http://www.masterofdesign.co.uk/
I sometimes got aksed what my Master of Design experience was like when I started teadching about two years ago. I think I would discribe it as learning to swim – you gotta get your head under the water to feel the panic moment to learn how to go with the wave. Till now, half way through my PhD, I still get confused from time to time in the process, but I don't panic anymore. I know it is just part of the journey, as far as I stay calm and confident I will be able to see the beauty of this advanture and learn a lot along the way.
Yesterday, I did a talk on Action Research Methodology and Research Methods with the new M.Des students this year, reviewing my Master's project as an example. I hope that my experience as a student two years ago would be helpful to them – even just a reassurance that the messiness is a natural part of the research process and literally everyone experiences it.
My Master's year is a life-trunning point to me. It's a shame that the Computing world lost a very talented software engineer when I decide to switch to pursue Design as a life career—ha ha, I'm not joking ;-) Unlike many other disciplines, the knowledge of design often emerges and diffuses through practice. Practitioners gains highly respect by conducting successful design and research practices that impact the waywe live everyday. The knowledge and experience gained through research are then presented in a visual way that communicate to its audience/ users/ stakeholders, creating impacts on their behaviour, emotion, thinking, even perseption of the world. This ability to externalize their thinking amazes me. I guess this is why I choose to pursue Design after my Master's year—I so want to be part of this active group that shapes people's life in such a beautiful way.
This year we had a wonderful group of young designers enrolled for the Master of Design course—as we alway do! Nice diversity in multi-disciplinary design experiences and also mixed cultural backgrouds among the students. Here is a list of some of the blogs of the current students on the course—very talented and wonderful people who always make me pround to work with!
Arlene www.arleneillustrator.blogspot.com/
Dave http://daverothnie.blogspot.com/
Emily http://designeresearch.blogspot.com/
Fi http://fionacampbellfurniture.blogspot.com/
Gio http://giorgiogiove.blogspot.com/
Grace http://gracedundee.blogspot.com/
Jo http://joprints.blogspot.com/
Jumi http://zzoomy.blogspot.com/
Kate http://hopeforanangel.blogspot.com/
Ketan http://www.ketan-kulkarni.blogspot.com/
Lauren http://redjotter.wordpress.com/
Sun http://www.suninthesun.blogspot.com/
Your talk definately helped Qin! You gave us some great advise and having you talk about your masters project really gave a good example of the process we're all entering into. Plus throughout I was mindmapping and making scribbled little notes of ideas and methods.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was great, exactly what I think we all needed.
Enjoy your holiday.
Em