Reading Response 9

Exploring Research

Questionaires:

          In this section, Salkind talks about the advantages and disadvantages of using questionnaires. One main advantage is that it doesn't take as long as one-on-one interviewing does. One main disadvantage is that the completion rate is much lower on questionnaires than interviews. He also talks about what makes a good questionnaire, and I completely agree with the factors. I wouldn't want to complete a questionnaire if it was unreasonable, had a hidden agenda, didn't have straightforward questions, or the format wasn't professional. The reading included things that I had never really thought of before, for example, when it stated that a question should not include the word "and" because it makes it two questions and the reader won't know which question they are answering. Also that it is god to give detailed instructions about how to take the questionnaire. People usually assume that it is pretty straightforward, but it could be that they have a specific way they want the questions answered or how they want the questionnaire returned to them. I also never really thought of questionnaires about having a cover letter which it would make sense to have a cover letter to explain the context or content of the questionnaire.

          In one of my other classes, Cultural Geography, my professor is a professional interviewer and told the class about some of his tricks to get good and accurate information. For example, he is an older gentleman and had to collect data from residents of a retirement community in Florida. He explained that  he brought his wife with him on the interviews because people would be more likely to invite a couple into the house rather than just a man, he also researched the most popular car people drove in that community and rented it for the interview, he dressed professional, and he also gave us tips on how to ask for people's income. He said the best thing to do is to put the salary questions in the middle of the interview, because people have already given you all sorts of other information that it will just seem more natural. He suggested to never make that the first question you ask someone or else it will turn them off to the interview. Also, like Salkind, he found that it was better to have them answer income with multiple choice than an exact number.

Qualitative Methods:    

          I believe that sometimes qualitative is better than quantitative research. Growing up, my math teachers would always have us show our work to solve a problem, no mater if you got the correct answer, you would get points taken off if you didn't show your work. Sometimes its more important to understand how things work, rather than to get a concrete number. A lot of what a program is to us is qualitative research while learning and understanding how people will use the space.
          In order to gather more information, we do interview, create focus groups, etc. These , like what we used for the train station and for the mural project, help us to get more information on how the space would be used or how people feel about a certain thing in their community. In my geography class, we talked about how to give a successful interview. My professor told us that he drove the same car as most of the people did, dressed a certain way, and brought his wife so that people would feel more comfortable when letting him into their home.

          While case studies do provide a lot of useful information, it is only about one person's reality. If I was to take the information of this one person who may hate having windows in a building, then my building wouldn't have any windows if I believed that the one person's view help up true to everyone's.

          Something that I would really interest me to do is ethnography because I would love to learn more about different cultures and ethnic groups. I would also be very interested in historical research. Although details are sometimes very hard to find in historical research, I believe that it could help for everyone to design better if they knew what has already been done and how it worked. There is always something more crucial to good research than the information, and that is to make sure that the information is accurate and authentic. If your sources are faulty, then your information is faulty, then your design and work is faulty.

Observation: 

Salkind, N. J. (2003). Exploring Research (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall.

Reading Response 8

 Generating the Program

          In the reading, it stressed the importance of differentiating between "must haves" and "would like to haves" and knowing how to interpret what they are even if the client states that something is a "must have" when you know it is more of a "would like to have". It stated that the best way to go about creating a programming document is to first look at the bog picture, and then to design down to every detail. In a program, you need to program all the spaces that are needed in order for the site to function, and usually circulation accounts for 22-44% of the space. The reading said that "a low circulation number is often associated with good, efficient, space planning." A great way to get a good idea of the square footage needed for spaces, is to look at precedents and historical studies. The reading also including the definitions of floor useable space and gross measured area, which I found very helpful. I learned that flexibility is key because things may change in a few years and its good to show options for how the space can change in later years based on their needs. I found all of the examples and diagraph also very useful, and especially the idea about studying the users to find out their daily routines within the space to see what works and what doesn't work.

Botti-Salitsky, R. (2009). Programming & research : skills and techniques for interior designers. New York: Fairchild Books.

