Throughout the three methods, I am constantly discovering new ways of researching. Some are more obvious, ones I have never tried before, and some are unique approaches I would never have thought of. All of these methods have pushed me to create projects that are conceptually stronger and have a meaningful connection to the existing material I’m working with, while also giving it new life. I’ve learned to pick apart what matters, what’s intriguing, and what I can translate into a visual language. There’s no one right approach or answer for a single project, only the approach that best suits the context. Although research matters, letting the project become what it is naturally is just as important as trying to mold it into something it isn’t just to make it portfolio-ready.
In Methods of Investigating, I’ve come to appreciate the beauty of observing the mundane and paying attention to even the most obvious details, exploring what can emerge from them without prejudice, stereotyping, or prior knowledge.
Through Methods of Cataloguing, I’ve learned to rearrange what I thought I knew and see it in a new light, creating a fresh context. There are patterns that exist; we just have to be able to see them, name them, and sort them.
From Methods of Translating, I learned to focus and dive deep into content, extracting the most important aspects to see it from a new perspective. Pulling ideas, reading, and experimenting with approaches from references is also immensely helpful in strengthening a piece.
I have created projects with each of these methods that I had never done before. They develop and encourage creative and critical thinking, which then influences the outcome, whether it is commercial, political, or both.