Week 6: The Dégustation
Current research question:
How can underutilised/wasted local New Zealand materials be explored in designing homeware to tell a material story and connect to people?
Presentation: portfolio of practice
5 minute oral presentation to showcase your ‘greatest hits’ throughout design practice 1
Peer and lecturer feedback with reflections
In my presentation, I explained that I was feeling a bit lost about the direction I could take from here and that I was struggling to understand my strengths. My peers could see gaps in my project that I couldn’t, so their feedback was very valuable and helped me reflect on this semester through a different lens.
One peer questioned, “Where did you go?” He felt that the personal connection I had to my project, through the cultural and artisanal craftsmanship I was exploring, had faded over the weeks. This was a very good point that I thought may have been the reason why I was struggling to move forward. I was losing sight of my why and made myself too confused trying to balance Citta's influence as well. I regret letting this hold me back from engaging as much as I could have without the hesitation. From this feedback, it was clear to me that I need to step back, redefine myself as a designer, and understand the motivations behind this project. In saying this, I believe this is a good time to reflect.
Another peer gave me good feedback on refining my research question and helping me develop further. She said I should be more specific about ‘homeware’. She had a good point, it wasn’t just about defining the space; it would also help refine context and purpose. For example, if my product is for the living room, it could be used for relaxation, whereas in a kitchen environment, the space is more active, which would influence the product too. This will also come with understanding myself as a designer and where and how I want to make an impact.
These two points gave me a good indication of where I am sitting and how I should move forward with my project.