Common Module - AY23.24 CTS B

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Vision Statement and Design Aspiration

Vision Statement

My design strength is conceptualization, asking questions, and touching up my work.

In 5 years, I had wanted to be some form of a worker. The kind of work that’s physical. Possibly construction worker. After thinking about it, I feel that I want to be involved in work where I can use my hands to create functional, physical things. I would like to be a contributing part of a team with a plan.

I haven’t been one for work where I just sit around and stare at a screen, though I love doing that for binging just not for working. And I have said this before, that it’s easier to do physical work than to think.

I may not become a graphic designer. But believe that all I do will benefit from the thinking that I will learn here. My parents have always spoken to me about how importance of design in everything, and this was why they asked me to consider studying at LaSalle.

What I would do between now and then would be to find work, to gain experience, since I’m nearing adulthood and need to make a living.

A work of design that really resonates with me, and in which I live and with which I interact everyday, is my HDB flat. I know you are not expecting this, but this is a home designed with a strong Bauhaus influence. (I realise this now that I have researched and read up about the Bauhaus movement.) The design was conceptualised by my dad (and realised by our ID). It has all examples of good design thinking that leads to a functional, minimalist, home, in the tradition of the Bauhaus movement.

In order to design this, he had to rely on his understanding of many different things: electricals, materials, space design, ergonomics, aesthetics, etc, etc (another Bauhaus principle about bringing many disciplines together). This was not his first design of an interior space; the first was an event he designed and built in Vienna, Austria. (He did all the interior work because it costed too much to hire workers in Europe). He is my model of working with the hands to create a functional, effective space to serve a purpose. And this is one reason why I aspire to be able to create functional things with my hands.

(The other inspiration is from the character played by Tom Hanks, Viktor in the movie The Terminal.)

I chose this example as it is speaking to many of the things I have thought about in CTS B.

It involves critical thinking from measurements to the uses of material.

It connects theory with practice,

And practice with everyday living

And how our family functions,

And expresses a Bauhaus style while still remaining Singaporean.

In a way I’m living in a design idea that applies to all these topics I have been learning. This shows me clearly the reach of design.

(488 words)

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Class Activity: Manifesto

Our group chose these seven key values which express things that we felt were important, (we actually just put what we remember from our classes, we didn’t really dive deep into our manifesto) which we learned in CTS.

Creativity: Fresh unique ideas

Conceptualisation: Ready design rationale

Empathy: Connection to how we feel

Educational: Understanding core studies & inspiration

Mindfulness: Practice radical acceptance

Collaboration: Greater collaboration with peers

Growth: Keep evolving

Aspirations: To be a designer, gain work experience and industry knowledge

Questions:

How do I brand myself?

(online, portfolio, experience in the industry)

What should I prioritize?

(school)

How do I do better?

­­

I would have made changes to the manifesto. Since all the members in my group were girls, and due the fact that I didn’t contribute to the manifesto besides adding to the design, the values were more about “feelings” and collaboration. I think, if it were me and my dad, it would be much more CRITICAL, stricter, as my dad is a designer who likes to do things the most efficient way. We would include words values like, “intelligent”, “useful”, “effective”.

My aspirations are not too clear to me now. My parents don’t believe that I need to get a scholarship or a degree or any others like that. So, I have quite an amount of freedom which I don’t know how to use or prioritise.­

Which aspects of CTS B were particularly significant for you?

Making connections with my peers through the class activities was the most significant part of CTS B. Usually in my other classes, we are isolated from people whom we don’t know or with whom we normally don’t relate until we are required to. Unfortunately, we collaborate just to do the work and not to communicate. I am just the same way. But in CTS B, there is more interaction between class members. This is good because it helps me come out of my shell and learn to communicate. Since this is a course about “design and communication” learning to collaborate and discuss are important skills I have to polish.

Being made to think about how to think about design is important too. These are things I often do not normally consider, but I do find them interesting. As a designer, it is important to have a philosophy, and to be clear what kind of designer I wish to be. I am still very new, and unsure if I want to be a designer. But still, thinking and understanding more about design is very helpful.

(420 words)­

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WEEK 4+5

About the field trip what I noticed / felt / did not feel about Singaporean art or artists

I didn’t think much about artistic lineages and traditions, but I slowly began to learn when digging in deeper into the subject.

Many Singaporean artists were trained in Europe, and tried to apply western styles and techniques, but using local themes and scenes. They were trying to create a uniquely Singaporean style or art that is relevant to Singapore.

Thinking further about artistic traditions, I looked at the Bauhaus movement, and see that the modern principles of graphic design is very much influenced by this movement.

Bauhaus design principles

Form follows function

Functionality doesn’t need to be boring but can be the focus of design.

