I’m still trying to narrow down my topic’s reach/critical criteria, to associate it with my Connections Lab History of Here project. I decided for this first day to explore the concept of “history” rather than “memory.” I started the mind map below to begin my dig to find a more critical lens and direction.
What did you learn?
I have worked on research projects and have sat in on user research processes to inform design, but this was the first time I used research to inform a more free-form creative endeavor and leveraged the ideas of metaphor and form in such detail.
What feedback did you receive? Any reflections on the critique itself?
The feedback to flesh out the job descriptions was appreciated and a missed opportunity on my part to make the project more well-rounded.
What might you do differently in terms of process or content?
I feel I had a lot of setup content, and organizing it a bit more through the job descriptions or in additional links would have felt more authentic.
What was inspiring? What parts?
Overall it was inspiring to see the different directions everyone took on their topics. If you would’ve told me five weeks ago that this project on borders would manifest as a careers site, I would not have believed you. Flexing into the different creative processes and seeing the various ways everyone approached different topics was inspriing.
Revisit the assignment prompts: how did your project relate to the original prompts, in terms of critical lens, audience, tone, etc…
I believe I answered on the complexity of the metaphor and form. When considering the audience, again, I think having the information more nested into areas such as job descriptions would have felt more authentic to the audience viewing the page.
How did you balance research and experimentation? Which is easier for you? How can you focus more on the areas that you shy away from
I think building a solid research process helps breed and push experimentation. For me, the research comes easier than the experimentation, but it was through the research that I found the specific thread of “jobs to be done” by canals which led to my idea of creating this careers page. So, I do believe they go hand in hand.
Topic 1 Final – Borders/Canals:
For my research topic of Borders/Canals, I decided to highlight the colonization of the natural element of water for man-made service. Through my systems mapping exercise, I wanted to explore the ideas of separation and connection and how humans manipulate water flow to answer those needs with the development of canals.
To highlight the different functions or jobs canals perform, I decided to display the information in my guide as a Careers page for a fictional company called Waterways, personifying water as an employee to the different canals. I created a corresponding logo and used the metaphor for the company tagline; “Go With the Flow.” In the video below, I briefly discuss my research, use of metaphor, and introduction to form before walking through my guide, which can be found at www.waterwaycareers.info and in the second Project Materials link below. Sources and References are linked on each page of the guide. I allowed a buffer of 2 minutes for live questions and further discussion during my presentation timeslot.
Project Materials:
Questions (Adding them here to the post since we weren’t able to discuss them):
Presentation Slides:
I had a slight pivot in direction for my form/plan on how to execute my guide.
Rather than a straightforward field guide, I decided to highlight the colonization of the natural element of water for man-made jobs. Highlighting the different functions or jobs canals hold, I thought it would be a creative spin to display the information as a Careers page for a fictional company. I created a company called Waterways with a corresponding logo. Their company tagline is “Go With the Flow,” which ties in with my use of metaphor. Not all the information is populated on the site just yet, but here is the WIP site: www.waterwaycareers.info
Intended IA you will see take shape on the Waterways Careers Site:
Metaphor/Company Tagline: Go with the Flow
Careers/Join our Team Section:
Mechanism to highlight notable canals from my research
About Waterways Section:
Anti-Pollution Promise:
Depending on when you visit, there will be varying information on the site as it is WIP. I will be continuing to work on adding this information, but I wanted to be sure to get the representative portion up on the blog.
The metaphor I am exploring is “Go with the Flow”
The idea of separation and connection is the idea I wanted to hone in on. I think it is interesting that the natural element of water has a job bestowed upon it by humans since canals are man-made. So depending on its location, the water acts as a connector, separator, transporter, or protector. It goes with the flow. Using that lens, I will be leveraging the inspiration from the Wildsam field guides I had noted in an earlier post to break up the information. Initially, I wanted to make a webpage with an animation in the background of a winding river, but that is proving to be a bigger endeavor that I may need to scrap due to complexity and time constraints. I have the concept – it is just the creative execution I will need to catch up on in time for Tuesday’s class.