Reading Response 7

 Proposals

           I could see the use in clients using RFPs or RFQs because it saves them time on having to interview companies or firms that may not be qualified. Even though RFPs and RFQs take a lot of time to generate, they also save the firm some time because they don't need to clear their schedule to initially meet with the client that could just turn them down. It is also a two-way street. It is a way for the client to learn more about a firm to see if they want to hire them, but it also allows the firm to learn more about the project to see if they want to get it or even if they have time for such a project. It's good to see an example included in the reading of a RFP outline and to know that a proposal could about 25 pages for a small project, to 50 pages for a large project because our required one was a max of 10 pages. It really helps to put it into perspective. It also helps to know that you should find out the client's "hot button" to know what may be deciding factor in their decision to know what you should stress in the proposal.

Piotrowski, C. M. (2002). Professional practice for interior designers. (3rd ed., pp. 384-387). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reading Response 6

 Writing to Win Business

        A lot of the subjects that were addressed in the reading were also talked about in the Pro-Practice class that I took last year. We talked about the importance of cover letters and practices writing some of them. Travis also touched on how important hand written letters are for follow ups and having unique Thank-you cards for when someone meets with you. We had someone come in from the Business Center and talked to us about how 20% of your time should be used working on your business development, as they mentioned in the reading. When completing my internship with Barber-Spangle Design, they talked to me often  about how important it was to have everything in writing in a contract, and how you may need to add or change things about the contract based on the client and the project.

          The reading also talked about a lot of stuff that I wasn't aware of and found really interesting. For example, I didn't know that the salutation should be followed by a colon, unless it is a thank you note. I also wasn't aware that "CC" used to stand for "Carbon Copies" back in the old days with typewriters and that it has changed to mean " Courtesy Copies" now. The story about how "P.S." or "postscript" originated from the times when they used fancy parchment and quill pens and they wrote in Latin, very slowly so they didn't want to mark out words or write in the margins was also very interesting. I found it interesting to learn that a certain percentage of government work must go to a business that is owned by a minority or a woman. I think that would help small businesses that might not get any work, to get some work to help build their portfolio.

          Some things that the reading talked about will definitely help me in my professional goals. The article talked about the importance of writing simply, instead of adding flowery words because it is straight and to the point. I also think that it would help a person to skim, which they are likely to do. Also using the project or company name in the documents will help it to seem like it was written specifically for them. The table of "Complimentary Closings" on page 178 I find to be very helpful because it lists different ways that you can end a letter or other kind of document based on how formal it is. I like the idea of including what you have enclosed by writing it clearly. I hadn't thought about looking or posting a listing in the newspaper to help find new clients because many people believe that no one reads the newspapers, but that is far from the truth. The outline of the elements of a prospective letter really helped me to write my cover letter because it explains exactly what should go in each paragraph. I liked that the reading included some different ways to bill the client because its good to know that you have options. I was unaware that we are able to include letters of recommendation or other supporting information such as CD's to improve our chances of getting the job.

Eakins, P. (2005). Writing for interior design. (1st ed., pp. 172-215). Fairchild Books.

Reading Response 5

Collaborative, Creative Placemaking

          Designing without thinking about the user is one of the worst offenses that a designer, architect, or artist could do. Creating a piece of art that is specially designed for a certain community can be difficult, but it is one of the most rewarding things and means the most to the clients. The community would feel as if the piece reflects their unique and individual area and could not be placed anywhere else. 

          Creating a piece of art that is evoking is something completely different. As the article states, "It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people...", attracting people is one thing, but making them think and feel something deep is another and should be something that we all strive for. Another important aspect is to maintain the piece of art. If a piece of art is greatly maintained, then more people would be more willing to look it, but it's not, then people won't feel safe and won't want to give it the time of day. Knowing the exact location is a key element in creating and maintaining a piece of art.

