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005 – Plans For The Next 2 Weeks

Updates since last week…

Nothing was done other than me drawing a weak mindmap, making observations and thinking of more ideas. I need to rethink on my plans as I kept promising myself to make a prototype but I just don’t start. (my excuse is that I have other commitments and just didn’t have the drive to push myself for FYP…)

So here is a new plan for myself, starting from the basics which is…. research.

1st Week Expectations:

I want to focus on research next week, as I think I need to do more readings. My goals for this week’s research is to understand other artists’ approach with using senses in critical design and speculative design (as this is pretty much my area of interest). I also want to confirm the science behind sensory substitution / addition, as to why it works and how sensitive do I tune it for it to work.

    • Finish reading Devices That Alter Perception 2010 (book): I want to find all the relevant papers written by artists and designers and cite them
    • Skim through A Tour of the Senses: How Your Brain Interprets the World (book): Have a bit more in depth idea of how our senses work. This book will just be skimmed through as I think the theory behind everything doesn’t have to be the focal point of my research.
    • Finish reading See Yourself Sensing (book): I’ve been wanting to finish reading the book but I keep getting distracted.
    • Read Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind: I think there are useful information here too and I haven’t found the time to go finish the book… AAAAHHHH….

I also want to understand the aesthetics I’m going for. I’ve always liked Cyberpunk aesthetics and I think just purely using such aesthetics is very shallow. I will be doing a few things to fix down the aesthetics.

      • Read Tokyo Cyberpunk: Posthumanism in Japanese Visual Culture: This is the only book I can find about cyberpunk genre in the ADM library, and I think I will just look at the rationale behind all the aesthetics choice.
      • Create a moodboard! It’s in my to-do list for a long time and I haven’t gotten to do it. It will help me find my visual language. It will be based on cyberpunk genre so I need to do some reading on cyberpunk stuff through either the book or online research.

Along the way, any observations I made will also be written down. I’m already making observations that will be part of my ideation as well. I’m compiling as many ideas as I can. This will continue for the next 2 weeks and more.

      • Continue observing, writing ideas, sketch em out: This will help me get closer to what I want to do. Just a whole pile of ideas through observation and then see what works and what doesn’t.

First Week Priority ranking:

    1. Observations + listing or sketching
    2. Devices That Alter Perception 2010 Book
    3. A Tour of the Senses Book
    4. Sensory Pathways for the Plastic Mind Book
    5. See Yourself Sensing Book
    6. Moodboard
    7. Tokyo Cyberpunk Book

Realistically, I don’t think I can do that much reading. So I’ll expect that I won’t be able to finish finding my aesthetics by next week. But that’s fine, these are just temporary goals for now.

2nd Week Expectations:

One of week 2’s focus will also be on research. I think by then, I will have enough materials to work on. But I still think I should read these books as I think they have important info I need.

    • Read Speculative Everything: Dunne & Raby have a lot of insights in critical design and speculative design. Since my approach is pretty much that, I should understand why, how, and what I’m doing with my work.
    • Read Sensory Arts and Design: I saw this book in the display of ADM library and I think it will be relevant in my concept. I have no idea what this will be about but I’m sure I will be able to understand more about using senses in my work.
    • Read Cybercognition: Brain, Behaviour and the Digital World: Same as 2nd point. Sensory Arts and Design and Cybercognition are more for backing up so they are not high priority readings.

Again, I need to know the aesthetics I’m going to use, so I’m gonna need to research on cyberpunk still. Whatever’s not done will be carried over.

    • Aesthetics research (moodboard + read Tokyo Cyberpunk book): Same reasoning as the first week’s point.

I also have a bunch of journal articles that I have compiled that I have not read yet. I will be selective about what I read as I don’t think there is enough time left for me to slowly go through all the materials. By now, I should have a good idea on my concept and any other readings will be extra.

    • Read saved journal articles (optional): I’m sure there are some really useful texts out there, but I really really have to be selective or else I’m be losing precious time. The readings I choose must contain information that the above few books didn’t cover. Don’t want to be wasting time.

Observations, Ideations, Sketches…

    • Continue observing surroundings, write ideas, and sketch em out: Same reasoning as 1st week’s pointer.

2nd Week Priority ranking:

    1. Observations + listing or sketching
    2. Speculative Everything
    3. Moodboard
    4. Tokyo Cyberpunk
    5. Sensory Arts and Design
    6. Cybercognition
    7. Journal Articles

By the end of these 2 weeks, I should have:

    1. Good grasp of the concepts I’m trying to use and understand how artists apply these concepts to their work. This is done through all the readings.
    2. Made enough observations and have enough ideas to start creating a proper picture and narrative of what my work will be like. This is done through 2 weeks worth of observation and ideation.

Following this, I will be focusing on ideation and prototyping, where I will be doing sketches (paper or physical mock ups), and some extra readings if I have to. Here is also when $$$$ starts flying!