Module 1: Week 2: The Creative Challenge

Rapid Ideation Techniques

The fist technique I applied was to create a mind map. I found this a useful way to order my thoughts. However, I used an online tool Miro for the first time and as I wasn’t used to the software I think it slowed down my flow. I will need to set some time aside to learn the software to make it a more effective tool to support my practice.

I took inspiration from a song that I had been listening to called Pills by St Vincent. I think it was almost a subconscious decision as the song was in my head. Once I had decided on the song I found the lyrics and read through them to better understand the story and what the artist was trying to convey. I used the chorus and verses 1 and 2 for inspiration:

The song lyrics:

I spent a year suspended in air

My mind on the gap, my head on the stairs

from healers to dealers and then back again

From guru to voodoo and voodoo to zen

Pills to wake pills to sleep

Pills, pills, pills, everyday of the week

Pills to work pills to think

Pills, pills, pills for the family

Pills to grow pills to shrink

Pills, pills, pills and I get stiff drink

pills to **** pills to eat

Pills, pills, pills down the kitchen sink

I’m behind the wheel

I’m leaving your state

I can’t even swim in these waves that I make

From the bath to the train and the plane to the stage

to the beds to **** **** to the money I’ve made

Then I used the Crazy Eights technique to develop my concept. I only had A4 paper so I used 2 sheets a think black marker and timeboxed for 10 minutes maximum:

Picture 1: Is a pill bottle each of the pills has a lyric from the song.

Picture 2: a person in the sea hanging on to a pill as a float.

Picture 3: Giant pills for everyday of the week.

Picture 4: I have personified the pills one is large with Grow written on the other is small with shrink

Picture 5: This image is based on Ophelia the water lilies have been replaced by pills to represent drowning

Picture 7: Drowning in a wave of pills

Picture 6: This is a zoodoo and a zen symbol I have replaced some of the elements of the symbols with pills

Picture 8: Open eye representing being awake, closed eye representing being asleep

Execution of the artifact

Software

I have not used design or editing software for 12 years so I wasn’t sure where to start with this. I had used Adobe during my degree, so I downloaded Adobe Creative Cloud software. I also downloaded Figma as this had been recommended the tutors as the best UX Design tool. I am intending to download Procreate.

Hardware

I have ordered a basic Wacom Graphic Pad so that I can work on digital illustration, and also an Apple Pencil as I already had an iPad that I can utilise for illustration.

Challenges

As it has been such a long time since I have used design software the interface is quite different. I found it hard to navigate my way around the software even after watching numerous on-line tutorials. After serval unsuccessful attempts at drawing I decided to pair down my concept to fit with my limited ability. It has been a good challenge as it has highlighted that I need to spend time learning how to design and create digital images.

I decided that the Ophelia image was a good starting point for my image. I used a photo from Pinterest of a half submerged face, I then used a stock image of pills that I cropped and made multiple copies. I also used a photo of St Vincent the singer for the face in the image.