No boundaries between different disciplines

Bauhaus designers combine photography, architecture, textile, etc.

Minimalism The Bauhaus designers prefer lines and geometric shapes.

Simplicity Bauhaus artists use clean designs and the and avoid decorative elements as they felt these were not necessary. They emphasised the importance of negative space.

Open to exploring new materials, techniques and technololgy Bauhaus designers were always looking for new ways to create. They are constantly evolving in their style and are very inventive.

The production was part of the full design process The design work does not end with the design, but the designer is involved all the way to production.

Technology The Bauhaus artists were willing to try new technologies and techniques. They did not mind developing products for mass production.

A famous and influential Bauhaus artist is Paul Klee.

This art piece by Paul Klee uses geometric shapes of different scales and colours, in a mixed grid.

Typography influenced by Bauhaus. Rounded and composed of different parts of simple shapes. Clean lines and minimal.

­­A modern-day example of the Bauhaus movement is IKEA. Clean lines, ­minimalist design, form-follows-function and mass-produced designer pieces – all these are echoes of the Bauhaus principles.

(248 words)

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WEEK 3

In Singapore, over 10 tonnes of good quality hardwoods are disposed of in the incinerator daily. This a waste of resources. Importing woods from overseas is costly and adds to carbon pollution.

One designer, Aaron saw an opportunity here. He started a company called Arthur Zaaro to create products from our high quality local hardwoods from trees felled in Singapore. They turn out beautiful chopping boards and designer furniture bought by top restaurants, corporate headquarters and hotels.

Using hardwood from our tree cuttings, saves us from having to cut down trees in rainforests or natural habitats.

This is a good example of how a design practice can address a local problem. Aaron saw an opportunity there that no one else did. I worked there for a few days a year ago and learned a lot.

I also know of international designers who use their design practice to create sustainable products. One of them is Ma Te Sai (https://matesai.com/pages/about) The designer of this company gets entire villages in Laos to produce their designs, using their traditional craftmanship. This helps to preserve their culture and traditions, give the farming community a source of income, and shares their handicraft with the world at a high standard. They also train the women to sew and give them the equipment. They have weavers as well, who can create beautiful, fashionable products to be sold in other countries.

As a designer, I must be aware of issues in the society that I am in. Whether it is in the use of material, or packaging, or the message that my work tries to bring across. I need to align them to my values and also to the needs of the society.

(284 words)

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WEEK 1

At first glance it may seem easy to tell the difference between creative and critical thinking.

Critical thinking is simply, to think critically. To do that requires clear and correct thinking, analyses, openness, learning, keeping up with new technology, a good understanding of how people and the world functions. Also important are attitudes such as resilience and initiative. Critical thinking requires us to evaluate and make good judgement about whether ideas are functional and serve the purpose.

Creative thinking relies on being divergent in approaches, creating unexpected combinations of ideas, the application of aesthetics and technics, etc.

In short critical thinking is mostly applied when observing the work, while creative thinking is about making the work.

But how does a creative or critical thinker think like? A good example of a critical thinker would be Peter Donahue: Instagram @art.pete.repeat. In one of his posts, he used a graph to analyse the distribution of chroma and hue from a box of Crayola. He even uses colour theory and science to aid his work.

But it goes to show a critical thinker can make creative work which is one of the reasons why people get confused with the two.

In our class activity, we were tasked to write a small essay on social issues. Mine was more get-it-done work, I didn’t think critically or analyse/research current social problems like my peers did. I chose misunderstandings as my subject, on an essay reprised from homeschool awhile back. The story goes of these three friends racing each other to get to the merlion but they each went to different merilons in different locations.

My outcome was more of the creative approach which is true to my nature. Personally I believe it’s much easier to work than to think.

(296 words)

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Week 6: Critical Self Reflectivity -- How Do I Think About My Thinking Process

My group’s design problem was a direction signage that had a dark green background, with black text in English and Chinese. Behind this sign, there was a green advertisement, in the same colour, so the signage was “camouflaged” by it. We tasked ourselves to redesign or think of alternatives.

In the session of self-reflection, I came to these conclusions:

• Self-Awareness

I am quite an introverted person. It takes me a while to find the right words to explain my thoughts, and usually by the time I find the words, the topic has changed. It can be frustrating. In many situations, I feel like I don’t quite “fit”, having been homeschooled for the most part, and not having a television at home, I do not share many common topics with my peers. Besides, I am usually the youngest person on a team, and all these sometimes makes it harder to relate.

But the week 6 exercise was pretty fun for me, as I interacted with my teammates more than I usually do. Not only that most of our team consisted of Koreans who can speak a bit of English.

I can be very supportive as a team player. I looked at what the others wrote and composed and helped with their vocabulary and positioning of text.

