Action: Find and Produce Summaries of Readings on Practical Design & Tech Knowledge

December 4, 2021 admin Action

This is an idea for how I might practically go about improving my practical knowledge of design and technology, the key background information needed to be able to assess how realistic a design concept is, and to speculate in an informed fashion on what the future may entail from a technological perspective. This also addresses my need to improve on communication design, through actively producing visual content, rather than passively reading material and attempting to absorb it without any outlets to making that knowledge gain more concrete.

As outlined in my goal concerning new skills that I am seeking to improve my proficiency in, the domains I am considering as most important at the moment are:

• Basic programming (particularly Processing, for its utility in physical prototyping)
• Physical prototyping (particularly electronics and 3D modeling)
• Augmented / Mixed / Virtual Reality interface design (new tools being developed in the Perceptual Artifacts Lab show significant potential to improve this skill, so long as I practice using them)
• Communication design itself (sketching, visual design – highly dependent on regular practice and continual challenging of my limits)
• Emerging technologies and trends relevant to my MRP

What will I do to achieve this?

• Scan available literature, quickly determine which sources are the most beneficial, reviewing summaries or abstracts may be a key shortcut for this.
• Summarize the most relevant sources in writing, then translate to a simple visual presentation.
• If the source is particularly relevant to project work occurring within the Perceptual Artifacts Lab, look into integrating the knowledge into those projects and seeking feedback from its members.

Which goals/related actions will this action help me accomplish?

• Develop new skills
• Participate in and contribute to Perceptual Artifacts Lab
• Conduct research study for MRP thesis topic
• Practice technical design skills

What resource(s) will I need to be successful?

• A healthy variety of academic databases and media outlets that cover design topics related to the domains listed above (OCAD U Library, ACM Digital Library, Google Scholar, Co.design, etc)