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Design Capstone: Progress Reflection (i)

20 Jul 2023

Written by: Yasmin Dullabh

​

This is the first status report and reflection of my progress on my capstone project.

[image transcription: page 1: "at the end of each reflection entry i will be adding a coloured circle to indicate any key points made this will help future me find trends and fully understand the timeline of this project key: current project status tools and technology > strengths + weaknesses current challenges > how i am resolving them things that made me happy things that made me sad" page 2: "week 1 18.07.2023 today i am setting up my plan for this semester, making my timeline, rough drafts of weekly to do lists. the task itself, i initially thought was relatively straightforward, however, it has proven to be significantly more overwhelming than i originally anticipated week 1 20.07.2023 todays guest lecture from Nata & Sarah (from Diversity Works) gave us a lecture on Diversity Works, what they do and how they approach diversity, equity inclusion. The Aotearoa Inclusivity Matrix is a tool that I feel is going to be the most helpful with how I am approaching my project, with the aim for all my an advanced level solution. week 1 21.07.2023 i am reflecting, well have been for the past few days especially about the emotional toll this project will have on me. choosing a topic that is so tightly interwoven with my own identity is in theory a really good idea, i understand the experiences of those i want to help. however, this also makes it quite an overwhelming and potentially emotionally draining process because i am attached and intimately connected to this."]
[image transcription: page 1: "at the end of each reflection entry i will be adding a coloured circle to indicate any key points made this will help future me find trends and fully understand the timeline of this project key: current project status tools and technology > strengths + weaknesses current challenges > how i am resolving them things that made me happy things that made me sad" page 2: "week 1 18.07.2023 today i am setting up my plan for this semester, making my timeline, rough drafts of weekly to do lists. the task itself, i initially thought was relatively straightforward, however, it has proven to be significantly more overwhelming than i originally anticipated week 1 20.07.2023 todays guest lecture from Nata & Sarah (from Diversity Works) gave us a lecture on Diversity Works, what they do and how they approach diversity, equity inclusion. The Aotearoa Inclusivity Matrix is a tool that I feel is going to be the most helpful with how I am approaching my project, with the aim for all my an advanced level solution. week 1 21.07.2023 i am reflecting, well have been for the past few days especially about the emotional toll this project will have on me. choosing a topic that is so tightly interwoven with my own identity is in theory a really good idea, i understand the experiences of those i want to help. however, this also makes it quite an overwhelming and potentially emotionally draining process because i am attached and intimately connected to this."]
#currentprojectstatus #currentchallenges #thingsthatmademesad

[image transcription: page 3: "week 1: 21.07.2023 i am looking at using beyond sticky notes as a guide for my research timeline. however, i need to do further research into this to check if it's appropriate for my topic. ___ week 2: 24.07.2023 today started off quite overwhelming. i had the same sense of being completely lost and unsure of where or how i was going to make a project i felt good about. discussions with people in my class furthered this sense of uncertainty. i feel for my project, having a rigid framework does not fit, it also does not suit who i am as a designer. i need flexibility and honestly i often work best when i don't over plan. however, i understand why this is important for my capstone due to the time constraints and needing to meet a series of outcomes outlined in the assessment brief. i need to make sure that i do not drown in the emotional nature of my topic. asking my peers for their insights will also allow for me to (well it will attempt to) mitigate any bias with my project. however, this does not help my feelings of uncertainty regarding the outcome of this project. i am looking for more literature to help with this." page 2: "week 2: 24.07.2023 design302 was honestly the thing i needed to help me push through and think of a potential series of project outcomes. learning more about the specific and small scope of the ethics approval for this project was initially (well still is) quite frustrating. as i can only have feedback from those in my class, i am limited to a population size of two. i also cannot access archival data on the demographic makeup of students enrolled in the CAI faculty at this University. i was hoping to be able to look for any trends, to see if there has been any significant changes in the number of queer or South Asian students enrolled in creative programmes. from here i would have been able to see if there was any political or cultural moments which could have influenced this, in particular COVID19 or the introduction of Fees Free in 2018. because of all these limitations i am unable to gain much (if any) primary research. however, discussions with Allan, Nick and Michaela after class has helped me think of new ways of approaching this project. approaching this with an autoethnographical method will not only help with issues surrounding ethics but will also allow for, what i feel is, a more meaningful and powerful project."]
[image transcription: page 3: "week 1: 21.07.2023 i am looking at using beyond sticky notes as a guide for my research timeline. however, i need to do further research into this to check if it's appropriate for my topic. ___ week 2: 24.07.2023 today started off quite overwhelming. i had the same sense of being completely lost and unsure of where or how i was going to make a project i felt good about. discussions with people in my class furthered this sense of uncertainty. i feel for my project, having a rigid framework does not fit, it also does not suit who i am as a designer. i need flexibility and honestly i often work best when i don't over plan. however, i understand why this is important for my capstone due to the time constraints and needing to meet a series of outcomes outlined in the assessment brief. i need to make sure that i do not drown in the emotional nature of my topic. asking my peers for their insights will also allow for me to (well it will attempt to) mitigate any bias with my project. however, this does not help my feelings of uncertainty regarding the outcome of this project. i am looking for more literature to help with this." page 2: "week 2: 24.07.2023 design302 was honestly the thing i needed to help me push through and think of a potential series of project outcomes. learning more about the specific and small scope of the ethics approval for this project was initially (well still is) quite frustrating. as i can only have feedback from those in my class, i am limited to a population size of two. i also cannot access archival data on the demographic makeup of students enrolled in the CAI faculty at this University. i was hoping to be able to look for any trends, to see if there has been any significant changes in the number of queer or South Asian students enrolled in creative programmes. from here i would have been able to see if there was any political or cultural moments which could have influenced this, in particular COVID19 or the introduction of Fees Free in 2018. because of all these limitations i am unable to gain much (if any) primary research. however, discussions with Allan, Nick and Michaela after class has helped me think of new ways of approaching this project. approaching this with an autoethnographical method will not only help with issues surrounding ethics but will also allow for, what i feel is, a more meaningful and powerful project."]
#currentprojectstatus #toolsandtechnology #currentchallenges #thingsthatmademesad

