Assignment 5b
Recently in our class we were giving a brief were we had to research a fruit, this was for a local Dundee company call SCRI. SCRI are a company that deal with the growing of soft fruits, however they also genetically enhance these soft fruits to make them last longer, taste better and fight off diseases that would otherwise kill off that years crop the genetic enhancement are done organically and not in an laborites. The fruit I was giving was blackcurrants, which were out of season sadly however if I had used the following methods I would have been able to learn a great deal more about blackcurrant apart from how they are grown, and what they are used for.
I would have started off with a brainstorming session with some of my classmates writing down all that was said expanding on my limited knowledge of this soft fruit with the knowledge of others. I would then re-visit what the group n I had came up with, score out the stuff that was useless and expand on the remaining thought by the use of a mind map, expanding on these singular points to create new information.
As well as the brainstorming and mind mapping, you could also use the Internet to find out about the history and origins of the blackcurrant. This can be done by typing in your specific subject into a search engine and look through the results and take down the points you find most interesting and best deal with the subject matter, you could also use the universities library and look up the subject matter on there search engine and read the synopsis of the book and as on the internet chose ones which you feel are the most interesting and best suited to what you are researching.
One method that would be hard to gain data from would be the picture experiments, this is due to the data I would be looking for would be mostly factual and not the thoughts of the people I would be showing them to. Not only that but the picture I could show would be very limited, as all blackcurrants look the same. This would be a good method if I was seeing whom, and the type of people eat, drink this soft fruit.
I would not use a questionnaire on this research project as I think if I didn’t word the question correctly the scientists may be confused or give an answer that is not valid to my research. It may also get to the point were the complexity of the conversation is beyond my vocabulary thus I would feel uneasy and in a state of confusion.
I would however use one to one interviewing as I would be in control of the situation I would be able to pilot a series of interview till I fell all the variables were correct for the final interviews. By Variables I mean the questions being asked, the person who is asking them, the environment the interview is taking place in. these are all factors that could determine the outcome of the interviews themselves. The pilots allow u to gain an insight into were you are going wrong and how to fix this.
If you felt that this way is to structured then you can also conduct an interview that starts off with the same question every time and is guided by the conversation, this make the person feel relaxed and more likely to tell the truth went answering, this is due to the interview taking on a more conversational format. The data from this would be true and uncorrupt.
After my interviews had taking place I would then look at the over all answers of all the interviewed I had conducted and see were they were similar and were they were different, I would also discuss my findings with some of my class mate as they would be able to look at it through fresh eye and come into the discussion from a complete different angle. I would then ask if the ere was anything that they had done that would benefit my research. If so I would take this on bored got back and try this out and see how my results had changed compared to when I had not under went this new research technique.
I now no longer see myself as a graphic designer I feel that a label has been taken off. I am now able to work in a broad spectrum of areas and am no longer just someone who deals with type, layout and colour. I am someone who if giving an area to investigate that I had no idea about, now has the tools to start to dissect it and find out the factual information to further my understanding of that specific area.
I hope to keep learning new techniques that will help to speed up this processes however this may be because I am still at somewhat of an infant stage of these new and fascinating learning tools.
Assignment 5b
Recently in our class we were giving a brief were we had to research a fruit, this was for a local Dundee company call SCRI. SCRI are a company that deal with the growing of soft fruits, however they also genetically enhance these soft fruits to make them last longer, taste better and fight off diseases that would otherwise kill off that years crop the genetic enhancement are done organically and not in an laborites. The fruit I was giving was blackcurrants, which were out of season sadly however if I had used the following methods I would have been able to learn a great deal more about blackcurrant apart from how they are grown, and what they are used for.
I would have started off with a brainstorming session with some of my classmates writing down all that was said expanding on my limited knowledge of this soft fruit with the knowledge of others. I would then re-visit what the group n I had came up with, score out the stuff that was useless and expand on the remaining thought by the use of a mind map, expanding on these singular points to create new information.
As well as the brainstorming and mind mapping, you could also use the Internet to find out about the history and origins of the blackcurrant. This can be done by typing in your specific subject into a search engine and look through the results and take down the points you find most interesting and best deal with the subject matter, you could also use the universities library and look up the subject matter on there search engine and read the synopsis of the book and as on the internet chose ones which you feel are the most interesting and best suited to what you are researching.
One method that would be hard to gain data from would be the picture experiments, this is due to the data I would be looking for would be mostly factual and not the thoughts of the people I would be showing them to. Not only that but the picture I could show would be very limited, as all blackcurrants look the same. This would be a good method if I was seeing whom, and the type of people eat, drink this soft fruit.
I would not use a questionnaire on this research project as I think if I didn’t word the question correctly the scientists may be confused or give an answer that is not valid to my research. It may also get to the point were the complexity of the conversation is beyond my vocabulary thus I would feel uneasy and in a state of confusion.
I would however use one to one interviewing as I would be in control of the situation I would be able to pilot a series of interview till I fell all the variables were correct for the final interviews. By Variables I mean the questions being asked, the person who is asking them, the environment the interview is taking place in. these are all factors that could determine the outcome of the interviews themselves. The pilots allow u to gain an insight into were you are going wrong and how to fix this.
If you felt that this way is to structured then you can also conduct an interview that starts off with the same question every time and is guided by the conversation, this make the person feel relaxed and more likely to tell the truth went answering, this is due to the interview taking on a more conversational format. The data from this would be true and uncorrupt.
After my interviews had taking place I would then look at the over all answers of all the interviewed I had conducted and see were they were similar and were they were different, I would also discuss my findings with some of my class mate as they would be able to look at it through fresh eye and come into the discussion from a complete different angle. I would then ask if the ere was anything that they had done that would benefit my research. If so I would take this on bored got back and try this out and see how my results had changed compared to when I had not under went this new research technique.
I now no longer see myself as a graphic designer I feel that a label has been taken off. I am now able to work in a broad spectrum of areas and am no longer just someone who deals with type, layout and colour. I am someone who if giving an area to investigate that I had no idea about, now has the tools to start to dissect it and find out the factual information to further my understanding of that specific area.
I hope to keep learning new techniques that will help to speed up this processes however this may be because I am still at somewhat of an infant stage of these new and fascinating learning tools.
biblyogrphy
Buzan T(2003) the mind mapping book
Gladwell M(2000) the tipping point
Tuesday 30 March 2010
a5
Assignment 5
In assignment 5 I will be looking back to my first semester in design studies and looking back into celebrity endorsements/advertising and why different research techniques would benefit and detract from my final conclusion, I will also be using new research techniques gained in semester two which will further enhance the data I gathered.
To start off with I would begin with the task of creating a mind map, starting off with the main point, which is celebrity endorsement/advertising in the centre then connect subject that relate to it. Mind mapping would be useful because it allows you to see how much you no already on your given subject. This also allows you to see the subdivisions and May help focus on a certain point u may have written down. Another method which would be useful would be to brain storm, this could be done on your own but may be most effective if done with numerous people as you have more view point and a larger variety. However in some cases this may just complicate things it is up to the individual weather he/she thinks this is the right thing to do.
After my mind mapping I would then move on to looking in the Universities cross search facility which allows you to access journals, books and articles on your chosen field, for this you have to specifie the particular area you are looking for. After this you then need to read the synopsis to see if the journal, article is relevant to your research, if it is you can gain access to it to print it off, if it is not relevant then its back to searching for one that is. From the articles you acquire you should start to see similarities between them this is positive and will help to focus your search.
The cross search facility will only be useful if you already have a focused area to search on and you are looking for evidence to back your theory up I wouldn’t advise this otherwise.
I would use a selection of pictures of different brands or products and ask a variety of people to show which product or brands they own. Then ask the same people which celebrity would be associated with the given picture, after this I would then ask if the associated celebrity was the reason they chose the product/brand or if this would make you more likely to by the product.
This would be very helpful, as it would show a clear link between celebrities and brands and the entanglement of both. However if it was not the result I was looking for I would put the first attempt down as a pilot and tweak the picture and questions till I go the result I was looking for.
