{ ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT THE PROPOSAL }

Proposal 1(8 votes)


Understanding how people behave on benches, how does it work as a cultural object, how people react to it and other people sitting on it.


This option came as a result of the workshop with Mrs. Sabnani
- It was an intriguing project to take up, one I could take into many directions in my final project.
- The topic allowed me to be experimental and the question was quite open-ended, but possibly limitless.
- The topic relied heavily on my observation skills, something I am somewhat confident about in myself.
- The research allowed me to study human behavior and apply its findings to my project.


Proposal 2 (1 vote)


Understanding Ruskin Bond's poetry, how poetry is visualized and what is visual elements are present in Ruskin Bond's poetry.


This option came about as the result of a discussion I had with Ms. Kalpana Subramanian, where we discussed about understanding some form of storytelling, later finding some means of visualization for it, where ma'am mentioned the fact that I may be able to contact Ruskin Bond, the famed Poet, and understand his form of storytelling for my project.
- This project, if it worked out could allow me to understand and interpret a very different form of storytelling, and attempt to visualize it under quite a prestigious guidance.
- I related a lot to Ruskin Bond's poetry as I was from the same home town as him and had grown up in the same hills and forests that he wrote about.
- There was a big chance that the project may not actualize, since I had no idea how positive the man in question would be to me coming and asking questions and feedback.
- The project would not allow my to be as experimental as I could be with my first project, I would have to follow the path laid down by the content.

{ 4 DAY 'RESEARCH' WORKSHOP with NINA SABNANI }

We attended a 4 day workshop with the esteemed Nina Sabnani, who has taught at NID for over 20 years, including some of our mentors and had recently submitted her thesis on a Visual Research project.

On the first day we ran through understanding the entire research process, then went into detail on each of the segments, performing mock research as we go along.

Day 1

On the first day, after detailing through the process, we discussed Data Collection in which we covered Observation as a means of collecting data. We were divided into groups and sent to various places as Non Participant Observers.

Our group was sent to the Centre Square Mall in Rajender Nagar. I was put on sketching duty. Once in the mall, I chose to remain seated in one place and see what all in could observe from there. After accumulating more general data, I started observing people sitting on this one bench, I looked at their body language, how long they sat, what they did, how people interacted. 

On discussion in class, some people found the observation interesting, and suggested I consider it for my research project. Which I did.

Day 2

We discussed the other means of Data Collection, including unorthodox means such as asking someone to project emotions, or realities to a drawing. We then went on to discuss Ethnography, understanding the considerations when conducting an ethnographic study.

We were then sent back to the mall to attempt to interview people. I chose to go sit on a bench opposite the one I had sat on the previous day. I sat next to 2 men already sitting. I started sketching people sitting on the opposite bench. I noticed the men sitting next to me were interested in what I was sketching. I asked if I could sketch them, they agreed and while sketching them, struck up a conversation with them. This led to a third conversation.. and I gave the men the sketches I made of them to thank them for their time. 

Day 3

We covered different means of analyzing data, particularly Semiotics, Structuralism and Propp's Morphology. We were sent out to find an image/design/poster to analyze, we had to note the foreground, mid-ground, background, size, colour, fonts, etc and draw inference from it.

Day 4

We presented our analysis, I had chose to analyze a 'Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' poster. One obvious detail I wasn't able to catch was that the sepia tones and medieval age clothing gave an idea to a viewer of the old world feel, even though the story is based on fantasy.

Each student in class was then allocated a mentor based on the direction of their research.

I was given to Ms. Ramneek Kaur. The class got divided by their mentors and we went and discussed our research questions. I presented 2 new research questions based on further contemplation *following post*. We then went and discussed them with Ms. Sabnani. 

The research question so far...

"WHAT IS THE EFFECT PLANNED VISUAL COMMUNICATION 

CAN HAVE ON AN INDIVIDUAL"

-  What are the changes in a person that communication can achieve

-  Ways of validation for visual communication and communication strategy

-  Do the different elements of a communication impact an audience

{ 2nd ATTEMPT AT A RESEARCH PROPOSAL }

I attempted to shorten down my area of research into a specific field with the second round of proposals. These I discuss with Mrs. Sumita Sarkar.

Proposal 1

Name Rishabh Arora

What is the theme or topic area that you are hoping to investigate in your research project?
Examining the impact of pro-environmental animation on an audience’s behavior. And thus understanding how an animation designer can cause the most impact.