[image transcription: page 5: "however, i need to check with Diana tomorrow, as i am unsure if this fits the assessment specifications and deliverables. this is because my aim for the project is to explore my own experiences within creative industries, well as a creative queer South Asian person. consequently, my output for the project is more of an experience, something less tangible, not really a product. rather, the end result is the process which aims to create a dialogue. this all acting like more of an art piece in some ways. i spent the last part of my day looking at student work from other universities around the country, in particular looking at work that is autoethnographic, narrative based, discussing topics of queerness and BIPOC issues. i have been able to find a range of examples and have found these to be quite inspiring. week 2: 25.07.2023 Diana liked the idea. sharing stories and approaching this from a narrative based perspective. using a decolonial and queer approach will help solidify this." page 6: "week 2: 26.07.2023 it has been hard to do any work the past two days, the girl i was seeing broke up with me yesterday so it has been hard to do any work when i feel so awful and it has made it hard to focus on anything else in my life, especially this project. i am hoping that doing other projects (personal creative work) will help with me moving on and regaining some kind of motivation to work on this project. week 2: 27.07.2023 similar to yesterday, the output, well my capacity to do work has been limited. i was able to complete some of the more admin type tasks relating to my project, these being things like uploading links to canvas and scanning these journal reflections to upload for this project. i do know my final output for this project will be physical, i like the idea of creating a zine or a "short run" book, i want to further research the history and origins of book binding to see if there are any styles and methods which suit my topic better. including textile elements is important to me as not just a personal interest but also in relation to my own family. things project wise are looking positive, i just need to do the work."]
[image transcription: page 5: "however, i need to check with Diana tomorrow, as i am unsure if this fits the assessment specifications and deliverables. this is because my aim for the project is to explore my own experiences within creative industries, well as a creative queer South Asian person. consequently, my output for the project is more of an experience, something less tangible, not really a product. rather, the end result is the process which aims to create a dialogue. this all acting like more of an art piece in some ways. i spent the last part of my day looking at student work from other universities around the country, in particular looking at work that is autoethnographic, narrative based, discussing topics of queerness and BIPOC issues. i have been able to find a range of examples and have found these to be quite inspiring. week 2: 25.07.2023 Diana liked the idea. sharing stories and approaching this from a narrative based perspective. using a decolonial and queer approach will help solidify this." page 6: "week 2: 26.07.2023 it has been hard to do any work the past two days, the girl i was seeing broke up with me yesterday so it has been hard to do any work when i feel so awful and it has made it hard to focus on anything else in my life, especially this project. i am hoping that doing other projects (personal creative work) will help with me moving on and regaining some kind of motivation to work on this project. week 2: 27.07.2023 similar to yesterday, the output, well my capacity to do work has been limited. i was able to complete some of the more admin type tasks relating to my project, these being things like uploading links to canvas and scanning these journal reflections to upload for this project. i do know my final output for this project will be physical, i like the idea of creating a zine or a "short run" book, i want to further research the history and origins of book binding to see if there are any styles and methods which suit my topic better. including textile elements is important to me as not just a personal interest but also in relation to my own family. things project wise are looking positive, i just need to do the work."]
#currentprojectstatus #toolsandtechnology #currentchallenges #thingsthatmademesad

