Week 5 – Reflective Visual Journal (RVJ) – Work by hand & Reflection

The term “Reflective Visual Journal” can be broken down in three. As it is a “journal” designers use them over a period of time. “Visual” means the designer is able to put their ideas into a visual form e.g. a sketch or an illustration. And finally it enables the designer to be “reflective”, they are able to look back on the ideas and assess whether they have been successful or need changing.

Working by hand in an RVJ is essential for a designer as it enables them to engage a physical connection between the creative thoughts in their mind, their hands and their eyes. Working by hand mainly involves drawing. Drawing enables a designer to think creatively, put down initial ideas and develop these ideas. Anyone who is looking through the RVJ can see the thought process of the designer and the see the ideas develop over time. The image below shows how working by hand plays a key role in the creative thinking process:

Once the ideas have achieved a visual language through the designer working by hand and utilising creativity, the journey of the ideas are nearly at the end of their journey. The designer can then look back on the ideas and he/she can evaluate, question and edit some of the decisions leading to the final design. Reflection isn’t something that occurs just at the end of the journal, it can take place at any stage of the design process.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Images from the lecture slides)