Can you identify two or more questions that the research will help you go some way towards answering?
- What constitutes behavior change?
- How does a person interact cognitively with an animation film?
- What elements of the animation are responsible in causing change?
- Can an animator gear a film for impact?
- Till what level can an animated film asking people to act pro-environment, work?

What sort of approaches will you employ to collect data for your research enquiry? For example, if you were going to interview students – how many would you interview? What sorts of themes would you be questioning them about?
Interview audiences to such films
Case studies on films and their impact
Testing on film audience
Interview animators gearing films for impact
Literature review
Interview psychologists on behavior and design
Present findings on how to gear a pro-environmental animation film for impact

What is the purpose of your research? Why is it useful?
More and more films are being made with an objective to motivate individuals or communities to pro-environmental action; I want to attempt to understand whether its even plausible for an animation film to cause impact beyond creating awareness. Do examples of such films exist? If not, is it likely for a film to achieve that in the future?

-  Study impact of a design, not just behavior

-  Study the range of impact that can be caused

-  Possibly study the impact of Communication Design on Behavior

Proposal 2

Name Rishabh Arora

What is the theme or topic area that you are hoping to investigate in your research project?
Examining effective storytelling through interaction design in India

Can you identify two or more questions that the research will help you go some way towards answering?
- What constitutes effective storytelling
- What examples exist of effective storytelling through interaction media in India
- How can Indian interaction designers use elements from their culture to better the effectiveness of their storytelling
- How does a user interact with an interactive product, what factors are involved?

What sort of approaches will you employ to collect data for your research enquiry? For example, if you were going to interview students – how many would you interview? What sorts of themes would you be questioning them about?
Literature review
Websearch
Interview TA experiencing Indian websites
Interview Indian interaction designers attempting storytelling

What is the purpose of your research? Why is it useful?
India is a country that is doing well in absorbing new digital media like interactive products, and it has an ever growing population of people using interactive products regularly. But are we being able to communicate through these products? Is storytelling even an objective for Indian interaction designers? What are the implications of either attempting or not attempting storytelling for Indian interaction designers?

I was still pretty unclear on how to focus down my research.

{ MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL }

I knew 2 wide fields I was interested in researching:

-  Analyzing stories and story structure

-  Behavioral understanding of people, in context to Communication Design

I gave 3 proposals which were discussed and voted on in class, and people's opinion was gathered.

Proposal 1 (0 votes)

What will you research?

To study the relevance of storytelling in communication design today. What is its impact on the viewer/audience?

What will I try to answer?

What is storytelling?

What is the history of storytelling?

How has communication design been impacted in various fields by storytelling?

How culturally relevant is storytelling?

Does storytelling’s affect an audience?

To what extent is its effect on the audience?

What is digital storytelling? What principles from historical forms of storytelling are carried forward, and which are not? What new principles does digital storytelling involve?

Is storytelling a human phenomenon?

Does an audience benefit from storytelling?

Are their adverse effects of storytelling?

Where all is storytelling relevant? And where is it not?

What constitutes a good story?

Where will you go? Who will you talk to?

Libraries, theatres, design houses, advertising agencies, traditional artists, storytellers, writers, filmmakers, animators, art historians, people from different age groups, different communities, countries, backgrounds.

Why is it of use?

Since we are getting into an increasingly faster paced society fewer thinkers are taking the time to develop stories, fewer people are taking the time to notice stories, paying lesser attention to them. Movie’s are being dumbed down, Companies becoming more and more generic and separated from audience, globalization is causing cultures to fade away, the need to understand the importance of storytelling is urgent.

Proposal 2 (6 votes)

What will you research?

Is it important to have story structure? Have structures evolved or changed over time? Are story structures over different media (book design, film, animation, etc) correlated or distinct and different of each other?

What will it answer?

What is a story structure?

How many different types story structure exists, which ones are common where?

Can the absence of a structure be a good thing?

Is big companies adopting set story structures a good thing?

Understand the history of the development of story structures.

Have events in history shaped story structure?

What are the differences of story structures across media and situations?

What principles are involved in a story structure?

What constitutes a good story structure?

Do audiences notice story structures at some level? How much are they affected by it?

Where will you go? Who will you ask?