• Self-Regulation

I had to put aside my usual shyness and was happy to do the presentation to support the team effort.

• Motivation

In this case, I was motivated to engage in the activity because my help was needed. I usually prefer to remain in the background.

• Empathy

I feel for people quite easily, and can usually understand the need for encouragement, supportive and cheering.

• Social Skills

Sometimes, I do not get social cues, and can misunderstand what people mean. But situations like this one helps me to learn to interact meaningfully with others, and I do enjoy it.

(326 words)

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WEEK 5: How to Critically Analyse Artistic Traditions and Lineages

In Week 5, we made a visit to the National Gallery, Singapore. I noticed that all the paintings were very well curated and laid-out, in clear groupings and sequence.

We were asked to study the painting by Chua Mia Tee, titled “National Language Class”, and were given a meaningful introduction to the historical background and context in which it was created. The value of the painting was multiplied because its story.

It was very useful to have the guiding questions, and to have them categorized in a framework to help me analyse art and design.

What painting style does this piece belong to? == Medium used to create the work

What other painters, Singaporean or otherwise, belong to the same school or style? == Time and context of creation

What are the main characteristics of this school/style? == Form (Elements & Principles of art/ design: line, colour, etc.)

What is the painting about? Why? == Subject matter/ content; Creator’s intention

How has the painting been used in Singaporean iconography? What criticism has it elicited? Has it been used in film or theatre? How == More historical context

I was pleased to see that any art or design can be analysed using these guiding questions, and help me see the meaning of a piece. Is there one aspect which is more important than another? I feel that all these are equally important and contribute to the overall meaning of a work of art.

I decided to try and use the framework of guiding questions to think about the fascinating painting “Dalam” by S. Mohdir.

What painting style does this piece belong to?

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Style: Abstract, surrealistic

What other painters, Singaporean or otherwise, belong to the same school or style?

Created in 1975, Dalam was an example of Singaporean artists’ earliest experimentations in surrealism, later explored by artists such as Cheong Soo Pieng in the 70s. In this art historical context, Dalam is significant as an example of early experimentations in surrealism by Singapore artists.

What are the main characteristics of this school/style?

Form (Elements & Principles of art/ design: line, colour, etc.)

The layering of translucent colours and shapes, and the use of contrasting warm and cool colours create an illusion of depth and space. The organic shapes are abstract and create a scene of the deep inhabited by fish.

What is the painting about? Why?

In this piece, fish bones and fishes slip between our world and the ancient world. The title, Dalam means ‘deep’ suggesting that the deep sea is a world that humans have yet to fully explore and understand. It is a space for the artist’s imagination to flourish.

How has the painting been used in Singaporean iconography? What criticism has it elicited? Has it been used in film or theatre? How?

This work was shown in APAD’s 2010 exhibition.

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<p>S. Mohdir worked as a school teacher since 1960 for more than 36 years. He served as the President of Association of Artists of Various

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WEEK 2: Connecting Theory and Practice

WEEK 2: Connecting Theory and Practice

The relationship between theory and practice is that the "theory" is the result of "practice" and "practice" is what makes the "theory". The two are interwoven.

To better understand the concept, the class used identity as an example, with the guiding question: “What is the theory of my everyday activities?” We considered questions about self-identity and how it is derived, whether from internal or external markers, or our social identity, our attributes, etc. For instance, how we define ourselves, what is the overall summary (theory) from knowing what we personally do or feel in our daily lives, or in a designer’s case, through our works (practice).

A good example to explore this idea with, would be Vincent Van Gogh.

His art works greatly represent the state he was in, showing the different seasons of his internal life. Very obvious were the ones that he created while going through depression. He created many versions of self-portraits, still life and landscapes, colouring them according to his inner state.

Another interesting example is the graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. A renowned Austrian-born graphic designer and typographer based in the US, he is the co-founder of the design firm, Sagmeister & Walsh. His art portrays his vision, using shocking, provocative designs that sometimes the audiences could not accept. His passion for innovative design eventually earned him four grammy nominations for an album cover, leading too more successes.

For the class exercise, we were asked to create a collage of words and images that describe our self-image. We wrote as many words as possible that best represented ourselves, as well as jotting down our favourite things to do or eat. Then we had our classmates to describe us using an edited collage of images. I could see why this exercise is relevant. It makes us ask ourselves, who am I, what actions define me, is the view of how people see me different than how I see myself?

How do I see myself as a designer? At this point, my identity as a “designer” is still very unfamiliar to me. I don’t always see myself as a designer, though I enjoy creative pursuits. Since the theory of the ‘self’ leads to how we practice design, I know I need to grow in my understanding, ways of thinking and seeing myself as a “designer” and let that overflow into my work.

(404 words)

Stefan Sagmeister | Biography, Designs and Facts

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