#te whiwhinga

[ayeon0307]

Prototype Final

20th October Fri

Context and Action

The worst has come to the worst. As I mentioned in week 9, the final prototype product is still on shipping. Therefore, I had to make a decision. The elements that are currently lacking are the acrylic magnets and acrylic clips, which were made using acrylic. For this reason, I decided to work similarly in the design fab lab, cutting the acrylic and colouring it myself.

Laser cutting: 3/5 - Creating the laser cutting file took less time since I had previously created the size and design, but the laser cutting required a lot of time, and the colouring after the laser cutting required extra work.

-> Laser cutting files and new design print files

-> The process of laser cutting and the final product of laser cutting

It was very mentally exhausting, and I had to work hard every day. I tried different ways to create the package details, especially for the new acrylic size. I considered using paper, felt, boxes and cork. I experienced more than 10 failures in this process.

Nevertheless, in the end, I was able to complete the final prototype in time. The use of cork created a sense of unity throughout, and the precise laser-cutting technology allowed me to produce a higher-quality final prototype.

-> Final prototype high-quality photo shots

Result

In conclusion, I am satisfied. I am also grateful to the people around me who helped me mentally and physically because this week's efforts resulted in a final prototype that I am satisfied with. In particular, I was able to complete the final prototype within Week 12 so that I could focus on other documentation schedules.

I have learnt from this experience how to deal with emergencies and the importance of having a BACK-UP PLAN. I have learnt that even though I have considered enough time to complete the project, I need to have a 2nd plan in the future in case something unexpected happens due to external issues like this situation.

Learning

This situation was an important lesson and education for me. However, if I were to work on a similar project, I would challenge my original plan again. I will plan a new back-up plan as I proceed with my original plan so that I can complete the perfect project on time. In addition, I will change the way I plan my backup plan to plan ahead when there may be external influences to avoid a similar experience next time. I will also consider the worst-case scenario every time and consider and analyse as many different directions as I can plan for myself.

[ayeon0307]

Visual Summary

15th October Sun

Following on from last week's focus on documentation, I spent a long, confusing week.

Documentation is both the hardest and most fun part of my work. The documentation process gives me the opportunity to reflect on the past 10 weeks, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project, and organise all the new skills and information I have learned as a designer. In particular, this capstone project has allowed me to analyse in detail the use of frameworks and toolkits.

Haūtu Waka Framework: 4/5 - I had used Haūtu Waka as a project timeline before, but through this capstone project, I was able to analyse Haūtu Waka in detail and learn about the appropriate direction and project progression for each phase. Compared to Double Diamond, which has detailed activity recommendations for each phase, Haūtu Waka has the advantage of allowing designers to choose their own activities and progress.

The Collective Action Toolkit: 2/5 - In fact, the toolkit itself is quite detailed and consists of a variety of activities that can be done by the general public. At the beginning of the project, The Collective Action Toolkit (hereinafter CAT) would be helpful because it would allow me to get input from understanding a wide range of people. However, as I progressed through the project, I realised that it would have been more beneficial for the capstone project research to use a tool that required a higher level of understanding rather than an easily accessible tool like CAT.

-> From the Miro Board, It's not a clear photo, but this is more showing the colour theme and orientation

To continue my own branding style, I moved my work from the Miro board to Adobe InDesign to start working on the details. Maintaining my own style is important because, in the end, all of my future work will be consistent and showcase the project's branding.

InDesign: 4/5 - It's more time-consuming than a Miro board because of the more demanding and detailed edits it requires, but the fine-tuned editing allows me to express the design I want and tie in my own branding.

-> Visual Summary Design (front and back cover)

Result

The visual summary has been roughly designed and organised. As originally planned, I used the Miro board to create the rough design and InDesign to complete the detailed work. I used the A4 format from the beginning of the project to prepare for the visual summary. However, it is expected that it will take more time than I thought because many things need to be modified, and many new pages need to be created.

I decided that it would be inefficient to use two programs, Miro board and InDesign, so for future work, I will use InDesign directly and only use the necessary items from the previous Miro board.

Learning

I always go through several stages to produce a final piece of work that is advanced, but it's not the best way to go when I'm working within a limited time frame like this project, so I realised that I needed to develop my ability to work quickly and produce great results in a timely manner. Working as a designer in society, I started to think seriously about how to compromise and understand that I can't always be guaranteed enough time, and I can't always maintain the style and method that I want.