Learning Portfolio Reflection Post
Short bio:
Hello, my name is Jose Deschamps, I’m a Design & Technology major. I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, where I grew up fascinated with technology and expressing myself through art. My interests are in game design and photography.
What Do I make?
In my body of work, I discuss relevant societal topics about social and political issues. I Showcase these issues within interactive media, either by using Virtual Reality or Game environment space with narrative and architecture.
Aesthetic Values
In my work, I focus on letting the environment be the main form of communication. I often used colorful abstract architecture to set the tone and mood of what I’m trying to portray. I believe that people will have an easier time consuming my art if the experience is relatable, even if the topic is not.
How Do you make that?
I create my art using multiform of tools like programming, 3D modeling, sketching & drawing, sound design and animations. These are the tools I use to create an interactive experience, also known as a game. Programming is used to make objects in the environment interactable, 3D modeling is for creating the physical assets that will be in the world. Sketching & drawing is used to take an idea or concept and design an small interaction that will form the core concept into reality. Sound design & animation is the last key component in adding feeling and emotion toward your project.
Creative Process
My development process goes towards many different routes depending on the topic or how I’m personally feeling. Once I do have a topic I focus on researching the problem, cross-checking the finding, on what I want to say through the project. After this process, I start sketching the experience on paper and see if I can make the narrative interactive. Once this stage is working well, I start creating the project in a virtual space and begin getting people to experience it. During this stage, I focus on how people interact with it, what are their takeaways from it. If the experience is not being accepted well, I go back to the drawing board, asking myself where did I lose them? I start redesigning the experience to connect the narrative and person experiencing it, to see the message that I’m presenting in this media.
Why Do You Make What You Make?
As a minority, I feel powerless without a voice. I make the things I do because I want my voice to be heard and respected. I don’t see anyone else in the game genre doing it, I want to change the game industry by creating interactive pieces that challenge our morals and ideas.
How Do Your Research Interests Inform/Intersect with Your Creative Practice?
My research interests come from the takeaways I get from the subject matter and experiences that I have had in the past. I tend to watch a lot of documentary about social or intellectual topics that help me get a better grasp on my view of the world. Which influence me on how I create art.
Looking Forward, Where Are You Going In Your Art/Design Profession?
At the moment, I have been heavy inspire with photography. The feeling of expression through emotion within a photo has me feeling like a breath of fresh air. Just recently I have been in a burned out place with my creativity with game design. Photography has brought life to how I process my work and got me to think about how I should take a break from time to time into other mediums to reduce creative block or burn out moments. In the future, I hope to find a way to combine multiple practices in my game development/art, where I can work professionally creating projects that have meaning and impactfulness to people everyday lives.
My Projects