Following a p5 tutorial on Perlin Flow, I explored the metaphor of “Go with the Flow”
https://editor.p5js.org/npadilla688/full/V–cftYVB
I interviewed a veteran of the U.S. Navy. While he spent most of his time on land as an intel officer, I thought his perspective provided an interesting lens on the topic of both expert and non-expert.
What definition comes to mind when you think of Canals?
A Connector.
How So?
The connector of bodies of water that flow into each other. Mainly in cities.
What do you believe is the main purpose of canals?
Vessel transportation of people and goods.
Do you believe there are any secondary purposes of canals?
Moving energy to an environment and allowing access to water for areas that may not have had it otherwise.
What made your mind go to waterways rather than bodily systems?
Being a coastal person and a veteran of the Navy, my mind automatically went to waterways.
To your knowledge, are canals man-made or environmentally made?
Both? [I then explained the differences to a canal and a channel that I have learned in my research]
Are you aware of the negative environmental impacts caused by canals?
I wasn’t aware and mainly thought of them as providing access and transportation and did not consider the ecosystem impact.
When holding this discussion, I realized I was not alone in my knowledge of the importance of canals outside of commerce to our environment and protection. Even when interviewing a Navy veteran, it was apparent that this is a lesser-known fact. In addition, realizing the broad range of the topic mid-way through my research between the waterway/transportation lens vs. the bodily lens (which was inspired by the Borderlands reading) it is not the first idea that comes to mind when discussing canals. Still, if you enter it into a Google search, you receive a different outcome, and the bodily canals are the first to appear in the results.
I plan on creating a digital field guide for my topic. I was inspired by a field guide I picked up written by a company called Wildsam on California Road Trips. As I researched them, I learned that they have multiple series of field guides for locations all over the world. I appreciate how they group the information and wanted to leverage this organization for my topic.
Why this form?
I chose this form because I believe that it is the most efficient way to share information about my topic in this remote cohort. Additionally, a user could leverage its digital nature while independently traveling or investigating the topic independently. Lastly, it is the medium I am most comfortable designing in.
What are its features (stylistic, experiential)
I will break down the guide between general info, interviews, and field notes to categorize the information via the table of contents with the hopes of managing an automatic click scroll, so it is easily navigatable.
How is this form typically used, and what do you plan to subvert/imitate/utilize?
This form is mainly used to inform, I hope to do the same/imitate its format but in a digital sense.
What would change if you tried a different form? What critical lens does the form you’re applying emphasize?
I believe we spoke about this in our last class session; knowing that I am not as confident in my tactile skills; it would evoke a different message to the user if I presented a more lo-fi physical book or guide.
Is there a metaphor well-suited to your form (i.e. cooking with code)? / Or, are there other metaphors you might employ?
Still working through this idea. I would like to play on the connections and separations idea and integrate the idea of flow. In addition, there are bodily canals I’ve ignored completely in my research since I dove right into waterways, and I’m not sure if that is worth integrating into the project at this point or if it would feel too disjointed.
I found it interesting that I use many of these metaphors, off the cuff without realizing the larger context and the feelings they may evoke, whether as a battle or transactional meaning. I have used every one of these metaphors, and if they are considered outdated, then I am behind the trend! I find it interesting that the battle connotation could come off as unintended, given how much these phrases are in everyday jargon. This reading has caused me to think deeper about an unintentional combative tone that I may be giving off with the words/phrases I choose even when using everyday/known phrasing.
The orientational metaphors ring true the most for me in my everyday vocabulary. The term “down” usually insinuates low, depressed, and negative when thinking about using these differently, I am reminded of the connotation for “down” that can also be used as “in” or “interested,” such as “I’m down for that” or “down for anything” has more of a positive, happy-go-lucky connotation.
Orientational metaphors are the most notable, given the directional context of canals and borders, but I would argue that conduit metaphors are also used regularly since they express movement. Time is money would also ring true, to express the efficiency of shipping and commerce through canals or in the instance when a shipping canal becomes unusable or out of service, impacting the amount of time it takes for goods to get from point A to point B.
Concept Map:
Feedback Map:
I’m interested in exploring the concept of division and connection when researching canals as borders. Waterways help funnel water through the many different divides that split land and water supplies while also ultimately draining into oceans to funnel back into watersheds.
