Creative Projects

At the end of each module, you will prepare one in-depth creative work. Each of these creative projects will directly connect to the topics introduced in the module.

Each project will be explained with a detailed brief. This brief will provide context and guidance on the nature of the project, constraints that you must apply and adhere to, and things you should think about as you create your work. The brief will also tell you if there are tools, ideas, or technologies you must work with.

Some of the projects will be independent and some will be collaborative. Independent projects will give you a chance to hone your own skills and apply the things you’re learning. Collaborative projects will pair you with students who can support your skillset and interests.

Process

Introduction: Approximately two weeks before it’s due you’ll be introduced to the creative project
Proposal: You’ll then develop an outline of what your project will be.
Desk Crit: Where possible, modules will include time for a ‘desk crit’. This will be an opportunity for you to talk about your idea with the instructor and TAs. It’ll be a chance to get feedback on your concept as well precedents to look at and methods and approaches to incorporate. For the desk crit, you should be prepared with some outline sketches, research or precedents to discuss. When you’re not getting feedback, use the time to develop your project.
Submission: You’ll submit the work online to the IDeATe Gallery the day before class.
Digital Review: Before class you will give detailed feedback to 2 or 3 of your classmates projects (Note: This is part of your participation grade for the course). The feedback should be constructive and highlight open questions, opportunities, needed improvements and next steps.
In Class Review: We’ll pick a handful of projects that would benefit from deeper discussion. The creator will quickly present their outcome and then as a group we’ll spend time examining it in detail.

Submitting your work

In all cases, you’ll use the IDeATe Gallery to document and submit your work.

The brief will describe what you should include in your documentation (specific sections). The Gallery will also give you a template for these sections. Pay attention to these prompts, but don’t feel bound by them (edit, add or modify as needed).

All work should be submitted by 9pm the night before class. Why? Because before class you’ll be asked to review and give feedback on other projects. You’ll also be asked to help choose what work we review in class too. If it’s submitted late, you won’t get feedback.

Preparing good documentation

There’s no perfect template for documentation and every artist, designer or creative practioner has their own preferences. But the heart of good documentation is curation. This means the thoughful assembly of only the best media to showcase your idea or outcome.

In some cases this means revealing your process and talking about that more than the outcome itself. In other times, its about frontloading the outcome. Think about questions like order: should the outcome appear right at the beginning or do you want to lead into it?

Don’t overstuff your documentation. Avoid lenghty text descriptions (anything over 150 words is probably too much). Don’t include every single photo or video. Don’t upload raw video.

The best thing you can do to start preparing good documentation: find an example of an artist or creative practioner who’s done a great job and follow their lead (emulate!)

And… read our guide on preparing good project documentation.

Giving Feedback online

As part of each creative exercise, you’ll review your peers work digitially. You’ll also do this on the IDeATe Gallery.

When giving feedback you should start by reading the documentation in detail. Ask if there’s anything that’s unclear or if you can understand the outcome. Provide constructive feedback on how they could improve how they explain their project. Then think about the connections to concepts in the module or artists work that you’ve encountered? Have they missed any obvious connections or is there research/ideas/methods they should have mentioned? Finally look at their outcome itself? What would you do to improve it, what are the quick additions that would make it better and what might they do to push it in a new or interesting direction?

Below are some framing questions for your critique:

Are you able to clearly understand the project, its goals and intent from the documentation?
Have you highlighted strengths of the work?
Have you highlighted shortcomings of the work?
Have you supported these with a disciplinary, technical or theoretical rationale for why it is a strength or weakness? i.e. is it more than just your personal or aesthetic prefernces?
Have you suggested actionable next steps for the project?
Do the suggestions directly or indirectly relate to the project’s goals?
Do you suggest relevant connections or relationships to other work in the domain (artists, outcomes, creative projects) that would be useful for the creators to know about?
Is your feedback clear, relevant and to the point?
Is the tone of your feedback appropriate i.e. candid but not hostile?

Preparing for a critique

We’ll dedicate one class per module to a full critique of works. In this class we’ll ask a small number of projects to present.

The presentation will be short and focused (no more than 3-5 minutes max!)

Then everyone in the room will be invited to provide comment, suggestion and discussion around the outcome.

It can seem daunting at first to have an open review of work like this, but remember that it’s designed to help you learn how to improve your work!

Read our guide on design critiques.