overall comments on shelter|bus reviews

Another milestone passed!!!!

We have assessed all of the shelter|bus projects and that will be factored into your final grade for the course.  Please pick up all your materials from the critique room no later than noon tomorrow. As part of our ongoing effort to provide feedback, critique sheets from jurors will be distributed at the end of class on Friday.  We remind you to fill out online course evaluations.

We would appreciate it if the following students would deliver their boards and models to Suzanne's office sometime this week: Meg McMillan, Sara Zales, Michelle Bodon, Kevin Lahti and Maiken Schoenleber. These materials will be retained for the CIDA review in Fall 2009 and then they will be returned to you.

We have the following observations to make for the class as a whole:

• Many jurors commented that the strengths of the projects rested in the stories you wove to explain concepts and design process.  
• Students need to observe better time management with their studio projects.  We believe this to be a high priority in the coming semester.  Though some students put in a lot of hours, their time in the studio resulted in low-quality drawings and models or emphasis on the deliverables that did not maximize sharing information about the project --- in other words, the focus was misdirected.  Other students failed to put in the necessary energy and time to fully investigate the design opportunity.
• In the future be sure to recognize the value of planning well in advance for your visual presentation.  Too many students made last minute decisions in layout, composition and craft which adversely affected the positive perception of their projects.
• Successful projects included diagrams that helped explain the complexities of the shelter|buses.
• Use models more through the design process.
• Draw!  Draw!  Draw!  
• Experiment with presentation techniques earlier in the design process.  This includes color choices, lighting effects, textures, scale figures, entourage...
• Continue to experiment with how your board layout can bolster your concept and approach to the project.
• You've come a long way in your speaking abilities this semester.  Continue to practice the craft of oral presentation supplemented by visual material.  Without doubt the more organized verbal presentations led to a greater comprehension of design intentions.

Again, we look forward to your engagement over the next 9 days for the bus|shelter!  With your active contributions and commitment to the process we are quite confident that the 12|12 event will be a great success and be a seed for change.  Be sure to invite friends and family to the unveiling so they can see the results of your hard work this semester.