Brief
Good design begins with a good understanding of a subject. With that in mind, you will prepare a body of research over the summer that you will present to the class in a workshop at the start of the academic year. You will also need to show your research on your blog.
Initially, you will identify an appropriate subject matter specific and individual to you that you would like to know more about. This should be a subject matter that you can research over the summer break and without using secondary resources such as the internet and books. The second year is about experiencing and learning new things on a foundation of basic knowledge -- we want you to go and interact with the world. Your primary research methods could include photography, interviews, and collecting.
How you collect and present your findings should be informed by and appropriate to the content.
Background
Consider what interests you? what are you passionate about? What is it about a subject/object/area/place/event etc that you like? Why do you like it? What is compelling about it as a subject? Whatever you choose to focus on, we want to know everything about it -- facts, history, why you think it is interesting and what other target audiences exist for it.
How can you collect research on this subject? How can your research be individual and specific to you? How will you present your research? Can you present your findings from a unique perspective?
Look at the work of Martin Parr; Boring Postcards is an example of an interesting collection of items, Small World and Autoportrait are examples of research from a unique individual perspective. Found Magazine also presents another interesting collection.
You will need to produce a Powerpoint (or similar) presentation.
Any additional research should be presented in an appropriate format.
The content should be mostly primary research.
You will be required to give a 3-5 minute presentation.
Additional research should be presented in an appropriate format.