[image transcription: "week 3: 02.08.2023 i have started to get back on track for this project i have been able to find a series of further literature which will be helpful for further defining my project methodology and timeline. in addition to this, i completed both the 'wheel of privilege and power' and the 'positionality wheel', this has helped me further understand my positionality. this is important due to the nature of my project topic. being aware of any things that can influence my perspectives critical when approaching topics and subjects of queer identity alongside ethnic minorities. week 3 06.08.2023 this week has been a week of gaining inspiration and looking at the different ways of exploring story telling methods. zinefest was a huge inspiration for me, being surrounded by diverse creatives. in particular many queer creatives allowed me to not only feel validated in my feelings of there being community out there but also in regard to the diversity of creative expression. looking at different mediums of storytelling is critical for me. in addition to this, upon repeated discussion with Bee, i am considering refinding my focus to potentially something more specific. this is because the experiences of trans, non-binary, gender-queer (everyone who is the "T" in LGBQIA+) are vastly different to everyone else in the community. however, by doing this i would be further limiting my pool/population size for those who i can gain valid and representative feedback from."]
[image transcription: "week 3: 02.08.2023 i have started to get back on track for this project i have been able to find a series of further literature which will be helpful for further defining my project methodology and timeline. in addition to this, i completed both the 'wheel of privilege and power' and the 'positionality wheel', this has helped me further understand my positionality. this is important due to the nature of my project topic. being aware of any things that can influence my perspectives critical when approaching topics and subjects of queer identity alongside ethnic minorities. week 3 06.08.2023 this week has been a week of gaining inspiration and looking at the different ways of exploring story telling methods. zinefest was a huge inspiration for me, being surrounded by diverse creatives. in particular many queer creatives allowed me to not only feel validated in my feelings of there being community out there but also in regard to the diversity of creative expression. looking at different mediums of storytelling is critical for me. in addition to this, upon repeated discussion with Bee, i am considering refinding my focus to potentially something more specific. this is because the experiences of trans, non-binary, gender-queer (everyone who is the "T" in LGBQIA+) are vastly different to everyone else in the community. however, by doing this i would be further limiting my pool/population size for those who i can gain valid and representative feedback from."]

#currentprojectstatus #toolsandtechnology #currentchallenges #thingsthatmademehappy



[image transcription: "week 4 07.08.2023 during our DES301 class this morning we went through an excercise where we had to map our values and kawa. we wrote down our values and how we will intertwine them in our project. values [in black] how i will achieve them through my project [in red] [on pink post it notes] empowerment [in black] - making sure this is not done in a way that is trauma porn [in red] -> rather aiming for this to be an uplifting and empowering [in red] respect [in black] - respecting stories, peoples time, vulnerabilities, energy and feelings [in red] -> repeatedly checking in with those i am talking to, actively listening to feedback and including them in the process [in red] reciprocity [in black] - ensuring that those i am working with are also benefiting from my project [in red] - understanding that those i am working alongside share and have so much knowledge [in red] - mutually beneficial relationship [in red] empathy [in black] - open mindedness, actively listening through respect [in red] - reflecting on my own positionality to ensure i am not allowing any personal biases to influence my understandings of peoples experiences"]
[image transcription: "week 4 07.08.2023 during our DES301 class this morning we went through an excercise where we had to map our values and kawa. we wrote down our values and how we will intertwine them in our project. values [in black] how i will achieve them through my project [in red] [on pink post it notes] empowerment [in black] - making sure this is not done in a way that is trauma porn [in red] -> rather aiming for this to be an uplifting and empowering [in red] respect [in black] - respecting stories, peoples time, vulnerabilities, energy and feelings [in red] -> repeatedly checking in with those i am talking to, actively listening to feedback and including them in the process [in red] reciprocity [in black] - ensuring that those i am working with are also benefiting from my project [in red] - understanding that those i am working alongside share and have so much knowledge [in red] - mutually beneficial relationship [in red] empathy [in black] - open mindedness, actively listening through respect [in red] - reflecting on my own positionality to ensure i am not allowing any personal biases to influence my understandings of peoples experiences"]

[image transcription: "week 4 07.08.2023 during our DES301 class this morning we went through an excercise where we had to map our values and kawa. we wrote down our values and how we will intertwine them in our project. values [in black] how i will achieve them through my project [in red] [on pink post it notes] empowerment [in black] - making sure this is not done in a way that is trauma porn [in red] -> rather aiming for this to be an uplifting and empowering [in red] respect [in black] - respecting stories, peoples time, vulnerabilities, energy and feelings [in red] -> repeatedly checking in with those i am talking to, actively listening to feedback and including them in the process [in red] reciprocity [in black] - ensuring that those i am working with are also benefiting from my project [in red] - understanding that those i am working alongside share and have so much knowledge [in red] - mutually beneficial relationship [in red] empathy [in black] - open mindedness, actively listening through respect [in red] - reflecting on my own positionality to ensure i am not allowing any personal biases to influence my understandings of peoples experiences"]
[image transcription: "week 4 07.08.2023 during our DES301 class this morning we went through an excercise where we had to map our values and kawa. we wrote down our values and how we will intertwine them in our project. values [in black] how i will achieve them through my project [in red] [on pink post it notes] empowerment [in black] - making sure this is not done in a way that is trauma porn [in red] -> rather aiming for this to be an uplifting and empowering [in red] respect [in black] - respecting stories, peoples time, vulnerabilities, energy and feelings [in red] -> repeatedly checking in with those i am talking to, actively listening to feedback and including them in the process [in red] reciprocity [in black] - ensuring that those i am working with are also benefiting from my project [in red] - understanding that those i am working alongside share and have so much knowledge [in red] - mutually beneficial relationship [in red] empathy [in black] - open mindedness, actively listening through respect [in red] - reflecting on my own positionality to ensure i am not allowing any personal biases to influence my understandings of peoples experiences"]


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