Notes On Writing Report

Writing Workshop Notes:

  • Tone should be reflective more than explaining every little thing you have done
  • Intro should be about 75 words
  • Restate central proposition
  • Use active terms
  • You’ve produced a strategic piece of work
  • What is your aim? What is your design’s function?
  • What is your design approach? Processes, methods? How you applied them? How your iteration started to develop and respond in relation to more testing
  • What were your designs generated in response to?
  • Focus down into the refinement - what were the criteria you brought to your refinement? How did you fine-tune your project?
  • What challenges/pivots/developments did you face and how did these change your project? How did peer and tutor feedback get you to think more critically about your work?
  • How are you contributing to the discourse of design in a particular way? How are you going to influence the conversations/conventions of the future? Are you seeking to provoke someone? How did this inform your way of thinking and growing?
  • In your conclusion speculate where this might go/how it could go further? Speculate how your design could be used?
  • methods/methodologies aim/objective - make sure you use the right one
  • The report should give us an insight into you, what’s your perspective
  • “There was all of this I could have talked about, but I chose to specifically investigate and show this”
  • Can be in the style of your final designs
  • If using paraphrasing or quotes they should be APA or MLA referenced and in a bibliography
  • Provide 3 printed copies of this report


Report Guidelines:

The Responsive Studio Report is 1500 words long. In addition to the body copy, which can be written in the first person, it will contain several images that each illustrate a key point in the report discussion. The report doesn’t have to be spiral bound, but can be produced in a style and format sympathetic to your project. If the report is for a team, it should start with a broad introduction and then go on to explain how each member contributed to the overall design.

Introduction

  • Outlines the topic, issue, or contention; purpose/aim/objective, and significance of the Responsive Studio Project.
  • Outlines the theory/methods/ research that informed the project intention and direction. 

Body

  • A series of paragraphs that progressively dig deeper into the above. The body of the report will: 
  • Reflect on the strategy developed in response to the topic, issue, or contention, and applied to resolving the project aim and objectives. 
  • Reflect on the methods used to implement the strategy. 
  • Explain how the methods were linked to the project aim and objectives. 
  • Reflect on how project developed in response to First Response (week 2), Second Show/Super Crit (week 6) feedback. 
  • Reflect on the challenges encountered in the design process (conceptualisation, iteration, synthesis, resolution). 
  • Reflect on how the project responds to the concept of whakatinana. 

Conclusion

  • Evaluate the design output as meeting the stated objectives, theory or research. 
  • State how you have developed as an emerging designer. 
  • May offer speculations on further associated work.