Thesis Reflection

Innovative thinking and how to prove it:

One of the most valuable things that came out of research for my thesis was the ways in which you can prove and explain innovative thinking. The cycle for innovation consists of four processes that strive to find a balance between desirability, feasibility, and viability. Through a combination of design thinking, computational thinking, maker culture, and business comes design innovation (Codomo, 2019). The process starts with proof of value, which is when you are defining the problem. Next comes from proof of concept, the exploration stage, when a wide arrange of solutions can come about. Third comes proof of market, which is when you ensure that there is a target audience and a viable amount of sustainable growth to be had.

Wix Design Layout

When I started the thesis project I had some misconceptions of the WIX website editor however after spending time in iteration process I learned a lot about how it could be used to build a very unique and stylized portfolio for design work. One tutorial found on Youtube showed how to make different layers in Sketch and import them into WIX to create a parallax scrolling background page. In addition to this technique I learned yet another website building tool alongside Squarespace, WordPress, and Webflow. Each builder is unique to itself and has its pros and cons. After working on my thesis in WIX I feel that it is intuitive and provides enough easy customization that uncommon sites can be built.

Portfolio

Portfolios are a great way to show process and progress as a designer. A portfolio is the most valuable way a designer can show curation and organization in their work and showcase skillsets and research that goes into creative thinking. A portfolio should be a place where a designer feels free to express all of their talents to make a compelling argument for hiring said designer.