Week 3 Critical Analysis

GCOM 360

Week 3 Critical Analysis

 

  • Describe the professional design process (Be sure to mention all major stages, as well as the roles involved).

 In A Model of The Creative Process poster, it says that, “The creative process is classically described (Wallas, 1926) as Preparation Incubation Illumination Verification”. [1]

  1. The first design process stage is Preparation. The role involved in preparation is Explorer.

It is when the explorer of a design team sets a specific objective, takes time to collect relevant information, and looks for ideas to explore the possibilities for project development.

  1. The second design process stage is Incubation. The role involved in incubation is Artist.

Charlie explained, “It’s during this phase that your conscious and subconscious minds are working on the idea, making new connections, separating out unnecessary ideas, and grabbing for other ideas.”[2] Just like he said, in this stage the artist is combing through all the information collected in the earlier stage, linking ideas together, and trying to make sense of it all.

  1. The third design process stage is Illumination. The role involved in illumination is Artist.

The illumination stage is the “Eureka Moment” when a great idea or solution occurs in the artist’s mind that could lead the team to achieving the objective.

  1. The last design process stage is Verification. The role involved in verification is Critic.

It is the stage when the design team reviews all the work they’ve done and uses critical thinking to analyze if anything else can be modified or improved to better suit the target audience’s needs.

 

  • Why is having a process essential?

 Firstly, having a creative process is helpful in executing an idea and bringing it to life. By following a well-documented process, it gives us a sense of order. Therefore, we are more likely to be kept away from the distractions of busy lives, staying focused and on track with our goals.

Secondly, as mentioned in A Model of The Creative Process, “The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out ‘in the large’ and ‘in the small’—in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance.”[1] The iterative and recursive properties of the creative process ensure improved and augmented final results. Each successive verification is one step closer to perfection; ultimately it will create a product that satisfies target users and benefits the business client the most.

 

  • Where do you feel you might best fit into the process, i.e., which roles you’re best suited for now, or would like to know more about and grow into?

 I might fit best into the incubation and illumination stages. I’ve been doing designs with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator for several years, so I have some experience with implementing ideas and presenting them visually. Along with what I’m learning in the GCOM 360 UI design class, I will be doing well in “Choosing the Style of the Interface”[3] and “Choosing and Creating the Preview Form”[3] if I go into the UI development industry in the future.

I’d like to know more about “Style Validation”[3] so that I can improve my verbal skills when communicating with customers, in order to make modifications and adjustments more efficiently to the UI design, and be a better team player.

 

References

  1. “A Model of The Creative Process”. Dubberly Design Office. Mar 20, 2009.
  2. “The 4 Steps of the Creative Process”. Charlie Gilkey. Sep 29, 2008.
  3. “User Interface Development Flow. 8-step Process”. Django Stars. May 31, 2017.

 

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