Semester A: Week 3
Student: Tai Ser Yeet (22064351)
Programme: BA (Hons)(SW) Digital Media Design
WEEK 3
Takeaways from Class
We looked at a couple of students' projects from previous years, and it sparked a few ideas for my degree project.
Brainstorming Ideas
What I always see is that UIUX students are always displaying their work on their laptops and mobile phones. Hence, would it be a good idea to explore something beyond the four corners?
Alternatively, I could tell a story by mixing simple illustrations with film. I could make a film featuring all of my favourite people and my daily routine of travelling into London for dance classes, and somehow integrating it with UIUX as a subsidiary. Another idea would be to have a concept surrounding the boringness, mundaneness of life can be interpreted to be interesting.
Recently, I have been questioning the important elements of my identity. Do I equate my self-worth to my good traits? Does my self-esteem stem from being able to dance better than everyone else? Why do I feel the need to prove myself to anyone? I even started to re-evaluate my values in life. As they say, comparison is the thief of joy. Jealousy is also the thief of joy.
That made me quite anxious about my own behaviour towards people. And it was a tough time for sure. With that said, an idea revolving around making a piece based on this experience of having loved ones support me, but at the same time, I can't get that through my head. I could make a dance film and include loved ones. Besides, I do have a camera and a tripod at home. Not only that, my close friends are both creatives; one is a music student and the other is in film, so why not utilise this opportunity to collaborate with them?
I could use dance to express myself. A possible idea could be a project about finding myself. Dance also revolves around music, rhythm and flow and beats and feeling (how you interpret the music).
Other than that, I could project my website on the wall and, e.g makeshift window with curtains on top of the window. The website could be the scenery. I also question the essence of a website - why a button is a button. What about navigating a website but in real life, not on a laptop? What can I do beyond the basic interactivity? E.g. click, click and hold and drag. On that note, I am eager to challenge myself by experimenting with different mediums, e.g. baking paper, print, sound, because it's hard to have an opportunity to do your own projects anymore
What to get done
- Write down 3 preliminary ideas
- Compile materials that inspired your project
After Class
Ideation
These couple of days, I've been writing every single idea that popped into my head in my notebook. Not only that, I also created several digital folders in various social media platforms and saved every piece that caught my attention and would be good reference material for my project.
I've attached images of my notebook below for reference:
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Film Details:
You Need to Be Bored. Here's Why. By Harvard Business Review
"You're actively trying to not be bored. When you're bored, your default network wanders off to things that are uncomfortable. This makes it harder for you to find meaning in life."
I couldn't agree more. It's been two weeks since I deleted the Instagram app from my phone, and it is liberating. My head is clearer, and I notice things going on in my surroundings, such as the different walking pace of each individual, the symmetry of buildings, and how phones are used as a way to cope with social awkwardness. I have even started eating in silence; no phones, no music; just pure silence and immersing myself in the boredom.
You know what happened during those moments?
My mind thought of great ideas. Ideas that I wrote down in my notebook for the project. It doesn't have to be concrete. The main point of this is to gradually train my brain to tap into that creative side again.
Film Details:
You Need to Romanticise Your Process By Tozak Filming
Romanticise the process.
If you don't enjoy the process of becoming, you won't ever enjoy life. I am a huge believer in this. Hence, I was and still am very adamant about choosing a project that I am interested in. There is no point in putting 9 months of hard work into something you're not even nerdy about. If you like it, you are more likely to do it without being asked or pressured to.