INTERCULTURAL DESIGN/ PROJECT 1 PROPOSAL

4.1.2021 -30.1.2021 (week 1 - week 4) 
Phoebie Ng / 0341172 / Bachelor of creative media

Intercultural Design/ Project 1-Proposal

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LECTURE NOTES

week 1 (4.1.2021)

We had our first class, as assignment brief and also talked about the projects that we need to do through out this semester. As I already looked through the MIB the night before, so I don't have big issue on this. After that we were asked to form our own group to proceed with our Project 1-Proposal.  

fig 1.1: Netnography lecture slides from Dr. Charles (1.4.2021)

After that, we had Dr. Charles to give lecture about Netnography. Below are the notes that I made throughout the lecture.

Netnography is a type of online and internet research through online community and ethnography is about first hand experience and its is more about face to face and physically research. There are 3 types of data to collect, archive, elicited and fieldnotes.

Data analysis: coding >noting >abstracting >theorizing >generalizing >checking & refining

week 2 (11.1.2021)

Today we had special guests of Mr. Tintoy Chou and Ms. Natasha to give us a talk about their works.

Notes of Mr. Tintoy session

He picked wayang kulit out of so many Malaysia culture. He was inspired by Steve Jobs of the quote think different. Mr. Tintoy also showed us how can we combine 2 elements to create a brand new things. 

Mr. Tintoy then explain to us more about wayang kulit. Wayang kulit of Malaysia only happen in Kelantan, Johor, Kedah, Perlis. There were also other style of wayang kulit in other place of world. There were also difference between Malaysia version and other place version wayang kulit. Mr. Tintoy also show us some of the examples of him combining wayang kulit and modern character. He also showed us the process of designing and also where did he get those inspiration from. There were also a lot of details in his design. Their objective is to revive Malaysia traditional culture by merching it with fusion element & enhancing it with various component. 

Notes of Ms. Natasha session

What make GAHARA different, its the signature block, inspire by wood crafting. Ms. Natasha also share us about the process of the technique of the process of making batik's color and pattern. The color absorption would be different during different weather. It is good if we could have a course of how to make batik, there we can have more appreciation and see the beauty of the batik. Batik have the life of its own, you need to open the batik the placement and the arrangement of it. Each piece is communicating the language of its own. The color blending in each pattern are different in one piece batik. Ms. Natasha also show us the tool of making batik. The process of making batik are pure manual.

week 3 (18.1.2021)

Today, We have special guest of Mr. Munir Yahya and Ms. Emelia to give us talk about their experiences. 

Notes of Mr. Munir Yahya session

Mr. Munir Yahya share his experience in London, doing freelancer and so on. Mr. Munir also share how different is the culture in another country. As designer it is important for us to know about other country culture and the color is the most important things in design. Mr. Munir also explain to us some example of do and don't in different country. Mr. Munir tell u the website that he find more about colors. Blue is the most popular color in the world. Color represent the country. 

Notes of  Ms. Emelia session

Ms. Emelia showed us some example of cultural studies books. The ideal in which culture is state of process of human perfection, in terms of certain absolute or universal values. A social definition of culture in which culture is a description of a particular way of life. The concept that culture is a 'whole way of life'.  Ms. Emelia also show us some examples of her own research n Nanyang artist. She look and the colors, how she look into the background, he visual and more. 

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INSTRUCTIONS

fig 2.1: Module Information Booklet (1.4.2020)

week 1 (4.1.2021)

After we formed our group, we then decide our topic to research on. I also became the leader of this group. Everyone agreed with my suggestion topic of Peking Opera. At the same time, I am a little bit worried about it because we were deciding too fast and seems like we don't have another backup topic to research on.

fig 2.2 screenshot of google docs (4.1.2020)

However, everyone agreed on we research on some interesting topics about Peking Opera, for example Peking Opera colors meaning, Peking Opera myth and its connection between modern design and more. After that, I created a google Docs so that everyone could noted down their ideas and research about the topics that they did. 

fig 2.3 screenshot of question ideas (9.1.2021)

fig 2.4 week 1 progression google docs (8.1.2021)

After we did some background research on it, we come out with some interesting research question that we want to explore more about. I create an list in WhatsApp, so the members could list down the ideas of them. In the end, we come out with 17 questions and we narrow it down to 6 questions, it is still a lot but we decide to show the lecturers and see how can we move on from that.

week 2 (11.1.2021)

fig 2.5 week 2 progression google docs (15.1.2021)

We had our first meeting on 9.1.2021and we decided to research more about the character's face painting and the background story about it. We distribute the job with each person research about a type of mask and record it down in the second week progression.

fig 2.6 week 2 presentation slides (15.1.2021)

After that, I prepared a slides together with my groupmates to better present to Ms. Jinchi. We also come out with a draft proposal. For this week, I created a google drive folder, to have all our work in it and more convenient for my groupmates to put files on their blog. 

week 3(21.1.2021)

fig 2.7 week 3 progression

For this week we had our own discussion meeting and we adjusted some of the things in proposal and I had assigned Xin Yee to do research about Malaysia Chinese Opera and Peking Opera as I think she is really good at researching. Jia Yee also did her own research on Malaysia Chinese opera which she found a potential interview that we could do if the person is available. I also found 1 famous Teochew opera in Malaysia using Facebook and also another actress of Peking Opera in China using weibo. 