Filmmakers, Stroyboard artists, Writers, Scriptwriters, Movie lovers, Book readers, Art directors, Editors, Comic book Artists.

Why is it of use?

Story structure segregates different parts of the story and makes it understandable to an audience, It provides movement and impact to a story. It is required to carry forward a story. I want to try and understand the arguments of story structure, Is experimentation in structure dying? Where companies like Dreamworks, Pixar, HBO, Fox are now set in stone about their story structure, and experimentation lies on the edges of independent cinema. Is it growing? As the print media becomes more and more of a luxury, book art is growing in momentum as a movement.

Proposal 3 (11 votes)

What will you research?

How can design facilitate learning? Is the value of design more than just improving visual aesthetics? To what extent can design help improve accessibility and input of information or behavior?

What will it answer?

What constitutes learning?

To what extent can design help one retain and spread information?

Is the learning caused, operant or conditioned?

Has design changed courses in trend and history?

Where does one segregate visual appeal from effective design?

To what extent can design cause behavioral change?

Are present generations more affected by design than others?

Is the learning effect of design different in different communities, age groups and peer interactions?

Is there a divide in design that has proven effective in the market and that which is awarded?

Is design responsible in the viral nature of advertising?

What are a designer’s responsibilities if their design is causing behavioral change in people?

Where will you go? Who will you ask?

Conducting surveys, Talk to Psychologists, Advertisers, Art historians, Design critics, designers in various fields.

Why is it of use?

What segregates design from art? Art the 2 intermingling too much that design is losing its purpose? Is design being judged by how beautiful it looks or by effective it is?

People are moving or being manipulated by design more than ever before, we as designers have to understand to what extent people are behaving towards design, and there in understand our responsibilities.

-  Too vast

-  Too Vague

-  Well thought out proposals

-  Each question could be a topic in itself

I then discussed the 3rd proposal with one of my mentors Mrs. Sumita Sarkar to understand how one goes about studying Behavioral change. She in turn discussed it with someone with knowledge the area of study.

-  Behavioral change cannot be measured over a short period of time.

{ MODULE GUIDE }

1.Name of the Course	:	Communication Design in B.A. (Honours) Degree Programmes
2. Module Code	:	37C RPR
3. Module Title	:	Research Project
4. Aim of the Module: To identify a problem area in communication and propose a solution or direction for the same, supported with research.
5. Contact Hours			:	80 hours
6. Recommended Independent Study Load			:	220 hours
7. Module Content: ·         Identify a chosen area for research ·         Collect information by applying research methods and tools, ·         Critically analyse the results, and compile them into a report ·         Conceptualize and propose innovative solutions/ directions for further work
8. Indicative Reading: ·         Yin Robert K., 2002,  Case Study Research : Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods), SAGE Publications Salant Priscilla and Dillman Don A., 1994, How to Conduct Your Own Survey, Wiley Miles Matthew B. and Huberman Matthew B. Michael, 1994, Qualitative Data Analysis : An Expanded Sourcebook, SAGE Publications Creswell John W, 2002, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, SAGE Publications
9. Learning & Teaching Methods: Lectures,  presentations, portfolio, project
10. Learning Outcomes : On completion of this module the students will be able to: ·      Identify an area of interest ·      Demonstrate an ability to initiate research and self-study in the chosen area ·      Demonstrate a synthesis of overall diagnostic, analytical, and creative abilities in research
11. Module Assessment	:	Report 100%
12. Credits	:	30

Module guide

Level 3 (2010-09)

BA Hons. Communication Design

Research Project

Faculty: Sumita Sarkar, Ramneek Majithia, Kalpana Subramanyam, and Shilpi Burman,

Number of Credits: 30

Core module

Module Assessment: Report (Weight 100%)

Introduction to the module

This module is about learning to do research and then from the research conclusion arriving at a brief for a degree project in which you will apply what you have learned through your research done in this module.

What is design?

Research in design does not have a clear cut methodology as experienced in science, sociology, psychology, medicine, etc. This does not decrease the importance of research to build our own discipline. The word ‘design’ itself is difficult to categorize. (Lunenfeld, Design Research and methods, p 10). Charles Eames defined design as a problem solving activity - ‘A plan for arranging elements in such a way as to best accomplish a particular purpose.’ (Eames, 1972, DR&M, p 10). Quite often design is taken to be problem solving within the context of a market. The Design Council website states ‘Design is where creativity meets innovation, where original insights are converted to ideas, and then translated into useful products or services.’ Serges Gagnon describes design as a ‘cultural appropriation of technology’ which leads to research which is about influence of technology on culture. Design research is essential because it is this that brings together theory and practice and makes design work as a result stronger, provide more value, and interpret the ever changing culture around us.

