The production stage of the design process is where the design comes to life. For a graphic designer, this would be sending a book to print, sending a website off to the web programmers, etc. Basically, it’s the point where the designer is the driving force behind making sure that the design is translated into a functioning product while still retaining the vision behind it. There are many different issues that will arise - budget, schedule, problems with the prototype, feedback from the production team.
Often, as designers we have brilliant ideas that just aren’t feasible. Architects, for example, often design buildings using their computer modeling software that could not be built under the limitations of current construction technologies. As graphic designers, we might love the look and feel of expensive papers and metallic foil, but putting them in a large production run requires the client to agree to the cost. As a web designer, you might really want to implement a slick web application, but the time and development cost required might not be available. Designers have to make the decisions throughout the production process and sacrifice or change their design to accommodate reality.
The book discusses prototyping as a key element to the production process. Spring Fever is currently in the prototype stage. Since the whole game is being produced by designers, the prototype is being coded by designers that don’t really know how to program. Thus, the prototype is pretty rough. We have been using Concept prototyping for the game itself, and Evolutionary prototyping for the rules. Evolutionary prototyping is used when there are elements of the design that need exploration. In our case, the rules are somewhat in flux because we need to know how the game flows when there are many players, or when there are only two players. We need to know whether the key concept of the game even works, whether it is fun, boring, etc. Because our team is four people, each of us brings a different strength to the table. The key to being successful in a group project is to determine what the strengths of each person are, engaging that person so they want the project to succeed, and trusting them to get it done.
Yesterday we had another group activity. It was about ignoring preconceptions and focusing only on what we know. It is difficult to do this- our minds our trained to act quickly and make decisions on very little evidence by using prior experience and knowledge. We use what we have learned, heard, and seen and translate that into a decision. However, sometimes it is best to forget what we think we know and be only in the present. Focusing this way is difficult, and something that I struggle with. I often do not pay attention to people when they talk to me because I’ll start daydreaming, or something they say will spark an idea within me and I’ll start thinking about that. Even during this exercise I found myself doing this and I had to force myself to snap back to the “here and now.”
It was also a lesson in the difficulty of communication when an idea is passed through several different people but only the first understands it completely. The idea is soon lost and then has to be re-communicated over and over again. It’s always best to speak directly to the person making a decision on your idea if it is critical.
Interestingly, Sir Ken Robinson’s talk about education touched on something similar when he brought up the attention deficit disorder epidemic. Often, when a lack of focus is noted, it is assumed that the problem is due to ADHD or some variant thereof. I know in my own case, I really do want to pay attention to what I’m told, but often I’m still digesting something I was told moments before and thus lose concentration. So when I ask them to repeat themselves or fail to respond to a verbal cue that I’m given, I get accused of not paying attention. I can’t count how many times I’ve been told I have ADD by people in casual conversation. The reality is that once I get something, I really get it. So while it might take 2 or 3 attempts, it is worth it. He also talked about how standardized testing is a bad idea, and how it does not help people to discover their personal talents. Not everyone is good at the same things or wants the same future. He told a story about a fireman who was bullied by a teacher in elementary school and then ended up saving that teacher’s life years later. To be successful, he argues, requires three things: to think differently, communicate, and work well in groups.
It was yesterday that I realized the demographics of our school are quite unique. A sequence was written on the board, our class was divided into two groups and we were tasked with defining the next number in the sequence and explaining why we came up with the answer. The two groups were male and female. The demographic fact: the females outnumbered the males more than two to one, and this is not a statistical anomaly brought about by a small sample size – our class has close to thirty members. In any event the sequence was this:
Interestingly, the women came up with a visual pattern based solution to the problem, while we came up with a system based solution. I’m not sure that this is due to differences in psychology between the sexes, but it was quite convenient for this exercise because it meant that of the two possible solutions, each team chose a different one.
During the discussion among our group, we decided very early on that the best solution would be to treat the numbers as the first four numbers of binary counting, meaning that the next number ought to be 101. However after we came to this consensus, most of group was satisfied with the fact that we had our answer and neglected the understanding necessary to explain it. Once our instructor picked out who was going to present the solution, it became evident that several out of our group did not fully grasp it. By selecting these people he was able to make his point.
As designers, we need a solution, yes – but more importantly, we need to be able to convince our client that the solution we come up with is the right one. If we want to be payed for our work, the client needs to know that the money they are parting with is well-spent. This means having a story behind our work, and being able to communicate it effectively.
As a secondary lesson, we learned that in a group project, everyone has to be on board. Leaving people behind does not work, because the group is only as strong as the weakest member. It is important that everyone is engaged in the process, that leaving people out weakens everyone else.
I did not make it to class yesterday, but was told that we watched Kurosawa’s Dreams. I decided to download it and watch it. It was a bit challenging to find, but I finally was able to use someone’s netflix account to watch it. It was just about the only one of Kurosawa’s films that I had not yet seen, and I quickly discovered why. Instead of a narrative, it was a sequence of eight short films that describe eight different dreams. These dreams are presumably dreams that Kurosawa had himself, making this a very personal film.
Kurosawa had a career that spanned 6 decades, but he is mostly famous for his work during the 50′s and 60′s when he directed movies like “The Seven Samurai” and “The Hidden Fortress.” He is most known for his beautiful cinematography and brilliant characters that incorporate both humor and tragedy in the same person. The incredible personality that his characters have comes across even when watching with subtitles.