After that, during our meeting, I realize that we need to do 5 preliminary sketches, I was panicking because we only have less than 1 day to show Dr. Jinchi. So, we decided on having each person doing 1 idea of sketch. In order to not clashing our ideas, we discuss among us and we decided what to do on the day. 

fig 2.8 preliminary sketch 1 example of outer box on collective cards

fig 2.9 preliminary sketch 2 example of cards on collective cards

fig 2.10 preliminary sketch 3 example of pattern on collective cards

I had idea of collective cards as we want to educate Malaysia youth to know more about Peking Opera, a collection of cards would be one of the ways that we could promote Peking Opera to the youth. As we want to promote Peking Opera from a Malaysian way, we could write different languages on the cards and at the same time have the characters and story on it. For this design, I want to go more in an abstract way to let the youth have a different perspective on what Peking Opera they usually see.

week 4(30.1.2021)

fig 2.11 week 4 progression ( 30.1.2021 )

For this week, we had our presentation on Monday within 10 munities, It was really short time and it is hard for me to decide on the slides because we have too many research to put on. other than that, I need to compile everything from week 1 to week 4 onto our research slides so the workload is a little bit too much on this little time. 

fig 2.12 canva screenshot (30.1.2021)

fig 2.13 presentation slides version 1 (30.1.2021)

We did all the slides on canva at first because I think it is really nice to see the slides in big picture, but there are a big problem in this. It cannot copy slides to another slides, but I did the presentation version slides in another presentation slides. Therefore, I need to compile them again on acrobat software ;-; this make me have more work to do. I tried a lot of times like converting it into ppt file but it is not working. So there's only one way for me to compile the slides. Because we have our meeting on Sunday, so it is a little bit rush and we need to present it on the next day. 

fig 2.14 research proposal slides version 1 (30.1.2021)

After I compile everything on the research proposal, I edit it on acrobat software. It is so messy at this time, because I don't have much time to compile this. Luckily, lecturers said that we could submit this before Friday, so I decided to work on this again.

fig 2.15 final presentation slides (30.1.2021)

fig 2.16 final research proposal slides ( 30.1.2021)

After we received the feedback from the lecturers, we discuss again and sent this to Dr Jinchi to give us final feedback before we submit and this is the final proposals slides for our group.

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FEEDBACK

week 1 (7.1.2021)

we had our first consultation today, and the feedback that given by lecturers are our topic doesn't have a specific direction that we want to preserve, for example like makeup, costume, and more. We also need to think about the purpose of we doing this topic, why do we want to do this topic. Lecturers suggested us to go with the theme of assimilation instead of preservation. As Ms. Jinchi said, we need to narrow down our 6 questions to 1-2 as we need to come out with the final outcome with this.

week 2 (15.1.2021)

Ms. Jinchi said that we need to focus on certain target audience, not just youth, for example Malaysian youth. We need to think of why do we want to educate them about Peking Opera. It would be more interesting if we look from Malaysian perspective as it is not the same as from China Chinese. For our research question, the 2nd one is good but the first one is not that strong as it doesn't have strong research to support it.

week 3 (21.1.2021)

Ms. Jinchi said that we should summarize our slides to make it more visual. For our research problem, we should not limited to face painting, got to know what is the concept to the project, we should understand why we need to assimilate Peking opera to our target audience and be more specific on our target group.  For our sketches, concept could be more personalized, ideas can be creating patterns that can be used in items. All sketches can be combine into one idea. 

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REFLECTION

week 1 (1.9.2021)

Experience: For this week, as I was assigned as a group leader, I think it's a good opportunity for me to train my leadership. I choose to do the topic of Peking Opera because my grandparents are so interested on it, so I want to know what so interesting in it. I am really happy because I think all of my group member are active and gives out their opinion.

Observation: I observed that having everyone's idea could learn a lot of things as different member have different ideas so we could discuss on it and have the best version on decision.

Finding: I found that having a google docs that update everyone research are also really helpful and we can refer back to it also. 

week 2 (15.1.2021)

Experience: I am very happy that all my groupmates are working hard together and we are having fun together as well. We did our job smoothly and different groupmates would have their different strength in different area. From that, I would assign people for different roles depends on their strength 

Finding: I found that it would be better if we distribute the research workload before our meeting would be better as we already have certain knowledge in the topic, so that we will know what to say in the meeting to have more efficient work.

Observation: I noticed that some of my groupmates would find ways to help me to reduce my workload, for example Yuan Ting, she message on if she could help me on the presentation slides and also Xin Yee when she notice me and Yuan Ting did the slides and she think we work hard on it, so she offer her help for me. Everyone in this group are helping each other, so I am very pleased in this group.

week 3 (23.1.2021)

Experience: I feel very stress this week as I am leader and everything are going to be due on Monday. I hope I didn't miss anything and our presentation would go well on Monday. There were also a lot of things that we need to do. 

Finding: I found that our group are doing really well and they are also very active in group that I will not worry so much. 

Observation: I notice that I shouldn't prepare the slides alone, I should just ask everyone to put on their parts into the slides, which I made a mistake here. 

week 4 (29.1.2020)

Experience: We did our presentation this week, it was a busy week. I think I didn't did well in the presentation, as I was too focus on the timing, which some of the slides that are important, I didn't included those in the slides. Most important, I thought we need to read out our rationale, so I make the presentation feel draggy. 

Finding: I need to practice on my Public speaking skill as I was super nervous at that time although it is online meeting. After that, never do your slides in canva, when you are exporting the ppt file to google slides, it would downsize the quality.  

Observation: I should be more aware of what should I include in the slides next time and should make our direction more clearly in the slides that all lecturers could know our focus direction is Peking Opera face painting. After we presented all, we only know that the lecturers are not sure that we are choosing face painting as our direction and thought we are focusing on other Chinese opera.