Continuation of the development of the 1. brief idea
Tutorial with Frauke
I told Frauke about my self-initiated project ideas and that I had decided on the idea of selling a pretzel with the proceeds going to the sellers. She liked the idea and the observational nature of the project. Below is a mind map I created based on our conversation. After meeting with her, I am even more convinced of my idea and also of its limitations and possible outcomes.
Speculative design research
“The goal of speculative design is not to provide definite answers, but to generate questions and provoke thought. […] speculative design is used to create possible futures.”1
The design process according to Chakrabarty would look like this:
NFT
After talking with Frauke I started reading into the topic of NFT (Non-Fungible Token). “NFTs are digital assets that are stored on a blockchain. They act as certificates of ownership and authenticity over an object, tangible or intangible.”2
In contrast to cryptocurrencies, a non-fungible token is unique and, to a certain extent (NFT does not inherently provide you with the rights to the artwork), a virtual collector’s item that can be sold or exchanged, for instance with Bitcoins. The NFT’s value depends on the importance of the artist, the market situation, the benefits of the NFT and the “source’s credibility”.34
Source: Spiegel online
I’ve heard of Bitcoin in the past, but I’ve never heard of NFTs, especially when it comes to art. There seems to be a special breed of people who believe in the value of digital, unique art. Also I’m not sure if this translates to the average person who would like to sell their digital art, as it implies a certain importance. The similarity of NFTs to bitcoins also has some drawbacks. One is the impact on the environment, as a lot of energy is needed to ‘confirm the validity of a blockchain transaction’. Furthermore, energy costs for the local population may increase. Additionally, the value can also change, even if it is based on social rather than economic changes. On the other hand, it seems a new way for artists to have the sole ownership and control over their work. Also it provides them a new way of income. 5
As for my first brief, I’m looking at a suburban (and possibly urban) bakery. Aside from the negative aspects of NFT’s, would it bring any value to the local shop staff or customers if a digital version of the Prezel was available? And how could it be made valuable?
Other resources (interviews with designers):
It is interesting what Sam Bompas says about reflecting in the process of self-initiated projects. He says it’s not about reflecting, it’s about making connections between things. The more connections, the more likely it is that it’s a good idea, that there’s a team working on it and that there’s an audience that wants it. For him, it’s important to take time to let the information sink in, meet people and experience the environment.
When it comes to the failure (of a self-initiated project), Christoph Miller says that it is good to have control over the project and the direction in which it develops, but at the same time not to be too strict with yourself, as not everything can be controlled and some projects cannot be completed.
Research task: Explore a range of solo practitioners who have created self-directed works in a similar field to your own project. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these professional examples:
Design here Notes:
Everything starting from the color choice and the typography, the packaging seems to be with attention to detail
I am not sure if it’s too cute for a delivery, it’s not only cake but all kind of food -> who is the target group?
Design here Notes:
Lots of dynamic, colorful and active designs, patterns and illustrations.
The Order now could stand out a bit more? (white on orange background not much visible?) Is it a button or a link? Or just text?
Design here Notes:
Simple but dynamic, variation of designs…
Readability of the type on the second example “H” in “Handmade”?
Design here Notes:
Probably my favorite design of the ones shown here due to it’s attention to detail (bread icon is used in different ways), typography with different type sizes/weights etc.
Not sure if self-initiated
- THE BASICS YOU NEED TO KNOW & UNDERSTAND ABOUT SPECULATIVE DESIGN (Pradipto Chakrabarty, Medium online article)
( ↩︎ - What Is NFT Art? (How Does It Work), Coursera online article ↩︎
- What Is an NFT? Your Guide to Non-Fungible Tokens in 2024 (Jessica Schulze, Coursera online article) ↩︎
- First NFT artwork ever created sold at auction for 1.5 million dollars (transl. to English), Spiegel online article ↩︎
- What Is an NFT? Your Guide to Non-Fungible Tokens in 2024 (Jessica Schulze, Coursera online article) ↩︎ ↩︎
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