Design Research Methodology | Final Compilation & Reflection

22.04.25 - 30.07.25 / week 1 - week 14

Subhana Salim / 0375936 

Design  Research Methodology / Bachelor's of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University 

Final Compilation & Reflection


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lecture Notes
2. Instructions
3. Task 1: Research Proposal
4. Task 2 : Critical Review
5. Task 3 : Research Design - Primary Data
6. Task 4 : Research Reflection Report and Recorded Presentation
7. Feedback
8. Reflection


LECTURE NOTES





INSTRUCTIONS


Task 1 : Research Proposal 

Students are required to select a topic related to their BDCM specialization and propose a specific research area they wish to explore.


Task 2 : Critical Review 

This task requires us to select 3 research articles related to our research problem and write a critical review for each.


Task 3 : Research Design - Primary Data

This task requires us to collect data using any of the research methods such as Interview, survey, observation related to our research topic along with the detailed analysis of our research. 


Task 4 : Research Reflection Report and Record Presentation
This task is the final task where we are required to compile of of our previous task into a single accessible docs, along with providing a video to generalize our research process.


FINAL REPORT




PRESENTATION SLIDES



PRESENTATION VIDEO



FEEDBACK




GOOGLE DRIVE LINK




REFLECTIONS

6.1 REFLECTION 

Experience

This research module was extremely informative in a previously unfamiliar field. Prior to this module I had limited experience with report writing to this level of detail and legitimacy. Through this module I learned valuable information such as learning the formats to referencing and citing sources, as well as writing research proposals and critical reviews. I also learned the formalized method of conducting research methods as well as its documentation process. Doing research although may be time consuming and labor intensive, the freedom to choose a topic of my interest motivated me to work on these assignments. Initially this module left me with several doubts and uncertainty. I had difficulties coming up with a valuable research topic. But with the lecture class explaining the assignment guidelines, the reference materials as well as the feedback sessions with my assigned lecturer were valuable aids that guided me through this module. As a future entertainment design specialist, giving the option to find a research topic within our specialization, allowed me to expand my knowledge library on the field. Through this module, I not only changed the way I perceive articles, with me now gravitating towards academic journals over its blog counterparts but also expanded my own knowledge library in my personal topic.


Observation

By working on my research I have observed the level of detail required, such as including APA references and descriptive explanations in order to state my findings, which I’m new to. The assigned lecturer also provided me with valuable feedback that helped me navigate through the assignment. The design intent behind Jinx’s character design was a topic I found interesting since watching the TV show, which was another factor of motivation. Although I thought about the differences between the Jinx variations in a superficial sense, this report allowed me to dive much deeper into the intentions as well as the aesthetic output of these character designs. It overall taught me the different aspects that contribute to character design and how important it is to the personality of the character. Through Jinx, character design is not only a visually appealing aspect but also an important factor in showcasing personality and character evolution. Another observation I noted is the severe limitation of academic articles on Arcane. Even with the already limited articles most of them focus on its writing rather than its visual analysis. I also struggled with finding recent articles on character design and its relationship with character evolution, and personality. This obstacle made it difficult for me to gather data on Jinx’s character design. Therefore, it pushed me to use existing theories on color psychology, shape language and silhouette to draw conclusions on the topic. Through this my findings could potentially contribute to the existing knowledge base on Arcane’s visual analysis. 


Findings

The process of collecting data was complicated and rigorous. Initially I chose an interview as my data collection method. I was aiming to interview character designers working in the Arcane production, in order to gather personal intel on their design intentions for her character. However, I was unable to secure an interview within the allocated time. Due to this, I had to change directions and find another suitable research method, which resulted in the decision to use visual analysis. Although visual analysis presented to be more challenging, it provided relevant data to support my research topic. Through visual analysis, I was forced to be more observant and analyze the intentions behind each element. From my conclusions, I can find that especially with Jinx’s design, her visual aesthetic plays a major role in presenting her complex as well as nuanced personality arc. Each aspect of Jinx’s design such as colors, shape, costume, etc. were all equally important. The character Jinx from Arcane provides itself as an excellent example of visually presenting character evolution through character design.




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