[book] Ideation

Mahon, Nik. 2011. Basics Advertising 03: Ideation. Lausanne/CH: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, AVA Publishing SA.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basics-Advertising-03-Nik-Mahon/dp/2940411506/

"Internet search engines cannot solve all research challenges."

Since design objects do not exist in a vacuum, in addition to exploring the context in which the objects reside, students must evaluate them in terms of effectiveness, consequence, and overall influence on the culture. The results are indeed "object lessons" that serve as building blocks of critical design writing.

At http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/06/why-google-will-never-beat-old-fashioned-design-research/240566/

PlayStation 2 Ads

"PlayStation marketing has always been pretty strange — David Lynch created a PlayStation 2 ad, after all — but the Paris branch of TBWA took strange to an entirely twisted new level."

At http://kotaku.com/youll-never-unsee-this-gallery-of-grotesque-playstatio-1554417734.

[Notificação] Próxima aula —> sala 302, pav carlos ramos

Aula 31/03
Informam-se todos os estudantes que a próxima aula decorrerá na sala 302 no pavilhão Carlos Ramos, 2º andar. Todos os grupos de trabalho deverão levar folhas A2 e material riscador (esferográficas, marcadores, grafite, etc.), e ainda os mind maps realizados na passada aula e ao longo desta semana. Pede-se ainda que informem os colegas, por favor.

Brainstorming —> Mind maps —> Blogue
Todos os grupos deverão publicar até ao final da semana nos respectivos blogues os mind maps resultantes do momento de brainstorming que ocorreu na passada aula, assim como os realizados posteriormente.

Bom fim de semana,
pc.

About Divergent, Convergent, and Lateral Thinking

Psychologists have found that a high IQ alone does not guarantee creativity. Instead, personality traits that promote divergent thinking are more important. Divergent thinking is found among people with personality traits such as nonconformity, curiosity, willingness to take risks, and persistence.
Activities which promote divergent thinking include creating lists of questions, setting aside time for thinking and meditation, brainstorming, subject mapping / "bubble mapping", keeping a journal, creating artwork, and free writing.

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divergent_thinking

Convergent thinking is also linked to knowledge as it involves manipulating existing knowledge by means of standard procedures. Knowledge is another important aspect of creativity. It is a source of ideas, suggests pathways to solutions, and provides criteria of effectiveness and novelty.[1] Convergent thinking is used as a tool in creative problem solving.

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_thinking

Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic. (…) [L]ateral thinking deliberately distances itself from standard perceptions of creativity as either "vertical" logic (the classic method for problem solving: working out the solution step-by-step from the given data) or "horizontal" imagination (having a thousand ideas but being unconcerned with the detailed implementation of them).

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lateral_thinking

About Mind Maps and Brainstorming

A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the center, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches. Categories can represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items related to a central key word or idea.

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map

Brainstorming is a group or individual creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its member(s). The term was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the 1953 book Applied Imagination. Osborn claimed that brainstorming was more effective than individuals working alone in generating ideas, although more recent research has questioned this conclusion. Today, the term is used as a catch all for all group ideation sessions.

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainstorming

On Focus Groups, Research Interviews, and Visual Research Methods

About Focus Groups 

A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. Questions are asked in an interactive group setting where participants are free to talk with other group members. The first focus groups were created at the Bureau of Applied Social Research in the USA, by associate director, sociologist Robert K. Merton. The term itself was coined by psychologist and marketing expert Ernest Dichter.

At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_group.

This article has outlined the main features of focus group research, paying particular attention to the benefits of interaction and group dynamics which only this method can offer. Practical considerations and the time it takes to conduct focus group research may discourage many from attempting to collect data using this method. Nevertheless those who participate in this kind of research often find the experience rewarding. The process of research can be more collaborative than other forms of study, and so focus group research can be an empowering process for participants, and an exciting challenge for social researchers wanting to gain a different perspective on their field of interest.

At http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU19.html.

Basics of conducting Focus Groups 

Focus groups are a powerful means to evaluate services or test new ideas. Basically, focus groups are interviews, but of 6-10 people at the same time in the same group. One can get a great deal of information during a focus group session.

1. Preparing for Session 
2. Developing Questions 
3. Planning the Session 
4. Facilitating Session 
5. Immediately After Session 

At http://managementhelp.org/businessresearch/focus-groups.htm.

General Guidelines for Conducting Research Interviews

Interviews are particularly useful for getting the story behind a participant's experiences. The interviewer can pursue in-depth information around a topic. Interviews may be useful as follow-up to certain respondents to questionnaires, e.g., to further investigate their responses. Usually open-ended questions are asked during interviews.
Before you start to design your interview questions and process, clearly articulate to yourself what problem or need is to be addressed using the information to be gathered by the interviews. This helps you keep clear focus on the intent of each question.

At http://managementhelp.org/businessresearch/interviews.htm.

