Mindful reflection and mapping of learning experiences in a virtual design studio during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thesis statement

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Class: Design Research 3 - Autumn 2021 Advanced VCD 1 - Autumn 2021

Timeline: 5 months - August-December 2021

Project Type: Senior Thesis, ****Design Research, Design Education

Software: InDesign, Illustrator, Miro, Google Forms

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Introduction

As part of my undergraduate senior thesis, I played the role of researcher and designer. My topic focused on the impact COVID-19 had on the design studio experience of undergraduate industrial, interior and visual communication designers.

The primary deliverable was a sentiment journal highlighting key points from the research participants. This was supported with a visual system, experience map, presentation + workshop, and infographic system.

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Research & Planning

Understanding what the problem was and who it effects was the first crucial step of the process. After mapping out the problem, I could begin the process of identifying possible solutions.

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Survey > Interview?

I am of the opinion that surveys don’t provide the same value that interviews do. In an ideal world, I would’ve interviewed both students and professors. Time constraints and participant availability prevented me from doing interviews and including professors. Since I needed to connect with a large amount of participants in a short amount of time, a survey was used.

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Insights

The results were mixed. Each student had their unique preferences for many things.