Lydia's+Research+Journal

Lydia's Research Journal

Researched Articles, editorials, journals, etc. that are relevant and useful for my project Began to look at and collect some designs/ brainstorm areas of design to look at.
 * Week Sept 7-13**

Discoveries:
 * Culture and lifestyle and design are very closely related. There is a common belief of wanting a different lifestyle/ idea of a breakaway from society/ adventure/ escape- How is this reflected/represented/portrayed in the design?
 * Desire to push boundaries- society, fear, physical, natural- what is the connection/reflection in the design?

Need to ask questions about why, how, for what purpose?

More research of articles, editorials, journals, videos, interviews etc. Thought about potential interviews Began to look into motives of the industry as a part of the culture/subculture
 * Week Sept 14-20**

Questions: What are the connections between culture, lifestyle, community, and design and the design process How much influence does the user have in the design process? -user centered design? What are the trends in the subcultures beyond design? -music, art, fashion, beliefs, habits, lifestyle choices How have beliefs, meanings, stereotypes, bias, technology, priorities changed? how has this shaped design? What are people also involved with as far as lifestyle? (see trends with eating habits, yoga, etc) how have these shaped design? - from an interview read- yoga is big right now, color lines have been reflective on indian culture How are genders designed for differently?- how has this changed over time?

Discoveries from looking at current graphics on snowboard and skis -different subdivisions within these sports attract a different kind of athlete- is that another subculture -physical design of different subdivisions are obvious- designed for different purposes -graphics are very different between back country skis, freestyle skis, racing skis- how do they reflect the culture?


 * Week Sept 21-27**

Researched further potential interviews Collected/looked at more designs

Read Editorials from the industry

Worked on Proposal


 * Week Oct 5-11**

Watched Frontline's the Persuaders: Gained a lot of insight about marketing and advertising, especially shifts in techniques. Huge change in a more Ethos oriented marketing strategy. Marketing the brand as a meaning, identity, lifestyle, experience, etc rather than marketing what the product does.

Watched some other videos featured on Companies websites such as Northface, Burton as well as some other industry related videos on other websites to gain an understanding of the industry and how it is portrayed in the media. Some of the videos included interviews with the athletes which were helpful as well to gain their perspective on their sport.

Read Product reports and researched designers and artists some brands use for their designs.

Focused my project to women and design within skiing(freestyle/big mountain) and snowboarding Visited some local ski slopes in my hometown to get a look at some products as well as get a feel for the environment. Talked with a few of the employees and gathered a bunch of magazines and catalogs for skiing and snowboarding. began to go through catalogs and magazines for design pieces
 * Week Oct 17th**

Read and looked for literature on gender and design. Started Communication with Rachel from Burton. Reached out to a few more companies for potential interviews.
 * Week Oct 20-26th**

Sent Interview questions to Rachel and Burton who forwarded them to other women at burton.
 * Week Oct 27- Nov 2**

Some deep thinking about goals of project and what it will accomplish: // Project focuses on design for women within the snowboarding and skiing industry. This includes product design and visual communication design pieces. I am interested in the concepts of appropriate design and user-centered design as a part of the design process and their presence within the industry. My aim is to gain deep understanding of the subcultures of the sports and the identity of women within the sport and how they are translated into and influence design and the design process. //

// my paper be something that would be more beneficial to the industry rather than a critique or evaluation. It will be more of this is what’s up in this particular industry and I hope to add where it’s going, which may include some recommendations. In other words, where it’s been, what it is now and where it’s going. //

// I am interested in how cultures, lifestyles and identities fit into a design process. Design that isn’t just about being good, but also appropriate for the identity of a user, especially when it comes to designing for women. I want to understand the relationship of subcultures, user needs, and design; where they are connected and how, whether that is within the visual side of design or hard products. I will be looking at design pieces, beyond functionality, but how it fits and reflects the identity and culture and needs of the user, in this case, women within the industry. // //Further reading on gender and design, feminist design, user-centered design. etc.//

Watched some videos involving women and skiing/snowboarding Read some blog posts on industry related magazines

Attended a premier showing of the all women's ski film "Pretty Faces": gained a better understanding of the culture and identity of a skier/snowboarder woman. Definitely a worthwhile trip to go see the movie. The film showed the passion and lifestyle of these women and what they have given up and committed to in order to get where they are. It also expressed how there is this revolution within the industry and women in general. The film features direct interviews and statements of women in the industry and it was very beneficial to hear directly from them about what its like and what they are striving for. This understanding is helping me understand what they want, what the design is and isn't providing for.
 * Week Nov 3-10**

I also got to have a conversation with the woman who brought the film to this particular location. Her insight was also very valuable.

gained a better understanding of feminist design. Doing more research on this subject