Benjamin Hart HAR17514376 GMD 07/05/20 Unemployment levels have reached record highs due to company closures, social distancing measures due to Corona Virus. Many people, myself included are part of the growing statistic of unemployment. On 01/03/2020 I began working for Design Polite Located in a small studio in Amsterdam, I was mainly working for ‘What Design Can Do’. My role included creating graphics for their upcoming conference in Mexico, where they would be discussing the role of design in the harsh reality of climate change. Working on such a hot topic was really inspiring as I was in contact and among the most influential people in regards to the subject. Unfortunately only after 2 weeks of starting the, conference along with my internship were postponed due to the coronavirus. Feeling glum, I found myself dwelling on the matter, leading me to feel very uninspired for the following week(s) (month). It’s a difficult pill to swallow as I’d just begun working on something I felt very passionate about and would help me in the future. However, after some time off screen, realising everybody has been effected by this matter I came back recharged and focussed on finding and creating work. Hart, B. (2020) The act of social distancing [Poster]. Adapt being the key word in this time of uncertainty, I found it very easy to fall into an unproductive pit, which was difficult to climb out of. However once adapted, it made me appreciate the design tools and resources I have in my surroundings and sparks more of an incentive to learn something new and expand my skills as a designer. I found the presence of online courses had doubled overnight. Respected institutions, studios and individuals had begun offering courses for free or at a fraction of the price. I began signing up for as many as possible. Some included, Foundation HTML, CSS + Javascript provided by Super Hi, Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market by Harvard University and Creative Coding Essentials by Tim Rodenbroker. They are all out of my comfort zone, however all offered insights into technology based-design. This relates to the topic of my thesis, hopefully exposing myself to technology-based creativity will broaden my knowledge on the subject, spark questions, arguments and case studies ready to be discussed in my thesis. Also, exposing me to the world of generative art and its unexplored territories. Tims course has really helped me learn the crucial fundamentals of coding by his simple step by step introduction to processing and javascript. Made me realise how reliant I am on the adobe creative cloud applications and how it’s a different way of working working with code, but the final result can be so adaptive. Perseverance means to continue in a course of action even in the face of difficulty or with little or no indication of success. Which is very applicable to the current circumstances, However, as it standsI have found myself at my peak in terms of engagement with current design affairs and productiveness. I have been applying to virtual internships and have found a post-graduate scheme back in Amsterdam. I have been offering my skills as a freelancer and reading lots about generative art. And of course making lots of typefaces which will probably never be finished, however they will end up being good sketch book material. To conclude, I have found this time to be really important to take a step back and look closely at myself as a designer and figure out what my ambitions are, where I see my work fitting in the world and where I see myself working in the future. Hart, B. (2020) The act of social distancing [Poster].
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
March 2022
Categories |