Visual Research Methods

Visual data have been of concern to the social sciences in two ways: visual records produced by the investigator, and visual documents produced by those under study. In recent years, however, this dichotomy between the observer and the observed has begun to collapse (as it has across the qualitative social sciences more generally) and a third kind of visual record or "more accurately" representation has emerged: the collaborative representation.
Thus visual anthropology and visual sociology proceed methodologically by making visual representations (studying society by producing images), by examining pre-existing visual representations (studying images for information about society), and by collaborating with social actors in the production of visual representations.

At http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU11/SRU11.html.

Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2

Na continuação de uma conversa na passada aula, fica aqui a playlist de vários vídeos da campanha que publicitou o Dead Space 2, presentes na conta oficial do Youtube do referido videojogo.

Bom trabalho a todos.

A Designer's Research Manual [livro completo]

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tmapsj21pnhy4p1/A%20Designers%20Research%20Manual.pdf 

[book] A Designer's Research Manual

Alguns excertos selecionados podem ser descarregados at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/liiwq25slreke28/a2HYINJqdN.

Textos recomendados

Alguns estudantes manifestaram dificuldades em aceder aos seguintes textos recomendados. Creio que agora isso não deverá constituir problema.

Boas leituras e bom trabalho e todos,
pc.

— — — — — — — — — — — —

"The designer, of course, cannot combine just any set of beliefs with a subject to reach the communication goal. Communication is directed toward a specific audience and that audience comes to the argument with particular cultural beliefs and understanding."

At TYLER, Ann C., Shaping Belief: The role of audience in visual communication, 1992.

"Graphic designers are always in need of active dialogue with their clients and with other professionals (…) to really make the best of their practice. This certainly has important implications in relation to the evaluation of graphic design quality and to the education of graphic designers."

At FRASCARA, Jorge; Graphic Design: Fine Art or Social Science; 1988.

"Research is not, however, some pedagogic make-work or punishment. It is rather a necessary dimension in undergraduate and graduate programs. (…) Nonetheless, research in the design discipline has also traditionally been something of a bugaboo. While appreciating its value in certain circumstances, designers realize it has proven to be double-edged sword. (…) The fact is graphic design, indeed all design, is not produced in a vacuum. If the correct structures are in place, outside influences must be considered and also prevail."
At HELLER, Steven; Better Skills through Better Research; 2006.

Game Studio 78 needs your help!

http://www.gamestudio78.com

The More-Or-Less Completely Inaccurate Origin Of Sonic The Hedgehog

"A hedgehog." "Really?" "Yeah, yeah, a hedgehog." "But hedgehogs are really slow." "They don't have to be." "I'm listening..." Beasts Comedy's hilarious reenactment of the birth of Sonic the Hedgehog (…).

At http://kotaku.com/the-more-or-less-completely-inaccurate-origin-of-sonic-1535370931.

[book] Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design

"From the Publisher. Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design (second edition) is a guide to the practice of researching for graphic design projects. This book explains the key terms and theories that underlie design research; examining the importance of audience, communication theory, semiotics and semantics. It features a range of case studies that demonstrate how the use of rigorous research methods can form the basis of effective visual communication and design problem solving, eschewing end product analysis for a discussion of the way research feeds into the design process. This edition also includes 12 new international case studies, end of chapter exercises, a new chapter on Visual Grammar and a foreword by Ellen Lupton, an internationally renowned graphic designer, writer, curator and educator."

http://www.designersandbooks.com/book/visual-research-second-edition
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Visual-Research-Introduction-Methodologies-Graphic/dp/2940373205

P01.2—publicada

Informam-se todos os estudantes que a proposta de trabalho 1.2 já se encontra publicada na respetiva página: http://mid20132014.blogspot.pt/p/propostas-de-trabalho.html.

Bom trabalho a todos,
pc.

Shaping Belief: The role of audience in visual communication

The designer, of course, cannot combine just any set of beliefs with a subject to reach the communication goal. Communication is directed toward a specific audience and that audience comes to the argument with particular cultural beliefs and understanding.

At TYLER, Ann C., Shaping Belief: The role of audience in visual communication, 1992.

Convites blogue MID

Foram enviados por email convites para todos os estudantes com o intuito de poderem participar/publicar neste blogue, a fim de partilharem o que considerarem relevante para toda a turma. Pede-se que confirmem nas vossas caixas de email, incluindo os filtros de spam.

Relembramos ainda que a aula de amanhã iniciará cerca de 15 minutos mais tarde, pelas 16:15, na mesma sala de aula.

Bom trabalho a todos,
pc.

Aula 03/03 —> 16:10 / 16:15

Informam-se todos os estudantes que a próxima aula (a 03/03) iniciará 10 a 15 minutos mais tarde, pelas 16:10 / 16:15.

Bom trabalho,
pc.

[book] Design Studies: Theory and Research in Graphic Design

"[T]he discipline of graphic design has undergone a sea change. Where visual communication was once informed by a designer's creative intuition, the proliferation of specialized audiences now calls for more research-based design processes.
Designers who ignore research run the risk of becoming mere tools for communication rather than bold voices. Design Studies, a collection of 27 essays from an international cast of top design researchers, sets out to mend this schism between research and practice. The texts presented here make a strong argument for performing rigorous experimentation and analysis."

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Studies-Theory-Research-Graphic/dp/156898586X