Tutor Meeting Notes: Clarifying the Brief

After meeting with my lecturer, a few important points about the brief became much clearer.

For the weekly research tasks, any work that involves observing or analysing the environment needs to be based on home, rather than where I am currently travelling. These tasks are separate from the final project and are intended to ground our thinking in a familiar context. The focus here is on demonstrating understanding of the task rather than directly feeding the final outcome.

The final project itself, however, does not need to be local. It can be rooted in geography, but it could also be centred around an artist, a cultural movement, a musical scene, a band, or a piece of heritage connected to where I come from. What matters most is clarity of focus and an awareness of who the audience is. The project should communicate something meaningful to a defined group, rather than trying to speak to everyone.

One possible direction discussed was the idea of telling a small or overlooked story. This could be part of a much larger issue or subject that exists but does not receive the attention it deserves at home. This might relate to a community, a practice, or a cultural moment that is often ignored, underrepresented, or taken for granted. The emphasis is on identifying something important that is not being adequately seen or discussed.

The overarching theme of History and Futures applies to the whole module. The aim is to look at stories that already exist and consider how they might be re-examined, reformed, or remodelled for a new purpose. This could involve looking at something historic that is disappearing or losing relevance and exploring how design might help reframe or revive it. Key ideas here are reforming, remodelling, and distilling information or narratives into new forms.

In terms of assessment, the marking criteria are available online and should be referred to regularly. There will also be a Week 5 webinar focused entirely on the essay, which will be one hour long, recorded, and available to revisit. In addition, the Academic Skills team are available to support the essay specifically, and drafts can be sent to them for feedback. There are also online resources available to support critical writing.

Finally, the studio submission will be a 40-page document, with approximately 30 pages dedicated to research, reinforcing the importance of process, context, and development rather than just the final outcome.