Instead of the briefing, we had a lecture which focused on the three main elements which we should consider in our work as textile designers. These include; digital, ethnics and globalisation. Each of these three concepts are very current and relevant to the textile market and are things we need to consider as we look ahead to entering the industry.
Digital...
We need to make sure we explore the opportunities in the digital parts of our work, not only through production, but through the use of free advertisement. The Internet is a really useful tool to help us get and stay connected with our target audience. It is also a vital for research, information and fashion/trend research. "It's not what you know, it's who you know!". Importance of digital networking; blogging, online portfolio, social networking and own artist website.
I think the use on digital media is important in the current market. It is a rich source of experimentation as well as information and research which can be quick and easily gathered. I must be sure to take on board these ideas in my own work. I have, last project understood the importance of this blog, PDPing and other sources which display my reflection and help build a connection with an intended client. I want to make more this from now, being sure that reflection is clearly evident in my work so it is clear that I am not just copying down notes, that I am taking ideas in and thinking about how I can implement them into my own work.
Ethics
We have to be sure to explore the ethical considerations of our work and how we, as designers, are impacting on the future. We do not have to take everything on board and create some amazing wonder fabric which saves the world from global warming and poverty, but we do have to know all of these things, so we can say that we have considered the ideas, and chosen ways in which we feel most suit our work and way of working. Thinking about ethic materials and ethic production, where do you materials come from? Have you concerned the longevity of your product? Or is none of this important. You have to know the issues to decide on the ethics of your work which will effect audiences.
I think, for me at least, for work needs to be completed into this area in order for me to be able to decide on my ethics. This is an important part of the work, which I do enjoy, but I do not do enough of or I do not record it enough. Last project I branded my work on conservation, without really looking into how I can make my own practices more relevant to the title, I just dropped the phrase, because it was easier. I want to research these ideas further, because if do end up selling my work, I need to have a clear idea about what it is I have made. There needs to be mor of a consideration of what goes into my work, rather the churning out one off samples which would be near impossible to replicate.
Globalisation
"We are all global - in the future all businesses will be global". It is clear that the textile industry is becoming a global culture, small businesses are expanding and importing and exporting are a big deal. This means lots more exciting opportunities, but again a lot more work.lots of things such as language and cultural differences need to be considered in all stages, with reference to ethical issues. You must read the small print in relation to economics and exchange rates and think about the different situations you may find yourself working in, such as war zones. Sociology and psychology are as important as communication to look into what you know and using this to build new ideas.
For me this is very, apt. With my industry report focusing on the globalisation of the textile industry. I now need to complete a more in depth study of this, so I am able to back myself up in saying how much smaller businesses are effected by this sudden development of ideology which means every consumer is perhaps losing their own sense of identity. A lot more research into this is needed. Our tutor suggest that we use what we know to help us build on new ideas, so why have I for so long kept away from research aided development!!
I think one of the key things that has come out of this seminar is that I am just not doing enough. Planning has and is always key to this stage of work and I do not want to fall behind at the last hurdle, no. I just need to create more 'stuff' across the board. The more I have, the informed and in-depth decisions I can make about how best to move my ideas forwards. I need to be constantly reflecting, but doing this so it pushes me to change my ideas, to do more, to make more. I think I am just not evidencing the effort that I am putting in enough, so it looks like I am putting very little effort in! I am really trying hard, spending all hours of the day working, but how can that be enough when no-one knows that is what I am doing. Reflecting and evidencing shows this and I need this build a collection of work which I feel proud of!
In the afternoon, there was an opportunity to attend a seminar based on two competion briefs we may like to consider entering based around the technique of weave. Although my work is not based around weave, I am looking for new ways to push my ideas forwards. Going back to a set of group tutorials in the middle of Ba7, it was suggested that we consider using competition briefs as a way of controlling our work and a way of forcing us to create a lot of work in a short amount of time. I previously said in my PDP that I enjoyed the thought of this way of working, so I thought what's the harm of attending the sessions. I'll not be any worse off for it. So, I attended the sessions, finding out that their guidelines were very strict in weave technique, so did not relate wholly to my work. I did however, get a great deal out of the sessions and it did make me consider the ways of taming my ideas so they become more commercial, more enterible into these types of competition. The idea for this work now is to move away from the sculptural elements and create more usable ideas which are perhaps more relevant to the textiles market.
Following these sessions, I had a quick opportunity to talk to one of my tutors, who suggested that if I aim to carry the netted idea on, I should look for further sources of inspiration to drive the project into new territory. She suggested that I consider looking at national trust properties as I enjoy the element of historical textiles and design and using ideas to help revive them.
To do list...
Find out opening times of national trust properties in order to arrange drawing/inspiration visits.
Write in PDP journal
Creat in depth blog post CHECK!
Begin to plan my time now!!!!!!!!!
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