KIMBERLY YONG LI PING
0343281
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Create a gift for someone you can't meet in person
For this project, we were to create a birthday gift for a chosen person based on their personality and likings.
Week 1: Empathy & Define
We were assigned to make an e-gift for either a friend/relative whose birthday is coming up.
Starting off, I asked multiple questions to my user. I decided to choose my friend who is currently in America under lockdown, in the captivity of her hotel room. She is just the right person to create a gift for as I presume that she feels very lonely as she is not able to socialize often with her friends back in Malaysia, due to the time difference.
After acquiring some information, she has confirmed that she feels under-appreciated and homesick. So I decided to make a gift that would lift her spirits up!
Week 2: Ideation & Prototype
After some brainstorming, I managed to conjure up 4 different ideas. A song, a dedication video, a snack box photo frame, and a collage of memories.
I considered not just the likability of each idea as a gift, but the practicality on how it would benefit my user.
And so, I narrowed it down to writing a song for her.
My "prototype" seen here, showcases the lyrics of the song, the chords, tempo, strumming pattern, and feedback too.
I obtained my feedback from several people, a few family members and some peers.
After receiving the feedback, I developed the song by making a few adjustments like changing some of the lyrics here and there, as well as the arrangement.
PROGRESS
The music score of
"Here For You"
I decided to convert the song into an MP3 audio file so that she is able to listen to it whenever she wants to. In doing so, I designed an album cover to add a visual touch.
Week 3: Presentation
After finally being able to get in touch with her on a FaceTIme(time difference difficulties), my friend was more than happy to hear a song written just for her! Overall I achieved what I planned to and it was a great success!
The album artwork of
"Here For You"
REFLECTION
As this was the first assignment of the Critical & Creative Thinking Skills module, it was indeed challenging when it came to following the design process requirements. Of course, it takes time to adapt to the certain concept of making a gift through the five stages: EMPATHY, DEFINE, IDEATION, PROTOTYPE and lastly, PRESENTATION. However, this assignment has taught me all about exploring different ideas and striving through the various difficulties in making a suitable gift for my friend.
What surprised me was the outcome I managed to produce. At the very start, I did not know where to look for any inspiration whatsoever. The gift-making spectrum was immensely vast, which left me perplexed. I was truly lost. For days, I struggled to think of any ideas, which demotivated me greatly as I felt that I was never going to come up with a gift, let alone a single idea. But suddenly, out of the blue, I conjured up four ideas! Personally, I'd say that the idea stood out the most would be, the 'Snack Box.' However the circumstances of giving the gift defeated its purpose.
In my pursuit of making the perfect gift in accordance to my friend's preferences, required some hardy brainstorming sessions. during that period, I spent my time considering the factors of what the gift should be like, whether it is virtually accessible, practical to make, durable enough, and most importantly, satisfactory. Hence, I came up with writing a song from scratch just for her!
As a musician, songwriting in theory is definitely not one of my greatest strengths. But to my surprise, I was able to write a song with a fixed rhyme scheme that relates to her current experience whilst abiding the rules of musical theory of course! The results were better than I had expected, which definitely gave me a boost of confidence in sharing the gift with her.
All in all, the entire experience was a roller-coaster ride. I have learnt that with determination and resilience, I can do anything as I am my own limit. Just like the name of this module, it really refined my 'Critical & Creative Thinking Skills.'