Charette Reflection

To say this project was unique is an understatement. Normally, a two-week project would be stressful enough on its own. Add the fact that our topics were provided to us off the bat and that we had to work in assigned groups made the Charette even more daunting at the beginning. In the end, though, I think our project turned out better that it would’ve if we’d worked on it alone. In my group, I was in charge of making the video, mapping out the new Beltline District, and contributed to the branding of the project.

At first, the constraints seemed like they would make this process a pain – and at times they did. But just like any project, the deadline never seems far enough away. We made it work and got it done without any major issues. My biggest concern at the beginning was working in a group in general, let alone with a group I didn’t pick. Group projects are notoriously frustrating. It’s always hard to get everyone’s opinions and ideas to mesh, to distribute the work evenly, and to trust that your counterparts will help get everything done to the best of their ability. In this instance, I was very thankful that everyone in my group was very open and communicative, and willing to help each other out. If I hadn’t been paired with the group that I had been, I don’t know if our process would have been as smooth. The design process pulled from all of us, and we ended up with something different than any of us would’ve made individually.

For the future, I think this experience just reminded me that collaboration is always worth the headache. Whether it’s in this context, or other contexts, working with others or simply getting additional input is helpful in bettering the quality of your work. I hope I can carry that mindset into other projects and future group endeavors, which will calm my nerves starting out.

I think one of the biggest benefits about working in groups is motivation to do your part. When you work individually, you are only accountable to yourself. If you procrastinate, or take the easy way out, it only affects you. In a group setting, you’re accountable to all your group mates. That made us motivated to get our tasks done and to do them well, because no one wants to be the worst in the group. I also think working together improves the quality of work at the end, at least in the respect that more people have worked on it, so it takes into consideration a number of different perspectives and ideas. In a group, it’s less likely you’ll proceed with your first idea, or an idea that not everyone is sold on. The need for approval from everyone before moving forward means your work is examined more carefully. On the other hand, I do think that in this setting, productivity and efficiency can suffer in groups. We have to constantly check in with each other, and discuss every little thing before moving on. That slows down the process, which can be stressful.

All in all, I think I learned quite a bit from this charette. While I still don’t particularly cheer for group project in the academic setting, I enjoyed this project and the group I was a part of. We made it through the process without conflict, and I’m proud of the final design we presented.