This webinar was particularly useful because it showed examples of previous student work and helped me understand how the Critical Report should connect directly to Studio Practice. Rather than treating the written report and final design as two separate outcomes, the strongest projects used research to gradually build an argument for why their final design response was needed.
My main takeaway was that I do not need to decide my outcome too early. Although I am currently considering an airport accessibility app, my research should first establish the problem, investigate existing responses and identify a genuine gap.
The previous projects demonstrated a clear progression:
Research question → understanding the subject → existing approaches → primary research → identifying a gap → design response → testing and refinement
This made me think differently about my own project. Instead of starting with an app idea and then seeking evidence to justify it, I need to let the research determine the most appropriate design intervention.
One of the strongest lessons was how previous students structured their reports so that each section naturally led to the next.
For my project, this could progress through:
The final design should therefore be the result of the research, rather than something decided beforehand.