Design Process

My research question refers to developing designs but for me to design I had to go through a design process. So instead of developing my designs, I utilized my time to make sense of my design process using Koberg and Bagnall's design process (1981:17). The phases of the design process are acceptance, analyse, define, ideate, implementation and evaluation.

Acceptance, my process was influenced by, "What [comes] next? [which] pertains to looking backwards and looking ahead [...] this is the stage where the process both ends and begins"(Koberg and Bagnall, 1981:35). This is portrayed in my manufacturing where I looked back by using castings, photos, ideas and writing from last year and adapted them to my current body of work. In terms of looking ahead, I designed a website that combines various aspects of my work. Therefore becoming the final display of my body or work and the start of an operational business.

Analysis "pertains to finding facts and relationships," (Koberg and Bagnall, 1981:34) which I explored by examining how other jewellers produce and market their work. I also analysed how their work influences my own body of work.

To define the outcome of my body of work I generated a research question and subquestion. I then "extract[ed] the key words,"(Koberg and Bagnall, 1981:64) to help me narrow down the vast theme that is contemporary organic jeweller.

Ideate and select, I used brainstorming to determine the first/focal design for each of my collections. I then played with the elements I already had to generate variations that I selected from to produce my spin-offs to populate my website.

Implementation, I used " trial and error"(Koberg and Bagnall, 1981:92) by creating prototypes to help develop my body of work. I grouped the pieces that make up my body of work creating three collections. The pieces in each collection were grouped according to their, "common denominator"(Koberg and Bagnall, 1981:88) which became the title for each collection.

Evaluation, for each piece I recoded both my observations and reflections on my blog whilst the manufacturing process took place.