What is design research?

Designers are often seen as mere stylists who make objects more palatable. Many people have tried to define design research and identify methodologies peculiar to it. This is by no means resolved yet. So, as students of design research you will need to understand that this is a vast field where people are searching to define design research. Sir Christopher Frayling, 1993, has identified three distinct modes of design research:

a. Research into design: This includes understanding history, aesthetics, etc. of design. This often overlaps and resembles art. E.g delving into issues of traditional folk art, etc.

b. Research through design: This is project based, includes finding solutions at a result of the research, to fulfill existing or already defined needs or aspirations.  This kind of research would include audience analysis, gap analysis, insighting, media analysis, etc. for branding, campaign development in order to inform, persuade, promote, change attitude, etc.

c. Research for design: The purpose of this research is to create new needs, new objects and services as a result of the research and then prove its value. In this category, recently digital technologies have led the discussion to be shifted from products to services to collaborations across groups of people and sub-cultures creating an understanding for new needs, etc.

e. Design as research: Action research has added design media as tools for collecting data. This has lead to visual methods of doing research itself. Visual research data is then analysed to arrive at conclusion about changing cultural, technological, etc. norms.  

Based on the aims of your design research you will choose appropriate methods to collect data. In brief, design research can be about people, form, process or action. The research methods can be experimental, qualitative, quantitative, speculative, and experiential, practice-based, action-oriented, discovery-led, poetic, formal, structural or process driven. The context of the research can be commercial, market-led, academic or exploratory. The subjects of the research can be designers themselves, designed objects, users, audiences, customers, or organizations. The domains of the research can be products or services, theory, practice, entertainment, information, branding, etc.

Finally design is not only about markets and business. It is about working for the greater good of society finding ways to understand culture and society, improve our world and environment, the way people live, govern, and learn and much more. So, the ultimate aim of design research is to find ways to do this- to make the world a better and smarter place.( DR&P, p14)

Like John Seely Brown, Chief Scientist of PARC, Xerox, said ‘Its got to be theory, practice and purpose.’ (DR&P, p14).

The Aim

To identify a problem area in communication and propose a solution or direction for the same, supported with research.

The Content

·         Identify a chosen area for research

·         Collect information by applying research methods and tools

·         Critically analyse the results, and compile them into a report

·         Conceptualize and propose innovative solutions/ directions for further work

·         Create a design brief for your degree project

Where do you begin?

The different stages of your research project will be:

1.     Planning and preparing for research by writing the proposal

2.     Contextual study through literature, observation and appropriate sources

3.     Defining the research objectives and questions in relation to the context

4.     Giving a rationale for the methods and tools adopted

5.     Generating and gathering data

6.     Evaluating, analyzing and interpreting the outcomes

7.     Documenting the research findings and conclusions

8.     Developing a design brief for your degree project applying your research findings

1.        Planning and preparing for research

Writing the proposal

You need to start with a proposal for your research.

To begin with identify your areas of interest, where your passions lie. Convert this into your main research question.  Describe the following:

What is the theme or topic area that you are hoping to investigate in your research project?

Ask yourself What? Why? How?and  So what?

Structure of the proposal

a.     Do a little contextual study of the area and then describe the area briefly but accurately.

b.     Why is this area important to you?

c.      What is the purpose of your research? Why is it useful?

d.     What are the key resources you will use for your contextual study in terms of books, exhibitions, literature, visual material, etc.

e.     What is the overview question your research is going to answer? What are the smaller questions? (Not more than 4).

f.      For each research question identify the method by which you will collect data. Give details of data, questions, etc.  E.g If you are going to interview students – how many would you interview? What are your questions?

g.     What are the tools for analysis?

h.     Create a project schedule

Process of doing research

1.     Contextual study through literature, observation and appropriate sources

2.     Define the research objectives and questions in relation to the context. You may want to write a hypothesis against each question.

