Rosedale Research

PROBLEM/QUESTION:
AUDIENCE:

• middle-school-age kids (from 11–13 years old) in rosedale.

• they know the basic facts of nutrition and exercise, but they are not ready to implement the knowledge they have been given.

FACTS:

• 51% of kids in rosedale are obese.

• average income is $37,000

• 89% of kids are on the free lunch program.

• kids who eat school lunch are 29% more likely to be overweight.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR WE WANT TO CHANGE:
HOW WE’LL MEASURE THE RESULTS:

how can we lower the obesity rate among rosedale middle school students?

we want to change the eating habits of middle school kids by exposing them to healthier choices.

we’ll be able to see whether the obesity rate lowers.

MX: Community

The first community I felt that I belonged to was the art community. I identified myself with the more liberal students that were beside me as opposed to the highly conservative students I went to school with. With the new artsy students I found an acceptance of difference and individuality in the pursuit of creativity. North Face vs. paint splattered clothes.

Another community I feel I belong to is the Reddit community. Though we do not know each other intimately we share the same love of sharing what we find on the internet and in our lives. Reddit also has subreddits where members can ask for help and share their problems. Most responses are truly trying to help and you can find compassion.

As an introvert these communities feel like a home for me. They give me engagement in social activities, but do not overwhelm me and suck out all of my energy. They allow you to be an individual without the pressure of conforming to a acceptable norm.

First MX Post

I agree with the theory of multiple intelligence, and the separation into multiple abilities which are more specific than the current system, which relies heavily on reading and math.  The multiple abilities account for what is missing from the standardization of testing; the inevitability of individuality in the challenges of educating large groups of students. I do not believe having a preference or natural talent in any one ability over another ability limits what a person can achieve. I believe that humans have a universe of possibilities within themselves. To say one person can not learn something is to discredit the entire human race and what we are capable of. It is possible to be cynical of the motivations behind human actions, but to question our possibility to do amazing and unforeseen things is too far. Human creativity, rationalization, perseverance, and adaptation is critical for us in forging our futures, as it was in our past. There are schools of thought that believe that the first critical step in our becoming humans was when our first ancestors started creating what was deemed as nonessential goods like jewelry and decorative goods.

After doing the test to learn what type of learner I am, Type 2, and looking at the list of qualities for this type I have been affirmed of what I believed earlier. My strength lies in ideas, and the conceptual world, which I work out of to reach the empirical. After this process I learn from the concrete to further inform my ideas in the future. I examine the relationships between the material and the essence. I live in my head and question all.

After watching the Ken Robinson video, for what I feel like is the billionth time, I have mixed feelings. The standard for education, math and reading, is essential for some life processes and success. I also believe math and reading are highly critical in learning other abilities. Math and reading act as a base for other abilities to grow on top of. Sadly these other higher abilities are not covered with the same importance or amount of time in pubic education. Analyzing while reading and understanding the abstraction and arbitrariness of what we deem as concrete leads to questioning. Those who question are hard to control so its not really surprising critical thought is not stressed through creativity for the sake of malleability and control of the masses. Too many free thinkers could be scary for governments and their sponsors, the corporations. I do not believe the lack on emphasis on the arts, deep critical thought rooted in rationalization, and free thinking individuality came about arbitrarily.

http://www.ted.com/talks/charles_leadbeater_on_education.html

Charles Leadbeater offers a new form of education that is rising in developing countries. This education stems at the beginning from a search for a specific answer and not the imparting of general knowledge. The student begins the process of learning by finding what is important to them. I believe this relates with the instinctual need to survive in humans. Our interest lies in what we feel is best for us and furthers our worth. I also feel that economically this would be a better system as the student starts earlier learning skills that would be important for their means of supporting themselves and what they have to offer to others in their community. Less time would be wasted on subjects or skills that are unimportant to the student. The search for the answer will begin when it is pertinent.

Moving Forward From User Experience

Moving forward from this class I will take with me the ability and processes needed to research my audiences. This will help me specifically target my audience and give me a better chance in succeeding in my communication with them.

Hand Built

To conceptualize the event’s name, we created our artifact’s aesthetics from hand shaped play clay objects. This works well with our proposed Art Tent activity, the Play Clay Workshop.

We wanted to literally touch on the notion of hand built sculptures by hand building sculptures and allowing the kids to do the same. As the children visit each sculpture on the map, they will collect color packets that can be used to dye their own play clay when they make it at the art tent workshop. The children can then create their own sculptures and work on a huge group masterpiece.

Families and groups who participate in the event will receive this envelope when they enter the sculpture park. The envelope itself acts as the map, while containing an informational booklet.

As they move through the sculpture park, the envelope can also serve as a container for color packets of all the children as they visit each sculpture.

The inside of the booklet has information about all of the activities that are occurring during the celebration. It also provides further information about each sculpture to allow for another level of interaction. 

Iphone Index Cards

ADAA

Title

Folly Jazz Series: Vanguard Jazz Orchestra

Description

My process was to create a collage that was playful, experimental, dynamic, and was a visual representation of a jazz arrangement. I wanted the music to explode off of the sheet music paper background. The colors then introduced are visual representations of repetition, phrasing, tone, and the band's history dating back to 1966. Lines that were kept black reference classical music notation such as the staff. 

Objective

1. Author content in a way that best exemplifies the appropriate and creative use of the following rhetorical figures: irony, pun, parody, metonymy, metaphor, allegory, hyperbole, personification, antithesis, or synecdoche.

2. Cleary communicate the message (jazz concert) for the intended audience (new) and context (Folly theater).

3. Exemplify refined and engaging image making, typography, hierarchy, composition and color sensibilities.

Number of Pieces

1

Size

36 in. by 48 in.

Date of Completion

September 21, 2011

How Adobe Products Were Used

Adobe Photoshop was used to edit the initial black and white collage that I created. The program allowed me to structurally fix and change the collage. Photoshop also gave me the ability to add color and texture; tying my poster closer to the historical aesthetic I was aiming for. Adobe Illustrator was used to place the text.

Products used

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Working with THE MAP

Moving on from user testing day Jessi and I will have to work on how the block building is displayed and how the Fountain sits inside of it. Issues arose from trying to find the exact placement of sculptures and so we will have to resolve their placements and key visual clues.

Studiomate User Testing

Audience Specific Final Deliverable