I would not use a generic questionnaire as I think the general public like to feel individual and would not be honest with their answers as they would not like to be seen following a certain trend or wearing similar clothes to a specific celebrity as the may feel embarrassed in front of peers and quickly distance themselves for this. Therefore any data you gained maybe invalid or corrupt.
Although I would not use a questionnaire I would conduct one to one interviews. I would do a series of pilots to test my questions to see if I was gaining the correct result from them. However if you feel our questions are right but still getting a different answer than you expected you could try changing some of the variables such as the room/environment the interview took place (change the layout/the room or lighting), the person asking the question (maybe change him/her) the way they asked the question (the tone they took on certain words) the way the questions are set out or even the way the questions are worded. All these variable are to be taken on board but can be changed to suit the result you want, this may be time consuming however it is an effective way to gather data that is true and is use full in your given subject. I would highly recommend this as a technique.
Another interviewing technique is to start off with the same question and let the conversation guide the questions from that point. This is different to the above interviewing technique as u may gain a deeper insight into how people view themselves as the questions seem less revealing and forward, however the same, if not more data is revealed and more importantly is not influenced by any one or thing.
Remember that in both of the above methods you need to obtain the permission of the person you are interviewing, a signed permission slip is ideal.
A method I think would not suit this would be observation, this is due to I myself would not be sure what to look for, as I don’t read magazines so sitting in a waiting room or shop watching people reading them means nothing and the fact that my attention span is very short.
After I had carried out all of the appropriate methods above, I would then look at all the data I had and analyze it with a new eye. I would also get my class mates to start a discussion on what they thought was relevant in the data I had collect giving valid reason why. As well as there input I would ask them about the technique they used in there research and see if I could transfer there methods to my subject, it is always useful to speak to other about what they have done or would do as they give you different angles to view your subject.
In assignment 5 I will be looking back to my first semester in design studies and looking back into celebrity endorsements/advertising and why different research techniques would benefit and detract from my final conclusion, I will also be using new research techniques gained in semester two which will further enhance the data I gathered.
To start off with I would begin with the task of creating a mind map, starting off with the main point, which is celebrity endorsement/advertising in the centre then connect subject that relate to it. Mind mapping would be useful because it allows you to see how much you no already on your given subject. This also allows you to see the subdivisions and May help focus on a certain point u may have written down. Another method which would be useful would be to brain storm, this could be done on your own but may be most effective if done with numerous people as you have more view point and a larger variety. However in some cases this may just complicate things it is up to the individual weather he/she thinks this is the right thing to do.
After my mind mapping I would then move on to looking in the Universities cross search facility which allows you to access journals, books and articles on your chosen field, for this you have to specifie the particular area you are looking for. After this you then need to read the synopsis to see if the journal, article is relevant to your research, if it is you can gain access to it to print it off, if it is not relevant then its back to searching for one that is. From the articles you acquire you should start to see similarities between them this is positive and will help to focus your search.
The cross search facility will only be useful if you already have a focused area to search on and you are looking for evidence to back your theory up I wouldn’t advise this otherwise.
I would use a selection of pictures of different brands or products and ask a variety of people to show which product or brands they own. Then ask the same people which celebrity would be associated with the given picture, after this I would then ask if the associated celebrity was the reason they chose the product/brand or if this would make you more likely to by the product.
This would be very helpful, as it would show a clear link between celebrities and brands and the entanglement of both. However if it was not the result I was looking for I would put the first attempt down as a pilot and tweak the picture and questions till I go the result I was looking for.
I would not use a generic questionnaire as I think the general public like to feel individual and would not be honest with their answers as they would not like to be seen following a certain trend or wearing similar clothes to a specific celebrity as the may feel embarrassed in front of peers and quickly distance themselves for this. Therefore any data you gained maybe invalid or corrupt.
Although I would not use a questionnaire I would conduct one to one interviews. I would do a series of pilots to test my questions to see if I was gaining the correct result from them. However if you feel our questions are right but still getting a different answer than you expected you could try changing some of the variables such as the room/environment the interview took place (change the layout/the room or lighting), the person asking the question (maybe change him/her) the way they asked the question (the tone they took on certain words) the way the questions are set out or even the way the questions are worded. All these variable are to be taken on board but can be changed to suit the result you want, this may be time consuming however it is an effective way to gather data that is true and is use full in your given subject. I would highly recommend this as a technique.
