAL REFLECTION - PHASE 3 (IDD2)
IDD 2 was much more lighter as compared to IDD 1 as I was just iterating and refining the ideas I had already developed. However this “lightness” did not work out very well for me. I am used to having a pressure, and work best under it. I often associate my productivity with the quantity of work I do in a day. So having a less pressure and less work made me feel like I wasn’t doing anything even though I was fulfilling all that was required. However I was able to curb this towards the end as my excitement of the final outcome kept growing. I was able to get a glimpse into my future as an interior designer as I tried to stir my explorations towards an IAD intended outcome. I explored the different fields in which I could work. The moment I started reviewing my work from the point of view of an IAD professional its dynamics changes and I started thing more practically and became more conscious of space. We followed a great system of peer voting and review though this was an amazing initiative, towards the end I felt like I became dependent on there “vote” for the selection of my outcome. In order to prevent this from happening any further I decided to stop taking the peer votes and only listen to the feed forwards they had to give. My biggest achievement however Was my ability to connect IDD2 work with the past phases, which enabled me to develop a comprehensive storyline that added flavour to my final outcome. This phase helped me understand myself on a deeper level, and I was able to analyse what works the best for me and I am sure this will strengthen my work as I transcend into level 4.
FINAL REFLECTION - PHASE 4
While I was working tirelessly on my final form I was reflecting back on all the redo's and iterations I did. I remember feeling frustrated whenever I got a redo or felt dejected when ma’am asked me to iterate further instead of selecting my idea. However now suddenly they all made sense. I quickly realised that if it wasn’t for all those attempts, I wouldn’t have the form I have with me right now. Now looking back I can’t imagine myself making any other form but this. I devoted myself to my work and had faith in the process. I always had a slight feeling of worry when I was going slow or going back and repeating the observational studies. But I didn’t let that dampen my spirit and continued to work with all I had. I always imagined my final form to be a representation of my capstone project. However I now realise that my form is nothing but a synopsis of my eventful 7 week long journey.
What next?
The process of learning and exploring never ends - one thing that was constantly thought to us throughout foundation. And now when the time calls for it, I have decided to continue my capstone until my transition into level 4. After making the self assessment that my form was too literal, I took it upon myself to explore this in a more abstract manner. I am going to work on this during my vacations as a post capstone holiday homework. While also working and incorporating the feedback that was given to me by the faculties during the crit including - working on my compositional sense and paying more attention to detail in order to improve my final outcome.
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