Learning Agreement - 2nd Draft

Norwich University of the Arts

Learning Agreement

Course and Unit Number: Textiles - BA6

Name: Nathan Mison

Proposal:  What do you intend to do?

Following recent projects, I feel that I need to adapt and shift the focus of my work. I have lost my motivation and enthusiasm for textiles and I think that a new beginning will help me move forward. My focus for the project will be an exploration of nature and the patterns found in it, in order to create a more organic, flowing project which I hope will reflect the way I work. This project is one of the longest of the year and I want it to be the changing point of my work ethic.

This unit of work, BA6 will be focused on the theme of ‘Patterns in Nature’ with a specific interest in creating a series of final designs for the interior design market. I will begin with a mind mapping session, exploring different ideas to explore within the theme, focusing on two main areas, trees and flowers. From here I aim to explore shape, form and colour going into more detail as my work continues.

Whilst drawing I aim for flourish this unit of work with constant sources of visual research exploring the interior market through market research and the use of journals. This will be followed up by visits to museums and art galleries, including the Norwich Castle Museum, Ickworth House and a planned trip to London to explore historical and perhaps more modern or even futuristic references to the use of pattern in everyday life. Visual research will also be gained from visits to gardens, Garden centres and wildlife reserves, where I can complete in-situ drawings and sketches which can be developed at a later stage. There will be a plenty of  visual inspiration, displayed on my Pinterest page.

My drawings will be displayed simply within two A3 sketchbooks and will show a clear and natural progression, beginning from rough sketches, to more in depth and experimental drawings from which I will develop into designs, playing with composition, colour and scale, all displayed in the first sketchbook. In the second sketchbook, I shall begin to bring my work together, exploring in-depth trends and choosing a colour scheme. This sketchbook will be an opportunity for me to move into the sampling stages and towards a set of final designs.

I hope to make everything much clearer in this project, recording everything I do, so hopefully my ideas and progression shall be easier to observe. For this reason, it is vital that everything is kept up to date and constantly signposted, so my tutors can see that all part of the learning outcomes are being met. My visual research will be mostly available on my Pinterest page, my textual research and PDP activity will be posted daily on my blog page and my drawing and visual observations will be presented in my two sketchbooks.

Assessment Work:

• Two sketchbooks with visual research, drawings and design development. These sketchbooks will be visual display of my work with very little or no written work, all explained in Blog

• A4 file with ‘plaster of paris’ casts of leaves and other natural objects.

• BLOG - A digital copy of the reflective journal as well as any research. This will be by written explanation side of my work for this project.

• A collection of A2 boards with design developments.

• Four textile conclusions to the project.

Schedule of Work: (to include the deadline for submission of assessment):

Week Commencing	Planned Work...
17th March 2014	Mon 17th ‘Project briefing’. Read through project briefing and write out learning agreement as a way of planning the course of the project and how I intend to move forwards. Begin research into trends, current market and designers. Begin sourcing visual research. Start to create basic sketches on the shapes of the images as a starting point. These are just basic drawings to develop further.
24th March 2014	Research galleries and exhibitions to visit in relation to project. Begin to develop sketches into more advanced drawings, experimenting with material and colour further.
31st March 2014	Look back over the work created so far in my first sketchbook, which should nearly be full and start thinking about what I would like to focus on moving forward to the next sketchbook, towards a set of final outcomes aimed at the interior market.
7th April 2014	EASTER BREAK. Continue working on the drawing stage in my first sketchbook. Now start to complete more research on trends, looking forward to start beginning to think about the next sketchbook, which I will use to start condensing my work, think towards a colour scheme and pattern creation.
14th April 2014	EASTER BREAK. From the research, begin to create a colour scheme which I can begin to apply to my drawings from the last sketchbook. Begin to experiment with a variety of different materials, including plastics etc applying the drawings.
21st April 2014	EASTER BREAK. continue to experiment with a variety of different materials, including plastics etc applying the drawings. start to apply digital design to my drawings to think about the digital development of design.
28th April 2014	Arrive back at uni with a detailed plan with the development of drawings and patterns into different techniques, booking time in the printroom to develop ideas towards final designs. 29th april - 2nd may WORK PLACEMENT AT SMITHS ROW.
5th May 2014	Develop drawings and patterns into different techniques, booking time in the printroom to develop ideas towards final designs.
12th May 2014	Fri 15th ‘Hand In’ Sort everything out for hand in. Get all final samples complete and collate work together ready for hand in.

This schedule plan is based on everything going to the uni timetable. Personal issues will cause me to have time off uni for at least a couple of weeks. I will apply for an extension, but the schedule will still follow the same way, whatever happens.

Resource requirements:

• Gallery and Exhibition Visits (details to be confirmed following further research)
• Library Resources (uni and norwich/local) - Books and journals.
• Norwich Library and Market Research - Contextual research, and ideas for design outcomes.
• Internet - General research, trends, designer, ideas for study visits.

Tutor's comments:

Learning agreement agreed and signed by:

Course Leader: .................................................... Date:............................

Unit Leader/Tutor: .................................................... Date:............................

Student: .................................................... Date:............................