Constraints
Working in a fast pace environment always comes with excitement and fluster. The beginning of the project was enjoyable. Learning about the area we were working on and developing ideas was a productive process. Two weeks got to feeling very short when we were down to the last few days and still had a lot of physical work to do, not so much ideating. Having a topic provided was not an issue. I enjoy being told a general idea and then being able to run with it. Knowing the area and the idea from the beginning helped with such a short-term project. Working in a group always brings new possibilities, but also can be constraining. Schedules become difficult to accommodate, and some members gained roles that were never given to them. This can be frustrating, but overall an eye opening experience to what work in the future could possibly be like.
Opportunity
Working in teams is typically an enjoyable experience for me. I genuinely enjoy hearing others ideas and being inspired by them. With that being said, I would definitely be excited to work in groups in the future, just a little differently. I believe in collaboration, and even if you’re “assigned” a certain part of a project, every member should want to, and, be invited to collaborate on that in some form. This was not always the case in our group. I believe members took on a role that was not suited for them and instead of being on top of things, it lead to low morale throughout the group. Charettes are interesting and as challenging as it can be, I also believe working fast and hard is a rewarding and essential process. It would be something I’d be interested in doing again. I am always looking forward to new experiences within design and with people. I think this has inspired me to be more vocal when I believe things are being handled improperly, or could be arranged to be more enjoyable for everyone. Working with people has been apart of my life for so many years, and it would be sad for an experience like this to go to waste.
Application
Working in groups is always a larger motivator for me. I want to make a product that everyone can be proud of. This idea comes with a need though. That need, is for others to add in their comments and contributions. There is a definite feeling when someone feels luke-warm about an idea, and that is a feeling I don’t want anyone in the group to have. So, in the beginning there was a large motivation to get things done and have a solid product. That began to fall through in the end when working in a team became more difficult. I would definitely say I was more concentrated as a group, even though we would sometimes run in circles around the same idea, it felt productive as far as the design process goes. Sometimes an idea needs to be repeated and then thrown out to come up with something different and unforeseen. I always believe there is positive overall quality when working in a group. Sometimes smaller groups can be more efficient in this. Too many ideas being executed can overall form a crowded and unorganized result.
My Contribution
I worked on some of the branding decisions, such as the color palette. I also made the signage for the trail, as well as began/finished the poster.
Link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3qkBGkR7RepSUtjTzB0UEVRZ2c
For future students
Realize the time constraint early. Work fast, and move on quickly. Be an active member of your group, but make sure everyone feels like equals working collaboratively.
GD301_Branding, Interaction, Service Design 