Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Clarifying the purpose of your project
We start at the very beginning. Why are we doing this project? What is its purpose?
These might seem like blunt questions to ask but it is so important to establish this
type of clarity before we go much further. You might think: "please can we just get
on with it?" and you're probably itching to get on to a computer and start playing
with some data, but these initial few stages of this methodology are very deliberately
designed to get you in to the habit of this type of reflective or analytical assessment.
If you look at a dictionary definition for "purpose", it will usually say something
similar to: reason for existing, intended effect. These two dimensions neatly capture
the focus of our definition work at this point in the journey.
The reason for existing
Let's start with the reason for existing. This is about recognizing the trigger behind
the project or the origin from where it emerged. This gives us an idea of the scope
and context of what we are about to undertake, how much creative control we might
have, whether we've been encouraged to follow a particular creative direction and
what ideas have already been formed.
A project will typically form in one of following two ways: you've either been asked
to do it or you've decided to do something yourself. You might think that's obvious,
but these are very different scenarios for working creatively.
If it's the former, a project that's essentially been commissioned, you will have most
likely been given the task by a colleague or a manager or from a client you are
working with/for. A further source may be something like an invited assignment
such as tendering for some work or even entering a design contest.
You will have received or read a brief and possibly had some initial discussions that
provided you with an outline of the requirements. You might have some instructions
and a general idea of what they are seeking.
From gathering this contextual information, you should have a reasonably clear
idea about the background to the project, what you're being asked to do, why
you're doing it and who you're doing it for. It may be quite loose and open-ended,
in which case you've got a greater range of possibilities, but it's more likely to be
quite defined and specific.
You've probably also experienced the pain of hearing some of the initial ideas flying
round, as your creative soul dies a slow death in response to requests such as "cool
charts" and "make it fancy" or "I want an Edward Tufte style piece".
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