This was a great module, not that I didn’t find myself lost at points but that is all part of the journey. It was a challenging module in all of the right ways. I found that the parts I expected to enjoy and thrive at is where I actually struggled and where I thought I would struggle I thrived. I think the two projects sum this up well. The approach to learning within this module was great as I have mentioned before when discussing the master apprentice. This was a great way to refine my skills and build on skills I didn’t even have such as illustration. It taught me a lot about form and generally what is possible with a computer. In doing so I have a built a lot of confidence and I have begun to look at unfamiliar challenges differently. One critique I would have with this module is that the lecture content wasn’t as engaging as it maybe could have been. But that’s nor here or there. It wasn’t the most exciting over all but one class stuck with me a lot, I say one class but it is more like one point. In Week 6: Tying it all together Kyle began by reflecting on some of the fundamentals we covered in 101. It was this classed that flipped a switch in my head and allowed me to get past the kind of “designers block” that felt at the time. This idea of if you do the basics really well the product will pull itself together and you can go from there struck me hard. It influenced the outcome of both of my projects for this module and even my bank brand for 103.

When we were told we would be creating a music app for this module I was over the moon, it felt as though it would be an exciting project because who doesn’t love music. Over the course of the project, perhaps through class content, I fell a little out of love with my design and the brief as a whole. It felt broad but also too focused. I still find it hard to peg why I feel this way toward the project but all said and done, I am content with the final product, especially considering it is the first interface we designed.

The dashboard project is something that really surprised me. I think we all thought it would be a boring project, considering it was dealing strictly with data and data visualisation. As it turns out I think it might have been my favourite project this year. Whilst I initially struggled a little I received some real feedback from Kyle that allowed me to rise to the occasion and bring my idea to life. The TED Talk by Aaron Koblin that we watched in Week 11: The Art of Information really helped me consider my approach in a new light that helped bring a zap of life to the dashboard that made it the finished product it is now.

It was a weird, transformative module that has certainly developed me as a designer.