Top 10 NDCE Ideas

Art is something made by human. Even when it is naturally created, the human puts a lot of meaning into it. I think that humans have a basic instinct of seeking the compelling element from most of their experiences. It is the resource of our culture and education of our society.

However, the compelling experience from the art does not happen to us by chance. The artists are good at designing the structure of their forming elements. Depending on how they create their forms, and what kind of forms they choose, the audience’s experience to the arts would be totally different. Also, depending on how much the audience understands and analyses the forms, the arts provide various types of insight.

As we have learned from this semester, each field of art has different types of forms for their forming process. However, no matter what kinds of elements are manipulated, the compelling feeling from the fine arts has something in common: They are all well planned and designed in terms of construction. Whether the forms are emphasized by contrast/compare, dynamics, detailed descriptions and customized expression, they are all nicely placed and properly fit to the artist’s original intent. Thus, they are able to create the compelling experience as a whole and make the audience understand/feel their intent.

I think we can make an analogy of the learning environment with the forming process in art. All the forms which are used in the forming process in art can be represented by all the subject matters in education. Also, the forming process can stand for the learning process. Depending on how the whole structure in it is designed for students, the level of student’s understanding and insight would be affected. The compelling experience in art means the effective and personalized learning experience in education. To provide effective learning environments to students, the well planned and designed structures are indispensible, as we have learned in art. The design is not a term only for art. Designing means filtered, chosen, and refined acting for more compelling experience and indispensible process for both art and education.                

My top ten ideas about the Nature and Design of Compelling Experience would be

1.       Each field (music, movies, architecture, photography, fashion) has its own forms which are used for their forming process.

2.       Depending on the chosen forms and chosen processing way, the result form would be different.

3.       The forms and forming process are all chosen by the artists, and the artists use these for expressing his/her intent

4.       Depending on how much we understand the forms and the forming process, we can have totally different insight for arts.

5.       Arts and education are not different fields. The learning process in education and the forming process in art have something in common.

6.       As art, the teaching and learning needs to be designed and formed by chosen forms for more effective and compelling learning/teaching experience.

7.       Thus, depending how the teachers choose the forms (the element of subject matter) in their teaching, the nature of the teaching would have a totally different quality.

8.       Depending on how much the students understand the teacher’s intent, they can have different insight for their learning.

9.       With regard to the fashion, I think that it is very similar with the personalized learning experience. It is not only because all forms are the nature of the personality, but also because both the compelling fashion and learning experience exist only for the subject person, not for everybody else.

10.   Finally, I think (as mentioned before) that both art and education needs to be designed and well planned for compelling and effective experience. Without designing, none of them can provide us better/attractive feeling. 

The nature and design of compelling fashion

Fashion as a verb means forming oneself to be more compelling. As we learned from other modules for this course, the forming process contains the design process. When we make the music or photograph more compelling, we do care about the factors which affect the forming process. The factors can be the hook, rhythm and tones in the music, and contrast, lighting, or angles in the photograph. However, in the fashion field, the forms are all about the person himself.

            The forms which affect the forming process are the nature of the subject person. Since the fashion can be achieved by strengthening the strength and making up the weakness, we need the deep insight of ourselves. In this sense, fashion has some analogies with personalized learning system. The forms of designing the compelling personalized learning system are deep insights of each student as well. The each student’s weakness, strength, and his/her own personality would be the key factors of the designing the compelling personalized learning system. As each student has a different learning style, everyone does not look great with the same clothing. As the personalized learning offers customized and effective learning experience to students, the fashion offers the appropriate and confident experience for us. Both the effective personalized learning experience and compelling fashion provide us the deep insight of ourselves and personal development.      

Module 4. The nature and design of compelling music #2

I discussed last week, if the musical elements (rhythm, melody, and harmony) are compared to the composition and organization of the knowledge, I think the performance elements (instrumentation, tempo, dynamics) are compared to the teacher’s own skills in the learning/teaching process. Depending on how the music is performed by the artists/singers, the music can be totally different.

