Response to the set reading

 It was a bit intimidating to start the reading, following on from what felt like a mountain of books, journals and articles for my dissertation but I gave them a go! I started with 'The nature of research' which was a slow start but actually kind of interesting and useful:

(The photos of the pages are relevant, in terms of research methods and engagement with the material)

From my engagement with the reading my main takeaways were two main things;

- In terms of research methods, you should follow the process of buidling an initial knowledge base (finding an idea), engage in deeper, targeted knowledge (gain a better understanding of said idea) before finally developing your idea into an outcome, through research. 

This is something you do the entire way through a degree, sometimes without even realsing, because it is so engrainded into us. It is interesting though because the second reading is focused on (from my understanding) the 'how' and 'why' of design and the lack of these questions in a commercial setting. In manys ways, the 'how' and 'why' are the cognitive elements that develop work that gets the job done to great design... but as is also mentioned in the second reading... that requires time, which in the working world is money!

- One way or another, whether that be making a new contribution or disproving what someone else had already said or building on to say something new, you have to have something new and different to offer/say. Your thoughts have to be your thoughts... in other words, as the Uni experience also engrains into us... NO PLAGARISM!

I don't necessarily know if it can or even should be as cut throat as that. It is quite commonly known within the creative world that it is quite difficult to find something brand new and original to say as everyhting has already been said, it is often a matter of repeating in your own voice. I went to see a movie over the weekend that reminded me of this - 'The Lesson" - which followed the premise of "good writers borrow, great writters steal". To me that means that 'good' writers take inspiration from others and create something new but 'great' writers steal an idea and make it their own. This of course was the pinnacle of the movie, shown in a highly negative light but did remind me of this reading with an element of truth to it. 

Through the many ways of gathering research, it is the creatives role to find something new worth saying.

I have pretty much already covered this reading. I would summarise it as the key difference between education and the 'real world' - in enducation you have the time and are meant to asl 'why' in order to develop your understanding and ability. In the working world you are already meant to have said understanding and possess the ability to just create. Of course in areas where the fincial gain comes from the end product, there will be development (books, movies, gallaries etc.) but not in all lines of creative work.