Another interviewing technique is to start off with the same question and let the conversation guide the questions from that point. This is different to the above interviewing technique as u may gain a deeper insight into how people view themselves as the questions seem less revealing and forward, however the same, if not more data is revealed and more importantly is not influenced by any one or thing.
Remember that in both of the above methods you need to obtain the permission of the person you are interviewing, a signed permission slip is ideal.
A method I think would not suit this would be observation, this is due to I myself would not be sure what to look for, as I don’t read magazines so sitting in a waiting room or shop watching people reading them means nothing and the fact that my attention span is very short.
After I had carried out all of the appropriate methods above, I would then look at all the data I had and analyze it with a new eye. I would also get my class mates to start a discussion on what they thought was relevant in the data I had collect giving valid reason why. As well as there input I would ask them about the technique they used in there research and see if I could transfer there methods to my subject, it is always useful to speak to other about what they have done or would do as they give you different angles to view your subject.
Monday 22 March 2010
Assignment 4
For assignment for we were asked to conduct a series of interviews with people we didnt know to further our reseach into primary research techniques. I did my interview with two of my fellow class mates, stephen and sam this was due to my personal pilot interviews not going to plan. i felt that the 3 of us made the people we interviewed more comforable and less intimidated. for the questions we ask we decided to go with a project we all had knowledge of wich was food due to our scri project. All together we conducted 6 interview on the new first year.
The questions asked were:
- Describe your favorite meal?
- What makes this special?
- How does the environment effect the experience?
- What would you do if your received a bad looking meal?
- Would you taste it first?
- If a meal looked nice but still tasted bad what would be your actions?
From these questions we gained a variation of answers however overall we gained the information that most people prefer to be in a comfortable environment when eating a meal. by comfortable they meant in a family home were they could easily ask for a bigger portion or say if they didn't like something. the majority of people said that when they got a meal from their gran it took them to a different stage in there life,early childhood.
The people who wanted to eat out gave different answers regarding sending back food that they ordered. Some people would defiantly send it back as they were paying were as others wouldn't and continue to eat the unpleasant food. Every one agree that they would try the food no matter what it looked like and if the food looked good but tasted bad they felt it was there fault.
After this we went to the canteen and discussed our findings with the rest of our class mates. i found this exercise helpful as it helped us to fully understand the data we had gathered as well as getting the chance to give my opinion on there chosen subject. In the future i would re-look at our questions and make them more specific.
Thursday 4 March 2010
People Watch
Asignment 3
For this me and a few of my fellow class mate wen to the bingo and participated it wierd and wonderful rituals that involved many different coloured dabber.
At the begining of the night out at the bingo we were seperated from the normal everyday bingo players to sign up. This was friendly and warm as the person joining us to this old folks haven use our first name as if we were old friends on an long awaited vistit,when entering into wat could be described as a scene from an old folks home with every body conforming to a ganeric dress code well apart from us.
The games were hard to get to grips with and when u eventually came round to nowing what you were doing it was over, i found it hard to keep up with the numbers being read out however i later noticed an elderly woman reading a glossy magizine, glossy magizine while carring on her game. There was always a collective si when someone shouted house wishing for them to be wrong and to have another attemp on the prize money.
As i went to the toilet i realised the advertising and how sexist there veiws still are, in the gents toilet there were posters of females playing bingo and no men.
Overall i really enjoyed my nite out at the bingo and would do it again ;)
Tuesday 2 March 2010
What happend next after the random pictures
After i got all my stories from my friends, work mate and family i added a picture of a policeman i wanted to see if i could change everyone storys to get the same one as my friend stephens.after the picture was added the storys began to take a turn iin the write direction and this was further helped by the introduction of text. after this i have reread barts essay and am able to make more sense of a once ingma of text, this also shows me how powerful image and text can be when used in the right way.
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