      This week, after I tried to analyze my chosen music, I realized that the listener’s skills can be compared to the student’s skills in the learning process. As an amateur listener, I did my best to find out the hook part and the clear reasons which make me feel this music more compelling than others.  Even if I feel it, the ways to express my thoughts and feelings were very limited. The analyzing process is not easy : Finding the hook/appealing part, listening to the music very carefully for several times, making analogies with other fields, understanding the music as a whole, and dividing it as a part.

I think the student’s skills are similar with these process. The students need to find out the most important part in the subject matter, review several times for a deeper understanding, make appropriate analogies with other subject matters, understand the whole part, and also each different part is a very important skill for the students.

As we also need to learn the new terms for the music, the students should learn the ways to express their new knowledge. They can be the new vocabularies, or arts. Communicating with others about their learning is the key element and one of the popular ways of communicating with others is art and music. We try to understand arts and music and explain this with writing. We learn from the writing and try to explain this new knowledge with arts and music.    

Module 4. The nature and design of compelling music #1

For this week’s discussion, we talked about the “hook”. The hook is a memorable catch phrase or melody line which is represented in a song (Gary Burns ,1987).  Also, as it is mentioned in the article, there are several elements (rhythm, melody, harmony, instrumentation, tempo, dynamics, and production elements) which make a great/compelling hook. I think we can consider the hook as a main theme or subject matter in education. Thus, if the hook provides compelling and memorable experience to the audience, which means that the main theme and subject matter become the memorable and compelling knowledge to the students.

From this article, to make compelling music (to make a compelling hook), it is not only the repetitions and variations which are needed. The right combination of all other factors (musical elements, performance elements, and production elements) can make an appealing hook. If the musical elements (rhythm, melody, and harmony) are compared to the composition and organization of the knowledge, I think the performance elements (instrumentation, tempo, dynamics) are compared to the teacher’s own skill in the learning/teaching process. In education, the performers are the teachers. When the students are exposed to the new learning situation, depending on how the teachers perform this knowledge, the whole learning process can be totally different. For example, if the teacher’s pedagogical knowledge does not match the content knowledge, the learning/teaching process cannot provide coherent/memorable experience to the students. Likewise, for making a compelling hook, the tempo, dynamic, and instrumentation should be complementary each other, for effective education, teacher’s pedagogical practice should match the content.  

Module 3. compelling Experience and Education #2(Architecture and Interior Design)

Last week, I talked about the insight for the clients when we design the spaces. Then, how should the designer consider these type of clients (teachers and students) for designing educational spaces (classroom)? What kinds of insight would help designers to create compelling classrooms? After I read several articles in this week, I think the following elements should be considered for in the design process.

First is the scale. Depending on the age of the students, the human scale is really important in designing space. If the scale is not appropriate for the students, they cannot feel stable and comfortable. The larger place is not always better. As Susanka said, the smaller/well scaled spaces provide comfort and efficient feeling. The right human scale brings rest to our body and it leads us to a calm and steady feeling.

Second thing would be the traffic. The efficient human traffic is always one of the most important factors in designing spaces. Especially for the public space, well planned human traffic is indispensible. For example, in the classrooms, the main traffic should not distract the student’s learning environments and keep the students safe. Dividing main traffic and second traffic also can be effective in reducing the congestion. It can be done by using different floor materials or furnishing arrangements. They provide not only the visual effect, but also affect the student’s learning environment. By using the right traffic line, the collaborations and independence can be simultaneously encouraged to the students.    

Besides physical factors, using the right color scheme is also crucial. While the warm color scheme provides brightness, and encouragement, the cool color schemes are more likely to enhance the focus and calmness. Depending on the goal of the space, choosing the right color scheme is essential. We cannot easily change the architectural elements, but changing the color scheme can easily move people’s feeling about the space.

There are many other factors which should be considered for designing compelling spaces. However, depending on the goal and main function of the space, the priorities would be different. I think that the space should contain all the details about the people who would use the space. The deep insight about the client would provide a good solution for all these elements.      

