31215a - Progress Challenge 02

31215a - Progress Challenge 02

Planning your presentation

In the previous module and progress challenge 1 of this module, you have had the opportunity to research a variety of industry creatives that inspire you. Now it is time to plan your own work’s presentation so that it is of a similarly high standard. Within any industry that deals in visual communication, first impressions last. You need to make sure that any portfolio or presentation that you create is easy for someone else to navigate, and highlights your strengths. Answer the following questions to plan the best presentation possible for your work:

A.  Apply at least three different methods of critical thinking to review your previous research work. List each method and detail how this approach helped refine your presentation ideas.

B.   Consider your refined ideas list (Progress Challenge 1.d), how will your brand or theme be communicated? Make a list of the implicit messages as well as the explicit messages that your design and theme choices present.

C.   Consider the design choices you feel most strongly towards. Are there any practical issues getting in the way of you creating the best portfolio/platform for displaying your work?

a.    Is it very time-consuming to create the kinds of designs you like?

b.    Or is it too expensive to outsource this work to a more specialised designer like a programmer? Create three tables that represent your ideal budget, timeline and workflow plans.

D.   Now that you have refined all the design particulars, you would like to incorporate into your work presentation, create a digital template of how you would like your work to be presented.

Use one of your original images and apply all the elements of an effective template that are discussed in the unit.

TIP: Navigate to the student forum to engage in the discussion with your peers.

SELF-CHECK - Submission A

Now that you have completed the progress challenge, you may submit your work for feedback and discussion.

Instructions

• Write 500 words and complete as a PDF.

• Navigate to the self-check page to submit.

TIP: If you choose to complete each progress challenge as you work through the module, the process of completing your assessment tasks will take a lot less time.

Answer

Part A: Critical thinking

What is it?

According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking^[1], critical thinking is:

… that mode of thinking — about any subject, content, or problem — in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skilfully analysing, assessing, and reconstructing it.

There are ten steps to critical thinking:

1. Describe problems. 

2. Conduct research/gather information

3. Identify assumptions/biases. 

4. Identify and use correct language. 

5. Interpret data from research. 

6. Recognise propositions (if that, then this) relationships. 

7. Draw conclusions. 

8. Test conclusions.

9. Review personal beliefs based on this procedure. 

10. Render accurate judgements about the ideas considered. 

Assumption Busting:

A.    Assumption – anything that looks like a swastika must be a Nazi or Totalitarian organisation.

B.    Reality – we have to test that assumption to see whether or not that is true.

This technique is like Rational Emotive Therapy (a form of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy)[2].  If a Jewish person is concerned about Anti-Semitism, he or she may worry as to whether everything they spot is a swastika, as Sarah Silverman did. To remedy that, one needs to take a step back and look into the real meaning of a logo or roadwork symbol (as did Steven Keller[3]).  The individual replaces one’s old belief that the Swastika was a sign of Nazism, with the idea that it also has other meanings.

Harold Jarche’s Personal Knowledge Mastery:

Harold Jarche has put up this web tool for critical thinking.

He is also the pioneer for Personal Knowledge Mastery, where there is[4]:

…A set of processes, individually constructed, to help each of us make sense of our world, work more effectively, and contribute to society. PKM means taking control of your professional development, and saying connected in the network era, whether you are an employee, self-employed, or between jobs.

1.   Personal – according to one’s abilities, interests & motivation. (not directed by external forces)

2.  Knowledge – understanding information and experience in order to act upon it. (know what, know who, know how)

3.  Mastery – the journey from apprentice to disciplined sense maker and knowledge catalyst. (masters do not need to be managed)

We could say that Stephen Heller is the ‘disciplined sense maker’ who managed to make sense of the swastika symbol in this instance.  Here is a diagram of ‘sense making in practice’.

Figure 1:  Harold Jarche - Sense making in practice – the ways in which one can make sense of one’s environment[5]

Edward deBono's Six Thinking Hats[6]

This is a simple, effective technique helping one become more productive by separating thinking into six distinct categories. Each category is identified with its own colored metaphorical "thinking hat." By mentally wearing and switching "hats," enables one focus or redirect thoughts, the conversation, or the meeting.
After your team learns the skills behind the Six Thinking Hats® system they'll:

1.    Hold critical meetings without emotions or egos making bad decisions

2.    Avoid the easy but mediocre decisions by knowing how to dig deeper

3.    Increase productivity and even more important -- be more effective

4.    Make creative solutions the norm

5.    Maximize and organize each person's thoughts and ideas

6.    Get to the right solution quickly and with a shared vision

Below are the six thinking hats:

The Six Thinking Hats (or modes)

The White Hat

The White Hat calls for information known or needed (no, not necessarily the KKK either, more like a bowling hat that senior citizens wear when playing bowls).

The Red Hat

The Red Hat signifies feelings, hunches and intuition (the Santa Claus hat).

The Black Hat

The Black Hat is judgment -- the devil's advocate or why something may not work (I’ll get you my Pretty)!!!

The Yellow Hat

The Yellow Hat symbolizes brightness and optimism (the golden crown).

The Green Hat

The Green Hat focuses on creativity: the possibilities, alternatives and new ideas (a Leprechaun’s hat).

The Blue Hat

The Blue Hat is to manage the thinking process (a police officer’s hat).

In other words, we have to ‘wear many hats’ depending on who we interact with; put ourselves in other people’s minds and put on our ‘thinking caps’.

Part B: Branding or themes

Grid style theme for an online portfolio

Adam Chang[7]: this New York based freelance Art Director, Designer, and Illustrator, has his client and employer’s logos arranged in a grid-like structure.  He has a simple profile picture, serif font (Georgia), a lot of white space and a ‘clean’ minimalistic appearance (not many fonts or different colours).

