| Research as Practice
A key part of my design process is imbedding myself within the environments for which I am an outsider. Through interviewing those involved, often uncovering issues outside of first expectations, those may manifest as key stakeholders or muses for the design. Innovative solutions come from subverting the typical with a dash of critical consideration of local and foreign disciplines. Without research into context and disciplinary cross-pollination, one will increasingly fall back on precedent, never providing disruption.
| Extension through technique
Each technique, technology or method of synthesis provides for its own advantages in generation, to produce outcomes beyond those that first came to mind. Whether working in design practice, education or art, I strive to explore new processes and production; Continually being self critical of outcomes, developing techniques that provide answers outside the norm first hand. The ideal tool may live outside of those familiar to a discipline and require investigation outside. Those passé for some are revolutionary for another, I aim to understand the relevance of each technique through exploration, importing them into a context where they are relevant yet underutilised.
| Medium =/= Message
How representational modes affect communication is of critical importance. It is through medium we develop ideas and mediate our intent for collaboration with those outside of our discipline. Through research during my masters thesis I’ve unpacked the advantages and shortcomings of the communication tools typical of intangible heritage and culture in Australia, in turn re-evaluate how experimental techniques offer a means of translation where convention falls short. One must be mindful if a medium is suitable for a given audience, as an interface that transcends discipline; otherwise we fail to exchange intents, meanings and messages.
Through these tenets I guide my work: to unpack a context through the lens of audience or stakeholder; to synthesize a response through techniques typical and imported; communicated via appropriate medium to engage across audience, community and client. In turn reconfigure the initial assumptions allowing one to question if the techniques provide outcomes specific to the issues at hand or if medium is appropriate to break down barriers
Through each project, regardless of content or context, I see a platform for understanding perspectives drastically different to my own. To work collaboratively with tools alien to some but valuable for all parties. To synthesise solutions otherwise impossible without acknowledgement of the values each position and realm of expertise provides. Otherwise we will blindly follow the status quo, providing non-ideal outcomes through unquestioned technique upon broad assumptions, miscommunicated to those who matter most.
For more thoughts… start here or see some of my projects below:
