Respond to the theme “What is British and Dutch Design and Culture?”
Keep a daily visual journal of notes, sketches, photographs, objects, and ephemera
This journal begins its life the moment you leave the airport in the U.S.A. The narrative structure of the journal is important. Think of it as an exhibition and the elements you add as the objects and information. Specific journal assignments will be given during some field trips and museum visits, use the journal to document the design process for projects. It is okay to leave some blank pages at the end of your visual journal if you plan to travel after the program. The goal is 6–8 pages a day, which translates to 200 single pages or 100-page spreads. Your purchased journal must have at least this many pages. Items to include:
- Sketches and drawings (observational, transformative, and speculative)
- Written notes and observations
- Photographs
- Tickets
- Food wrappers
- Stamps
- Dirt and plants
- Rubbings and impressions
- Printed materials (poster clippings etc.)
- Scraps from newspapers etc.
- Pages of color
- Swatches of fabric
- Typography examples
- Maps
- Business cards
- Food stains (sauce, drinks etc.)
- Packaging
- Construction materials (if small enough)
Anything that can be inserted into the journal (hard bound sketchbook 8.5 x 11 inches) is acceptable. Find a style of working that is fast. A successful journal shows experimentation and steady progress throughout the program and is filled and bulging at the seams by the last day of instruction.
Consider alternative journal formats (film, photography, audio, handmade book, special studies etc.). These are acceptable if agreed upon by the instructor in advance.
Course: Design in Europe Program, 2023
Community Collaborator/Final Exhibition: Frans Bevers, City of Den Bosch, The Netherlands