 

Module 3. A Tale of Two Retail Spaces

Module 3. compelling Experience and Education #1(Architecture and Interior Design)

This first week of Architecture and Interior Design, I would like to talk about the connection between the nature of the architecture/interior design and the educational space itself. The most important thing in designing space is to understand the clients. Without deep insight about the client’s daily life, it is impossible designing the right/compelling space for them, because the space should reflect the details of the client’s life. Depending on the client, the mood and feeling they desire for their home is totally different.  In the same context, I think the educational space should contain deep insight of the student’s life. What do students do in this space? How long do they stay here in a day? What are their positions? What does the human traffic look like? The educational space should provide the stable and calm feeling to the students. It should also enhance the student’s easier movements while at the same time facilitate not only cooperation, but also separation for effective learning experience. Compelling design comes not only with the architectural design, but also with the real insight of the client.     

Module 2. Compelling Experience and Education #2 (Film and Television)

            I concluded that bridging the making of compelling videos and an effective teaching experience is all about the design again. Mixing them well together is required for both making compelling videos and effective teaching. The component of mixing in making films (sound, light, angles, and actors’ expressions) can be portrayed by good examples, proper repetitions, and well organized materials in teaching. Both making films and teaching have each component, and designing the use of these components is what compelling experience is all about. I also realized that a good design comes from a real understanding of the subject matter. To express the perfect theme in the movie, we should completely understand the situation, the mood of the actor’s. Otherwise the movie fails in attracting the people’s attention. To teach the student effectively, the teachers should completely understand the subject matter. Otherwise the teachers fail in providing an impressive learning experience to students.

          Making a one minute-compelling video provides me a great chance to think about this fact. I found out that I was eager to understand my actor’s (“the fly” for my case) mood and draw the attention from the audiences. In teaching, the passion to  completely understand and to transmit the knowledge could bring the well-designed teaching experience and be able to leave a positive impression on the students.       

Module 2. Compelling Video

            Making a one minute compelling video is not as easy as I expected.

           I was inspired by my messy kitchen and a fly in my house. I tried to express the fly’s transient life through its perspective. From the fly’s perspective, the kitchen is a big unknown world to explore. The fly would be excited to explore the new world. Everything seems enlarged to the fly. To express this feeling, I started my video from the window seal (kind of weird place, but the common place for the fly’s perspective), and tried to keep the higher view point and focus on the enlarged food. I also hope that the audiences feel the fly’s free and light movements through the motion of the lens. By flying together with a fly, the audiences can equate themselves with the fly. Then, the audiences can have fun and enjoy the peaceful moment. When the fly finds the real food (pasta), they can be excited together. However, the fly’s view must be very narrow and limited, which also means that the fly cannot really expect their near future. For this effect, I never show any kind of threat or danger to the audiences so far. Then, I expect the audience feel the tension when the fly finds pasta, because the pasta is not only its real joy, but also its real trap. With a big smashing sound, the video reaches the climax. The slow motions and beautiful sunshine elaborate the last moments of the fly’s life. I expect the audiences feel both sympathetic and relief (as a human) together. The last scene (a boy with a fly swatter), is for the cute conclusion. The audience can realize that their perspective was the fly’s by seeing a boy’s naughty face. My original video did not have the fly’s sound. It was my choice to emphasize the smashing sound. However, I realized that it was not easy to express fly’s character without a sound. I was concerned about leading the audience on too long without some hint. (The audiences may not know what they are watching until the end of the movie.)

            Throughout the whole video, I expect the audience to feel curiosity, fun, and identification in the beginning part, tension in the middle, and the humor at the end. To make this video compelling in the given time, I used variety of angles, sounds, and slow motion function. I thought that was the best way to express the actor’s (the fly’s) character and the mood which I tried to created.               

Module 2. Compelling Experience and Education #1 (Film and Television)

Nowadays, we are very much used to being stimulated by all of our five senses at once. Our young students and children are a totally different generation from us, in that they are much more familiar with all kinds of different stimulations. My five year old son sometimes does not understand why the radio only has audio capabilities. When I try to listen to music or a podcast in the car with him, he certainly asks me to turn on the screen together. He thinks that the music/podcast always has some visual component as well. I have asked myself whether TV and Film are always more compelling than radio or the photograph, because they provide several sensory stimulation at once. However, my answer is “no”. I remember some stories that I heard from the radio, which is much more vivid and impressive than what I have watched from TV. What makes one more compelling than others?