Branding: Ausgrid

This logo looks very much like a swastika, with the rectangles pointing in a clockwise direction.  This makes me wonder if Ausgrid is some kind of totalitarian regime regarding electricity usage in Australia, people living ‘off the grid’ would be penalised, and that electricity workers are actually Nazis policing our electricity use[8].

Unlike Adam Chang’s portfolio, Ausgrid uses more colour (cool colour combinations), less white space and a sans-serif font (Arial).   The web page below shows a tile-like layout (okay, how long are we going to keep our lights on? = How long are we going to take in the toilet? = how much toilet paper will we use? Etc, etc).

However, Ausgrid is far from being ‘totalitarian’.  They underwent a few name changes prior to taking on the moniker, Ausgrid.  They operate under the NSW State Government.  They aim to provide safe and reliable electricity; much like NSW Police Service’s aim to keep the neighbourhood and streets safe.

The numerous success stories for many developing (‘third world’) nations, and even some indigenous people in developed ones, has shown repeatedly how electricity can improve lives.

The linoleum print by Melissa Cody shows a ‘rainbow man’ (with a plug at the end) curled around a ‘good luck’ sign and a swastika.  Again, she has successfully portrayed the connection between luck, electricity and the swastika (presumably for the Navajo/Dine).  Other Native American tribes (like the Hopi, for instance) warn of the likelihood of people becoming lazy and dependent on electricity, hence the message here is to either minimise your electricity use, have alternatives when there is none and to lead a balanced life.

Picture: 1: 'Good luck' (Linoleum Print) by Melissa Cody[9]

Part C: Design Choices

Currently, I have a choice between PowerPoint (which I have used in the past) and InDesign (which I tend to use for my presentations).  I can either upload to LinkedIn and SlideShare, and show my slide presentations that way; or upload the pictures to Behance (for which I already have a grid-style theme of my own), Google+, Facebook or Pinterest. 

Alternatively, I could export the presentation to a video (e.g. mpeg) and upload it to YouTube, or as a Shock Wave file (Adobe Flash) and upload it there.  What I decide to do with the presentation, I do not know, yet – all I know is that I will most likely use InDesign and make a template from that.

I have decided not to outsource yet, as it would cost extra money.  However, a professional print job might come in handy if I am to send hard copies of my portfolio to prospective clients.

Part D: Template

Here are a few examples of how my templates or page layouts may look, with margins and columns, as well as placeholder text and frames for pictures (marked with a cross as well).  Below is a template for my title page.

Please note that I have created this page for two reasons – firstly to lighten the mood (by joking about being labelled a Nazi); and secondly, to clear up the misconceptions about the real meaning.

The next two pages incorporate the three-column layout (as in the ‘rule of thirds’), while the last page layout goes back to using the swastika layout much like the first one.

A bit extra – The Swastika and Critical Thinking:

1. Describe problems.  See something that looks like a swastika.
2. Conduct research/gather information.  Find out all possible meanings of swastikas and related symbols.
3. Identify assumptions/biases.  Bias – political, cultural, racial?  Is this person really a fascist?
4. Identify and use correct language.  Different names for Swastikas?  E.g. the Whirling Log for Instance.  The Ausgrid logo?
5. Interpret data from research.  Check out the facts from the organisation’s web site?
6. Recognise propositions (if that, then this) relationships.  If Ausgrid’s logo really is a Swastika, then it must be a Totalitarian organisation.
7. Draw conclusions.  Ausgrid is concerned about reliable and safe electricity coverage statewide, and are probably concerned about safety and security issues (particularly when going out at night).
8. Test conclusions. You can measure the reliability and safety of your electricity supply through the quality of your life – in terms of your education, your social life, entertainment, safety, personal needs (cooking, cleaning), prosperity etc.
9. Review personal beliefs based on this procedure.  Hence, the swastika is a symbol of good luck and prosperity (like the whirling log) and not necessarily one of Totalitarianism.
10. Render accurate judgements about the ideas considered.  As long as Ausgrid (or any other electricity supplier) continues to provide electricity, then the quality of life will continue to improve.

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[1] Critical Thinking Community, Our Concept and Definition of Critical Thinking, http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411[16/03/2017 5:13:16 AM]

[2] Psychologist World (2017): Psychology issues – Rational Emotive Therapy, https://www.psychologistworld.com/treatments/rational-emotive-therapy.php

[3] Heller, S (2011): Designing Graphic Design History, in Rock Paper Ink, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkFkb1ghwWo –; accessed Friday, 17 March 2017 at 12:28:22 PM

[4] Jarche, H (2011): Personal Knowledge Mastery in Jarche.com, http://jarche.com/pkm/[18/03/2017 10:58:23 AM]

[5] Jarche, H (2013): Sense Making in Practice, in Jarche.com, http://jarche.com/2013/05/sense-making-in-practice/[21/03/2017 7:29:02 PM]

[6] DeBono, E (2017):  Edward deBono's Six Thinking Hats in DeBono Thinking Systems, http://www.debonothinkingsystems.com/tools/6hats.htm

[7] Chang, A (2017): Adam Chang Portfolio| Freelance Art Director | Freelance Designer: ‘Contact’ in Same Tomorrow, http://sametomorrow.com/contact/

[8] Font Shop (2007): Stephen Heller – Keynote: Iron Graphics, Branding totalitarian states in Typo Berlin, http://www.typoberlin.de/video/index.php?node_id=9&lang_id=1&ds_target_id=847

[9] Cody, M (2017): Home Page, in Cody Textiles, http://www.codytextiles.com/index.html