Project for Public Spaces | Collaborative, Creative Placemaking: Good Public Art Depends on Good Public Spaces. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2014, from http://www.pps.org/reference/collaborative-creative-placemaking-good-public-art-depends-on-good-public-spaces/

Reading Response 4

Mural at Mirfield Railway Station

           Graffiti normally has a bad connotation, but that was until a group of graffiti artists got together to design and paint a mural in the United Kingdom. Most everybody is in agreement that this mural was a great way to brighten up a dark place in their city, and allowed young teenagers to express themselves through art. Because Matthew Evans is a local citizen of Mirfield, the design better represents the community. I believe that we could tie this into the Glenwood mural and have some citizens explain to us what they would like in their community that would best represent them. The mural in Mirfield is of a beautiful landscape that is sunny and cheerful that reflects places around them. I think this might be a good approach to the Glenwood mural because they might need something pleasant and sunny to look at in their neighborhood.

Young people unveil mural at Mirfield Railway Station - Huddersfield Examiner. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2014, from http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/local-news/young-people-unveil-mural-mirfield-6316586

Reading Response 3

Exploring Local Greenways

          Greensboro's Greenway is opening up and making way for more bicyclist and pedestrian friendly paths. Greensboro's plan is to have 400 miles of trails and greenways, of which we currently have about 150 miles and counting. One of the new projects is creating a 4 mile long greenway downtown that brings together bicyclists, pedestrians, and artists. The downtown greenway features benches, monuments, and bike racks from local artists, and will soon have more.

          I think it's wonderful that Greensboro is trying to get people to come together as a community to be healthy and active, while enjoying local art, but I think that the art in the downtown greenway should have a common theme. The art below the Spring Garden St. underpass contains very bold and geometric shapes, whereas the "Gateway of the Open Book"is more organic and Roman inspired. Some bike racks are more literal, and some are more abstract. One set of benches are inspired by traditional living room furniture, while the other is more "inspiring" in a literal sense. I appreciate that Greensboro has eclectic art, but the artists should have come together to find out what the community would want and have a common theme or motive.

Exploring Local Greenways: Greensboro’s Artistic Twist | WUNC. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2014, from http://wunc.org/post/exploring-local-greenways-greensboros-artistic-twist

Reading Response 2

The Heidelberg Project

          In Detroit, Tyree Guyton founded the Heidelberg Project, which is a group of people who use everyday, discarded objects to create art on abandoned buildings in the neighborhood to make forgotten buildings beautiful again. Their mission is to "...inspire people to appreciate and use artistic expression to enrich their lives and to improve the social and economic health of their greater community." They engage the whole community to come together from all ages, ethnicity, and backgrounds to import art and education, community development, and tourism.         

          From our class discussion, I now understand that there is a positive and negative aspect to everything, even if it sounds as innocent as possible. While some people are in support of the Heidelberg Project, some people are dead set against it. When doing something as bold as the communities are doing, it is best to seek out the opinions of fellow people in the community. Some people thing that the Heidelberg Project is an eye soar and a collection of trash that they just can't escape from. Other people believe that it is a beautiful thing that will help save the city of Detroit.

The Heidelberg Project | Open-Air Art | Art Education | Detroit. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2014, from http://www.heidelberg.org/

Reading Response 1

Mural Painting

          

          A mural is a great way add some life and character to a space that otherwise couldn't be achieved. But to begin that mural, there are a lot of different steps that must be taken and different variables that have to be taken into consideration. One of the biggest decision making factors is whether the mural will be interior or exterior. That factor helps decide the type of paint, some paint colors, the theme of the mural, the cost, and other major variables.

          Because I work at Sherwin-Williams, I can attest to the importance of using the right product on the correct substrate and using the right methods to prepare said substrate. Without a good working foundation, a mural, as well as most everything else, will not be of high quality or stand the test of time. Eric Alan Grohe demonstrated this perfectly while doing his mural for Miller Brewing Co. He used aluminum panels instead of the original walls because the substrate would need to withstand heat, and the aluminum panel would work better.

          In the case of the Barnstormers, substrate integrity is not something that they are worried about. They know that the walls of the abandoned places they choose to paint could easily fall over before the mural is even completed. On the other hand, Susan Togut find that the substrate of using wooden panels can greatly improve the safety for children, and the overall quality of the mural because the panels allow people to focus on a specific area, instead of the whole mural.

Mural Painting. (n.d.). Golden Artist Colors. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.goldenpaints.com/justpaint/jp10article1.php