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This week’s workshop was spent looking at different ways of critical thinking and evaluation. Specifically, the system of de Bono’s Hats; a tool designed to aid in the thorough discussion and evaluation of different works. It does this through a set of six coloured ‘hats,’ metaphorically representing the different categories of evaluative thinking. This is an incredibly successful model, as the separation of these hats promotes parallel thinking; a constructive alternative to adversarial thinking, or debate, as it directs attention to one specific aspect of evaluation at a time, allowing for productive feedback to be generated and specific elements of a work to be focussed upon.

To demonstrate the way in which these hats work, I have chosen to evaluate my preliminary self portrait: project brief 1, using this system.

Yellow ?: benefits

The individual aspects of personhood informing each piece of the assignment were well deliberated, and show a range of ways of illustrating personality through literal, metaphorical and referential means. Each shot has also clearly been thoughtfully composed in order to confer meaning.

White ?: facts

The selection of photographs, video and audio provide unique insight into the subject’s life, characterising their personality, however they do not provide a broad image of the subject as a person, instead only providing relatively small insights into their life.

Black ?: cautions

The layout of the assessment is lacking. Without post processing, or the ability to move and layer the different media close together, the layout is rather bland.

Green ?: creativity

To solve the issue of layout, a colour scheme or specific subject matter could be identified to create a more coherent piece. Also, the juxtapositions present within the written explanation of the piece, between the city and the natural world, could be explored visually, contrasting the brutalism present in city buildings against the organic forms found in nature.

Red ?: feelings

While reactions vary between each element of the piece, those featuring nature are instinctively calmer than those of the cityscape, which evoke a sense of being overwhelmed, almost claustrophobic, as many of the pieces featuring the city are shot on an upwards tilt, creating a a sense of looming, or are utterly filled with noise and movement.

Blue ?: process

From this assignment the main elements of my personhood have been identified, and thus may be explored further in the second project brief, expanded upon, or focussed on.