Dreams… It is almost best to think of each short film as a painting. Interestingly, Kurosawa was trained as a painter and apparently story-boarded many of his shots by painting the scene. Obviously a man with a very vivid imagination, in Dreams he tries to communicate the depth and content of his own dreaming mind.
I rarely remember my own dreams in detail, just feelings that I got from them or a rough sketch of an idea. Ever so rarely I find myself a hero in an adventure story, and then I wake up and try in vain to fall back asleep to continue where I left off. Often when a problem seems unsolvable when I go to sleep, I will wake up with the answer already at hand. I sometimes wonder if I figured it out in a dream, or whether my sleeping mind has access to insights that I don’t have while awake. Without a way to remember the events of the night, it’s impossible to know. I’ve heard about hallucinogenic drugs that might help with waking dreams however…
John Coy’s presentation was interrupted by technical difficulties. I think the equipment in the music hall is pretty outdated and it wasn’t working right. In any event, the work that he presented was spectacularly good. The tenor of the talk was very conversational, he just got up in front of the group and started by asking the audience what we wanted from him. We let the graduating class run the show for the most part, although I feel like they did not ask the right questions. The question and answer period was a never-ending parade of the same question re-phrased different ways – all of which he took with patience and humor. Example: “What do you do when you get in a design funk?” I didn’t think John Coy knew what a “funk” was, and sure enough, he was bemused by the question. His answer was that he doesn’t let himself get into one – when he’s stuck he gets out of his own head and the re-approaches the problem again later.
John Coy was very serene throughout, and seems very content with who he has become and what he has accomplished. What was interesting is that he, like Elizabeth Gilbert from the TED talk earlier this quarter, seems to feel that creativity is external. While he did not use the term “muse,” he spoke of being in tune with “vibrations.” Inspiration comes, he feels, from accepting input from these external sources, whatever they might be. Throughout his presentation of his work, he mentioned how different pieces came from listening to these sources.
I got the impression that he is a very different person now than he used to be. I have a feeling that the younger John Coy was very hard-driving and ambitious- he would have had to have been to accomplish all that he did. He referenced a spiritual awakening that he had experienced several times during his talk. I have a feeling that this is what brought about much of the change.
The work? Well, it was spectacular. He has designed a lot of books for his clients, and each spread seemed to be better than the last. The thought that went into it was evident, and I spent the entire time trying to figure out how he reached every solution. He, like myself, believes in the “perfect design.” He didn’t need to entertain us with his talk, he just gave us himself, and that was enough.
No one was sure if class was cancelled, or if Jimmy was going to pop out and surprise us. It turns out, he was really sick. We discussed our final project briefly and then went our separate ways.
Creative Briefs:
Going over a batch of creative briefs written by practicing designers in the field was one of the most practical things I’ve ever done in a class. Communicating with clients is one of my weakest points. I’ve done many small projects (and a few larger ones) for clients in the past as a freelance designer. It always has seemed to end in dissatisfaction on my end, impatience on the clients end, and many misunderstandings along the way. I know that I do good work, and I work harder than everyone else, but many times I work too hard for the pay that I get. Setting client expectations, setting the scope of the project, laying out exactly what will be delivered… all these things seem to be part of the creative brief. I had never even heard the term “creative brief” before last week, so this was all new. I know that several of my classmates were falling asleep from boredom, but I’ve never been more awake in class.
Writing a creative brief for our final project will be a challenge. We aren’t exactly sure what the required deliverable will be, so we’l be setting the scope of our own project.
It’s that time of year… love is in the air and the rabbits are out creating reproductive mayhem on each other. That’s the concept of my game. It was great seeing the quick sketches that everyone had turned into more fully fleshed out pitches. Spring Fever debuted to mixed reviews. The class appreciated the concept, and thought the presentation looked nice. Jimmy, however, found the flaws – not only in my pitch, but everyone else’s too. What happened was this – I had stored my knife in a friend’s locker and thus did not have access to it. I had to borrow another knife and the blade was not sharp, and I had no spares available. What frustrated me the most was that of all people, I know VERY WELL how to cut foam core without ugly edges. Having worked for years at a shop where I did this every day, having classes at PCC where I had to create entire models out of foam core, this is instinct for me. I keep an entire box of 100 x-acto blades in my box at all times for just this reason. The humiliation of having this pointed out on my board is something I will never let happen again.
It’s all a learning experience, and I know that it won’t count against me this time, but a wounded pride takes time to heal. The expectations that I have for my own work are so high, it’s good to have an instructor that has even higher standards. Without this, there’s only me pushing myself.
As I looked at my classmates’ reactions to the critiques they were receiving, it was obvious that I wasn’t the only one feeling the pain. However, this is an incredibly important thing to do. Learning to talk about our own designs is one thing, learning to take the critiques is another, and critiquing others’ work is still another rite of passage. Balancing defending your ideas against taking the advice of others graciously is all part of a balancing act. In my case, I knew I had messed up, and there was no defense against it.
There were some really good ideas for games that I saw yesterday. We each came up with nine different concepts and did little boards for each. I concentrated so much on coming up with the ideas for the games and got carried away with the verbal communication of the games that I didn’t really put any effort into the pitch itself. I think the ideas were strong, but oftentimes they get swept under the rug if they aren’t presented strongly enough to take seriously.
Also, several of my classmates brought in the idea of social networking. How could we make these games really happen? The next step is to pick one of our ideas and flesh it out a little further. I asked several people which of my ideas they thought was the best and the rabbit multiplying game was a huge consensus. I thought the zombie idea that I had, had some potential as well, but I’ll just have to file that one away. The goal is to put this together as if we’re going to actually produce and sell the game.