A5 pt2 Studio Review

5.2 – Studio Reflection

Zoe Hill s3898860

Throughout my studio “fix the app” I have grasped a lot of knew knowledge, but something that I really enjoyed was assignment 4 and having to apply our new learnings to this media piece. The assignment consisted of designing an app from scratch, in groups. My group chose to produce a fashion app, which I liked as I have a passion for clothing. In saying this, I really enjoyed seeing what other students in my studio had also produced and how it differed from my groups work.

I found the app ‘Jupiter’, designed by Bailey Eyear’s group very inventive. They have designed an app that acts as a launch pad to allow users to easily choose a show/movie without any hassle and watch it on their desired streaming service, like Netflix and Stan. A key idea that they addressed were the apps affordances and how they collectively help the user have a pleasant experience whilst using the app. Their key affordances were safety, social feeds, and custom subscriptions. Overall, all these functions ensure the app is easy to navigate which I found very relevant as navigation is vital when designing an app. Further, the group also touched on the app’s regulatory framework, which relates to communicative affordance. It was good to see how they incorporated course content into their assignment, as it shows they have authority over what they have produced. Personally, I do struggle with picking a movie to watch and I think this app has solved all my issues, which is why I believe this groups idea is excellent.

Another app I thought was impressive was ‘Seechat’, designed by Ned Sack’s group. The app aims to achieve clarity and transparency regarding how people’s data is handled, as people have the right to know where their personal data is being sold. A key idea the group addressed is the apps regulatory framework which consists of a ‘ethical considerations page’. The page outlines where Seechat sells their data to and why. Ultimately, this amplifies the notion of transparency and ethics. Again, it was good seeing the group incorporate course content in their assignment (regulatory framework) as it showed they understood what they were talking about. Overall, I believe this group has addressed a very relevant issue in our society as people just have to accept the fact that their data is being taken on a regular basis, which is why this groups app stood out to me.

Furthermore, I also had the chance to view other students work from other studios. I ensured to look at a studio that I would not normally be interested in as it took me out of my comfort zone, which allowed me to open my eyes to a new form of media. The studio I have chosen to reflect on is ‘thinking with pictures’, and a piece that caught my eye was ‘Burn Out’, by Lachlan M. Campbell. Lachlan has produced a short film which is a fictionalised version of himself over the five days leading up to the submission of his film. I really like this idea, as everyone experiences a “fried mind” whilst making media content at least once in their life.

I think the key idea that Lachlan is communicating through his media work is that it is hard to come up with a good original idea when constructing a media piece, and this metal block is normal thing that most people experience. This is emphasised by when he states “I’ll have one day to write and refine my script, two days to shoot the thing and two days to edit, polish and finalise it before presenting it. That’s plenty of time to come up with a whole new original, thought-provoking idea…. right?”, during the film. Overall, this implies that having a lot of time may not be enough time to come up with inventive quality content.

Moreover, this idea is further highlighted through the way he is procrastinating in the film, as he is having trouble coming up with content ideas. Procrastination is something I can relate to because I also do it to put off assignments, as it’s a way to cope with challenging emotions and negative moods. I think Lachlan is clever by including this in his short film as most people procrastinate to avoid something, which makes his film more engaging as viewers can relate to it on a personal level.

Finally, I enjoyed how Lachlan used various camera angles to construct his final piece as they all helped enhance the narrative, theme, and overall mood of the short film. After viewing Lachlan’s film, I have come to realise that I like the look of the studio ‘thinking with pictures’ and what it has to offer, which has made me consider choosing it for next semester.