417.10 - Is there a method to my madness?

There's a bunch of methodologies I use and have used, and they often map pretty well to each other.

"Design thinking" is probably the main methodology I use, within a team, as it's straight forward, and can get everyone on the same page quickly, and is very user focused. Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Its iterative cycles mean that we can put in a place holder idea for a particular aspect of a work, then later drill down and refine it. Usually this includes brainstorming, mindmapping storyboarding and SCAMPER methodologies.

For Production, and continuous work, I use Agile (Scrum) for its flexibility.

Gamification methodology is something I like adding in to engage and motivate users.

But for creative practice research, a different methodolgy needs to be employed.

Since I know how I work, I know I need a framework to work within, otherwise I spread out like a web, and nothing ever gets done, i just cycle around making iterative prototypes exploring different ideas of the same concepts - And the prototypes are not finished works - If i bring it to "completion", I need to remember I can still iterate on that idea - I usually tend to put it out of my mind, so I have added a 6th stage of iteration planning, where I will be able to start the next cycle. This will allow a more complete creative methodology.

CREATIVE PRACTICE RESEARCH DOCUMENT

While I know I can (and do) flex this, and incorporate many other methods, I will practice cutting it back to the essentials. (KISS Principles).

In essence, this is the same thing you have been doing since you were 15, in creating VAPD's (Visual arts process diary/document)

But a CPR document has a larger scope of disciplines and application, and integrates artistic creation with academic research, so is more legitimate in a academic context. It has a different focus to a VAPD rather than JUST the process, It has the addition of scholarly outputs like an Exegesis which contextualizes and analyzes the creative process and its results.

CPR's AIM is to generate new knowledge with theoretical analysis with artistic practice.

While a VAPD is just a record keeping tool for note taking and reflection.

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So for actual progress to be made and a finished Exegesis by the deadline, the framework I will use to produce knowledge in and through the act of creating is:

Conceptualization - What is the research question? This is the "goal" and objective. Review relevant works (Lit review). Design the methodology for this specific question in context.

Production - Create, iterate, record progress.

(Reflection - Continously reflect on the process, decisions and outcomes)

Connection - Critically analyse the outputs SPECIFICALLY in context to how they address the research question. Any other bright ideas can be put into iteration plans, dont look for new ideas, and DEFINTELY dont start them now .

Documentation - (find a better word for this) THE IMPORTANT PART - Seth, this is where you FINISH something! Produce the final outputs (no matter how shit).

• a portfolio including all the artifacts,

• sketches,

• thoughts,

• blogs,

• drafts,

• reflections
  

Then write an exegesis on the whole process.

Dissemination - This maps to the DEMO of an agile sprint. Publish the thing, get feedback. Put it in an exhibition, performance, forum etc for peer review. Not just your private feed. Creatives and afficionados will get it, your friends won't.

(Iteration plans - THIS is where you put new ideas, other things to try, different questions to ask, and what you would do differently next time. Write them down, dont try to do the experiment when you think of it.)

Smith & Dean, 2009, p. 20

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-thinking/

https://midiisthemindkiller.com/news/2021/5/3/practice-led-methodology

Smith, H., & Dean, R. T. (2009). Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice in the Creative Arts. Edinburgh University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1g0b594