Through this module, we have watched and read a few articles and videos about making films. How the directors and editors design their film is the key point of this subject. Using the same recipe of story, actors, light, and sound, they can create totally different films from others, depending on how they design the components. It was interesting to read how similar/different research from making films (Filmmaking and Research: An Intersection). I think this article shows great connections between making compelling films and effective teaching experiences. Both making compelling films and teaching require significant understanding of the subject matter: what to talk about, what the main theme is about, how to express it, which one should be emphasized, which one should be minimized for effective expression, and what the purpose about it is? There are some different parts between making films and teaching. The compelling films need to be neither necessarily, informative, or true.

However, if their unique nature is used in each other’s design process, both the making of films and teaching can be improved. Using intensive visual stimulations, auditory stimulations, and showing real social context about the subject through the video would bring great expansion in the learning progress. The most interesting thing that I found in this week from the readings is that the film contains the social context of the subject matter. It is an important factor of practical learning. Next week, I am planning to make a short video, and I am expecting that I can have a more close experience regarding this aspect.     

Module 1. Compelling Photography

            This is my espresso machine at home. I use this every morning when no one is up yet. The interaction I have with this machine is a very private and personal experience for me. The moment when the coffee starts flow, I always put my nose as close as possible and try to enjoy the aroma of coffee. It is always fresh and wakes me up. It is one of the happy moments in my daily life.

           

           The first image is just a normal shot of my machine. It clearly shows what I am trying to show. However, it does not have any main object in here. Both the machine and my sugar jars have similar value in this image. It neither has any movement and story nor reminds me of my personal feelings for this object.

           The second image is much more compelling to me. It can be my sight when I brew my coffee. Through emphasizing one part of the object, this image leads my whole attention to the machine. Now, the machine has a great contrast with the background of the image. It pops up from the rest of the image and let me know where I should focus on.  Both the horizontal image and the dispenser drop my attention naturally down to the coffee. The color and the texture provide me a sense of the aroma from the coffee. This image is also telling me a story. It seems like somebody is using the machine now and the natural focus of the lever on the top visually express somebody’s trace. I can feel the interaction between human and machine very closely. With a good emphasis of the main objects, natural flow from the top to bottom, this image provides me a very warm and intimate story. It is definitely a much more compelling image than first image.

Module 1. Compelling experience and Education (Photography)

We sometimes are forced to consider our mundane life as special and unique days. It is not easy, because our eyes and minds are not open to seeking the particularities from everyday life. With this attitude, everything seems the same and every day feels the same to us. I wonder how the artists, singers, dancers and poets are continuously inspired. Without inspiration, they cannot create their works. Are they always in love? Or Are they just very talented than others?

The answer is always in our mind. No one actually can be always creative, motivated, or inspired in their mundane life. However, if we have a slightly different mind and eyes to the world, everything around us seems special and unique. We learn this from design or art education. Art education is not about how you can technically create a great art work, but about how we can change the way we look around us.

This week, we talk about the compelling images. Why is one image more compelling than others? There are some factors which we can find in compelling images. “A good flow, grouping, emphasis and so on.” Why is one person more creative and motivated than others? They have eyes and minds which are open to these factors. If we try to observe a normal object through our unique eyes, it becomes compelling and meaningful to us. Then, it is truly understood by us in our own way.

In the same context, I think we can use this perspective to education as well. If the teacher helps students construct and observe their own way of thinking, the student would be motivated and hardly tired of learning. Finding out their own thinking and learning pattern is the key element for their lives. Thus, if the student finds their own way to arrange the scattered information and knowledge by constructing a good flow, grouping and emphasis on the information, this information/knowledge can become very compelling to them. Then, we can easily imagine how the learning process can be elaborated.  To teach the students how to observe, to arrange by heart is not only the starting point of education, but also everything about the education. Both art and education stem from the basic attitude of observing and feeling something by heart.