Blog #2 - Planning

Planning before committing to the creation of art work creates a strong foundation for the start of any project. Planning usually leads to greater time manage and effective execution in tool selections. In addition to this planning can also be used as a request for validation from stake holders on a project. In today's world where many things can go wrong and will go wrong, planning can also serve as a blueprint for feasible alternatives to alleviate project disasters.

Blog #2 - Resist the Panic

Unnecessary sleepless nights, last minute anxiety, self loathing... just a few of the predicaments associated with neglecting pre-production i.e. Not planing before working on your art work.

One guide in particular, describing the creative process - the collection of experiences the designer goes through in an effort to create - offered the following reasons as to why one should have a process splan). Unsurprisingly, this is mentioned:

            "Creative solutions come much easier to a mind prepared with knowledge."

This is not novel advice. It is perhaps the most instrumental and straightforward direction in getting from inception to conclusion of your artwork; knowing what to do before hand so you can clearly do what you intend to do. The guide goes on to mention the following:

            "For days when ideas don't come quickly"

            "For days when you have too many projects and ideas aren't coming to mind"

            "Process makes it easier to work with a team"

These are possibly taken for granted. These variables are more often than not, barring procrastination,  what frustrates and hinders the creation/ completion of your art work. Ideas aren't forthcoming, juggling other projects, and before the team work to make the dream work, the team needs to be informed. With a plan in place, these issues stand a greater chance of being alleviated and purely academic. 

So yes, we've established that on the surface, planning for your art work gives direction. You've been empowered with the knowledge of exactly what to do in order to get to the outcome, or perhaps even the outcome itself. On a subterranean basis, it offers the following: 

• Brainstorming - to generate multiple ideas and options galore at your fingertips
• Sampling/ Inspiration - hardcopy visuals as to what to expect
• Room for error (note that this applies during creation and becuase you would have planned, time allows) - the opportunity to make mistakes and/or stray of course for the better
• Revising (note that this applies during creation as well)
• Critique/ Advice

With all these to your benefit, planning pacifies the panic

Blog #1- What Is Communication?

My understanding of communication is that it refers to the transmission of information from one person to another. We all have to communicate whether we like it or not and in order to get feelings, ideas or  messages to others. When it comes to communication we often seem to overthink what it is, when it's what we do daily to survive. We can communicate both verbally or non-verbally as long as shared/ mutual understanding is accomplished between both persons. If not the communication process is not complete thus resulting in a lack of communication.

A few advantages of good communication  and disadvantages of poor communication are as follows:

Advantages

• Reduction of conflicts in the work place
• Develops interpersonal skills 
• Prevents misunderstandings
• Improves work environment

Disadvantages

• Interrupts / reduces production in a business
• Creates confusion among employees
• The reliability of information can be questioned based on the source.
• Misinterpretations

Communication is vital to the survival of all of us, whether young or old. As university students effective communication is key between us and our lecturers, as they present information with shared meaning as the desired accomplishment,

Blog #1 What is Communication?

Blog #1 What is Communication?

Communication is the process of sending and receiving information. Communication takes place between two or more persons.  There are different types of communication that we all participle in on a daily basis such as verbal, non-verbal and visualization. Without the sender and the receiver communication is not possible. Communication involves the use of words, signs, sound, ideas, thoughts and feelings. Communication is the execution of transferring information for the purpose of creating a shared understanding. Communication is derived from the Latin word “communis” which means to share, hence the reason we think of communication as shared meaning. It is basically sharing what we already know to someone else.  Communication can also be defined as an act of synergy between two or more persons. Communication connects us as human beings, it is the only way we can express how we truly feel and to pass on information to another person. It is used all over the world every day; it is something we cannot live without. You can never be too young or old to communicate; it is the only way we can learn. However there are some barriers that can hinder effective communication such as language barriers, personal issues and lack of feedback. One should try their very best to eradicate these barriers as it affects the correct flow of communication and that is when misinterpretation occurs.

Consequently communication is the process of sending and receiving information through verbal or non-verbal means. It is a part of us; it is used all over the world every day. We should always involve feedback in our communication process so as to prevent misunderstanding.

Blog #1 : What is Communication?

• Infants learn the art of communication as soon as they are born. When they are hungry, wet, cold, tired or in pain, their mode of communicating their feelings is by crying. As they get older, children use gestures, and later language is added to their communication process. This process becomes much more important as they mature.
  
  

  But what is communication?  It is the interactive transference of shared meaning between intelligence or the activity of conveying information through the exchange of ideas, feelings, intentions, attitudes, expectations, perceptions or commands. This is how we transmit information from one person to another via different modes, be it verbal or non – verbal. Verbal may be either direct (person to person), or indirect. Non-verbal may be through posture, gestures, facial expressions, first impressions, sound effects, eye contact, direct contact or writings. So, for communication to take place there should be a message, a sender, a receiver and feedback. 
  
  

  
  

  Communication is a very important part of our everyday life. It is the essence of human interaction and learning. Therefore, it would be extremely hard to imagine a year, a week, or even a day where there is no communication.  

Blog #1: My Understanding of Communication

Communication is the transference of information from one entity to another with shared meaning and feedback. To me, this means that communication is one of the hardest tasks humans have to do. Because if you really think about it, you are trying to make another person understand what is in your mind. Now humans do not have innate mind reading powers, so trying to project what is in your mind to someone else's is extremely difficult.

With humans being such complex beings, communication is proved to be even harder. This is because not only do we use oral and written forms of communication, bodily gestures are also a big part of it. As a result message distortion can easily happen. It is mainly based upon the media through which the message is sent. However, the difference in culture and knowledge of the sender and receiver also plays a main role. 

So overall communication is an essential part of the everyday experience as well as in me becoming a design professional.  I have to strive to always get the message across so that the receiver and myself as the sender have shared meaning as to enable feedback. As I have come to understand that communication is the bridge between minds and to a larger extent worlds.

Back and Forth

Communication is one of the most important aspects of our lives. Before coming to the UWI, Mona, I never really considered communication. I mean, I understood, I'm sure like most people, that to communicate with someone is to say something; send a Whatsapp message, phone call, Skype call, regular communication. My first Communication class changed all of that. Nothing was the same. I understood Digital Media Production and Media holistically from a whole new perspective. I learned that Communication is the sharing of information through shared meaning between intelligences. That was something I knew, something I understood, something I did daily. Then I was made to understand that that same communication, is the basis of our culture. That opened me up. What and how we communicate to each other varied from culture to culture. Our history of communication, even the way history communicates to us, is what really builds our culture. That class was when it hit me. Communication is a major factor in building culture.

I sometimes pretend to imagine a reality without communication, I have come to believe that the human ability to communicate on the level we do is what separates us from other animals. I recently watched Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The earlier parts of the movie depicted Man-kind at "The Dawn of Time" Where we were apes, apes that communicated with each other by the most simplest of means. Hand signs, body language, aggression. The movie then took us into the future, 2001. Where a space traveler video calls his daughter back on earth. Without development of our ability to properly communicate with each other, we would have never reached the point we are at now.

Communication is the sharing of information through shared meaning between intelligences. As a media practitioner, my goal is mind control. My understanding of communication has led me to strongly believe that,  if I can completely understand communication, I would be able to build culture, imprint myself in it; and become immortal.