3.     Give a rationale for the methods and tools adopted

4.     Generate and gather the data

5.     Evaluate, analyze using appropriate tools and interpret the outcomes, highlight the conclusions

6.     Identify future areas of research

7.     Document the research findings and conclusions

8.     Developing a design brief for your degree project applying your research findings

9.     Write your reflective note

Vocabulary:

Research methods, experimental, qualitative, quantitative, speculative, and experiential, practice-based, action-oriented, discovery-led, poetic, formal, structural or process driven, research context, market-led, academic, exploratory, data collection, analysis.

Essential Reading:

·       Gray, Carole and Malines, Julian, 1988, Visualizing Research: A Guide to the Research Process in Art and Design, Ashgate, UK

·       Kumar, Ranjit, 1996, Research Methodology, A step-by-step guide for beginners, Sage Publications, London, Thousand Oaks, New

Delhi.

·       Creswell John W., 2002, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, second edition, SAGE Publications

Indicative Reading:

·       Yin Robert K., 2002, Case Study Research : Design and Methods (Applied Social Research Methods),  third edition, SAGE Publications

·       Salant Priscilla and Dillman Don A., 1994, How to Conduct Your Own Survey, Wiley

·       Noble, Ian and Bestley, Russell, 2005, Visual Research, an introduction to research methodologies in Graphic Design, AVA publications, UK

·       Sanoff, Henry, 1991, Visual Research Methods in Design, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York

Websites:

http://visualizingresearch.info/

Module Plan

Sept 22- 29: Presentation of 3 probably topics for research

October 1: Proposal v1 submission

October 2 to 18: CWG break

October 18-21 : Research workshop

October 26: Discussion with mentors

Nov 1: Submission of final proposals

Nov 8: Contextual study and collection of data

Nov 15:  Analysis of data

Nov 18-22: Presentation of conclusions and

Nov 25: Submission of project, reflective note

Nov 29: Jury

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, the student should be able to:

·       Identify an area of interest

·       Demonstrate an ability to initiate research and self-study in the chosen area

·       Demonstrate a synthesis of overall diagnostic, analytical, and creative abilities in research

How the work will be assessed

Assessment: Report (Weight 100%)

The report will be assessed as a whole. The different parts of it are described below: 

Your Blog: This is will be individually maintained and named as follows: Madhvi’s Research project. All logs will be accessed from one master blog in which all the mentors will be administrators and all students ‘followers’. The blog will be updated daily. In this you will record discussions with your mentors, peers, experts, etc., your learning from reading, observation, etc. You must add videos, visuals where you can. Give links to materials read or seen. Do add what is important to you and your conclusions in your own words. Add references when you take from others. Start your blog with the module guide and module specifications, your initial 3 topics for research, evolution to the final topic, proposal v1, 2, 3, etc. till your final proposal on the days each happened. Report on your learning from each of the workshop days.

Research journal including research log table duly filled in: Your research journal will be a plastic folder. Add transparent pockets. This will start with a copy of the module specifications and module guide, followed with your tabular research log (The format is given in this module guide). It should sequentially contain photocopies of material read, highlighted, conclusions scribbled in your writing, references and dates. Add any visuals or any other relevant material.

Research document- printed and electronic with annexure and appendix which include the presentations.

Format of research report  

·         Aim of the Project,

·         Acknowledgement,

·         Table of Contents,

·         Introduction,

·         Contextual Study,

·         Research Objectives, Hypothesis, Research Methodology,

·         Sampling Design,

·         Findings and Analysis,

·         Conclusions,

·         Annexure,

·         Appendices

The points to watch out for:

·         The research topic must be  current, relevant, and useful and of interest to you

·         Use a logical, coherent structure which presents your data and conclusions in a clear way.  Always emphasize on clarity, focused, concise study.

·         Your work must show evidence of extensive reading (breadth and depth) using a range of appropriate contextual materials and up-to-date sources including books, journals, reports the Internet

·         Do not forget to use correct formats of referencing and citations.

·         The cover reflects the content, is appropriately designed and uses appropriate materials in sync with content of your research. E.g. Research about sustainability should reflect the philosophy in the materials used for the document.

·         The look and feel reflects the subject and the document is attractive.

·         No spelling or grammar errors

·         No plagiarism

·         Harvard referencing is used.

·         Pages are numbered.

Parameters of assessment:

·         Statement of Problem

·         Critical Evaluation of Literature

·         Methodology

·         Analysis and Results

·         Summary, Recommendations, and Conclusion

·         Presentation and professionalism