On reflection of this task, I believe that it was a very
positive way to broaden my design knowledge further than what is covered in
university practice. Using real world case studies has opened my eyes to ongoing
projects and objectives, like Nike's RE100 campaign, and their global reach. This
will have a positive effect on my future projects as I now know how some of the
largest companies are approaching their design practices and the sort of
designers they are looking for.
Researching
for some of the topics was harder than others, as certain practices like apparel,
or ethics in design where not in my skill set. This was a great experience as
it, has allowed me to see different forms of design, and this allowed me to see
the design industry as a collective movement.
One specific product which was
difficult to find academic sources was the Nike Pro Hijab (figure 1). This product
was very recent and did not have and corresponding books, therefore I was limited
to online research and more unconventional research tools like twitter, for
athletes who had reacted to the hijab design. This was a new experience. Areas where
I found the research much easier where the affect of gender on design. This was
a very simple area to research as there are multiple fields which could be
investigated, like, children’s toys, gender specified design, or actual female
designers.
 |
Figure 1, A women in a Nike Pro Hijab being developed for
Muslim women athletes: Nike
|
The most difficult part of this task was limiting the word
count to 400. This meant that I had to cut out a large amount of relevant information,
to seed out the important information. This is a great way to ensure that the
work is concise and it is a skill which is much needed in academic work. Furthermore,
this develops the skills needed to create a blog, where some of it can be
passive reading, meaning getting to the point at hand quickly will create a
better piece of written work.
If I was to continue with a blog I believe that, I would
focus my writing on, current designs which are coming out, likely in the
technology and sporting industries. Design ethics is also an area which I am interested
in, as it even questions my own thoughts on design and what my own responsibilities
are.
Image list
Figure 1…… A woman in a Nike Pro Hijab being
developed for Muslim women athletes: Nike
Bibliography
NIKE (2017)
A women poses in a Nike hijab being developed for Muslim women athletes.
[Online image] Available from: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nike-hijab-idUSKBN16F2N1 [Accessed 15/03/2017]
