Wednesday 12 October 2016

OUGD601 - Initial Proposal Feedback

In July, I received an email with some very useful feedback regarding my initial research proposal. The main point raised in the feedback was that I had began to discuss the slow movement as being an 'antidote' to particular visual, creative, cultural or societal issues. 

This was indeed true and was what I was aiming for, however the tutor pointed out that I must remember that these issues have to be proven and not just assumed to be true.I need to avoid being speculative in my dissertation, which was very good advice. They went on to say:

'Try to remain impartial. You should aim to unpick the key philosophies of the slow movement and analyse them in relation to established positions on technology / internet / mass media / etc. The practitioners you mention all seem to work mostly on “vanity” projects producing decorative work – what about normal, commercial graphic design? Is there a role for slow outside these subjective, insular practices?’ 

The feedback allowed me to realise that I am actually far more interested in researching how current trends in visual communication have been influenced by theories associated with postmodernism and post-structuralism. 

I initially thought it would be interesting to explore a completely new topic in my dissertation (the slow movement) but this has already been examined in previous years by past students. The feedback helped me to realised that I wanted to undertake a research project that had perhaps not been examined in detail before and extend the lines of inquiry that have developed over the past two years of contextual studies. This makes much more sense to me now, and has got me excited to undertake the research. 

 I now know that I want to examine role in which graphic design plays within contemporary visual culture, looking to the past for answers to contemporary issues. What purpose does it supposedly serve? Do people even know what it is anymore? Is it possible to define the era we are living in? Is it possible to define graphic design practice anymore? 

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