The Research Paper (An initial discussion) –

Yesterday was our first day back and it was great to see everyone again!  This week we launched straight into a discussion about the research paper needed as part of our course.  This is probably an area that I am really under confident about, but I would really like to learn more about the process of doing this.  Over Easter I continued working on my blogs relating to the idea of a derive.  In my blog the ‘Time of the Signs’ I discovered that we are actually bombarded daily in our environments, with huge amounts of information, much of which we are probably unaware.  As part of the process of producing the research paper it is essential to look at something that intrigues us, or that bothers us.  Therefore, I was debating whether the idea of subliminal, visual information overload and its effects could be a good starting point?  For example do people prefer less information or visual clutter in their world?  Does a plethora of negative information unconsciously affect a person and can this be measured?  Is there a way to limit information overload?  Up until now, I really had not considered sign posts and signs as potentially impacting our lives in a hidden way.  However we are constantly faced with this signage information.  Maybe this could be a starting point?

My other initial ideas revolve around Ai – as part of my study statement I was looking to develop a new form of human, Ai and digital art mix.  I have often wondered if people can tell the difference between the work of Ai as opposed to the work of a human and vice versa.  I was also keen to learn if people liked one above the other.  These are broad questions and ones that I suspect lots of researchers are looking into.  Although they are valid questions I would rather take a more unusual approach, so maybe my ideas about signage and subliminal information overload is the way to go.  I fell that I’ve got lots to explore and I suspect that these initial ideas could very well change over time.

Jonathan provided a set of very useful slides with key information to help with the process. I screen captured these for future reference.  We also discussed the Pomodoro technique which helps with setting aside time for study and research.  Timed breaks help with productivity.

Slides for Reference

Updated Zentangle Gallery

As usual here is the weekly update to my Zentangle gallery.