Bridge 5 Final Reflection
What learning/ learning topic or learning process did you find yourself using throughout the semester?
I found myself exploring various methods of mapping throughout this semester. I started by following the mapping style taught in integrative seminar/studio but ultimately broke out into my own style involving venn diagrams and through trees. Day to day I utilized Critical Engagement with Text by annotating readings that were assigned and thinking critically about what message the author’s of these readings were trying to convey.
Where did you use it (in life, in class, in other classes)?
In life I utilized the neural/thought maps in my passion projects. It helped me stay organized and explore new ideas. In class I used Critical Engagement with Text almost everyday.
What learning did you make about systems or strategies (in society, in making, in research, etc.) do you want to bring into your future semesters, dig into deeper, or explore with other people?
In research. I want to learn more about research papers and gain more experience writing them. I believe that if you present an idea and have a research paper that is well written and has sources to back up a claim. Your idea because so much more appealing in every aspect (business, society, etc.)
What is one ah-ha that you had? What did you learn?
One ah-ha moment I had was in my own research regarding Blockchain technology. I finally had the realization of what mechanisms made up the phrase “Blockchain.” It felt great to understand something that ,before, was daunting and too complex.
Select two highlights from your first year. These highlights might consist of major projects or papers. A highlight could also be a productive class debate, a journal entry, a materials experiment, an illuminating course trip, or a new skill. This is a deep look at your work.
Planning: Show your preparatory steps for both highlights. What initiated these? How did you plan for the different steps? How would you prepare differently next time?
Outcome: Show what was explored/ made/ written/ researched. Write a clear description of each item. Add media components (images, galleries, video, excerpts, etc.).
First Highlight:
Quaker Oats Advertisements – Studio (Bridge 3)
This was a highlight of this class because the planning stage, development stage and final outcome were valuable learning experiences that taught me a lot and gave me something that I could potentially add to a resume/portfolio. I was asked to create an revamped advertisement in response to a preexisting advertisement found in NYC. I found a Quaker Oats ad that really spoke to me and I decided to revamp it and put my own new spin/direction on it.
Planning:
First I researched Quaker Oats and put together a list of findings that could impact my design. Then I moved on to the preliminary stages of development which can be seen below. What initiated these steps ultimentaly came from my own intuition and by following a system of design impacted by research. If I found a particular design appealing or worthy of exploring I would do so and cut my losses on other prototypes. If I had to plan in this stage again I would definitely spend more time learning about the company and its goals before moving onto the design work.
Outcome:
Below is my final 3 advertisements that showcase the different target demographics and objective of each. They are each very different from one another and serve a unique purpose in targeting specific groups of people. An argument can be made and ultimately supported that one ad is better at communicating its message towards specific groups of people. This system is what I think the course was trying to get students to create and realize.
Second Highlight:
Blockchain Research Essay – Seminar (Bridge 4)
This was a highlight of this class because the planning stage, development stage and final outcome were valuable learning experiences that taught me a lot and gave me something that I could potentially add to a resume/portfolio. I was asked to research a topic that was interesting to me and could be explained and argued in a seven page research paper. As I am a computer programming and have an interest in the world economy I chose to investigate Blockchain technology and how it could potentially revolutionize the world economy.
Planning:
First I identified that Blockchain was the topic that I should invest all my time and effort in. I was torn between researching Blockchain technology and the impact that outsourced design firms have on software projects. Each were very interesting to me however, one had a better claim and could be researched extensively. After creating my claim and identifying my sources I met with a librarian to vet my sources and discuss the sources authenticity. From their I went into writing my paper and structuring each paragraph into a chronological feature that aided to the overall understanding and support of the main claim. If I were to revisit this planning stage I would have spent more time finding sources that more closely related to my argument. I found it hard to manipulate the language of my sources to fit the theme of my paragraph and sentence.
Outcome:
Below is my final version of my Blockchain research paper. It is a culmination of my research and analysis of other sources and the Blockchain itself. I am very happy with the way it turned it out and I feel everyone who is has an online bank account and or uses the internet should read my article.
Thinking: Show your thought process. What do these two highlights represent? Why are they important to your learning? What is most successful or interesting about this work?
These two highlights represent the peak of my performance in both the Seminar and Studio class.They also represent my interests and skill sets. The advertisements being the skill of design and targeted marketing and the research paper being the skill of understanding technical information and translating it to business requirements.
If you could tell future students anything from what you learned during this year, what would it be? (Not just in this class – but overall in life about first year at college.)
You get out of college what you put in. Meaning that if you just do each assignment by the rubric or minimum requirements you will learn very little and most likely undervalue your education. Its sad that this is the reality but not even the #1 design school in the country can give you a good education by default. It is up to you whether or not the education is good.
Conclusion:
I hope to continue my work at Parsons and pursue my major in a more specific way. Instead of focusing on social issues and grammatical errors, I want to focus my attention on what I came here to do which is write software and create beautiful digital user experiences.
