Field Journal: Articles and Notes
A running record of writing from the Centre for Competitive Creative Design, kept in the order the work was done.
This journal is where the centre writes about design practice as it is carried out, not only as it is described afterwards. The entries cover competition briefs, the steps taken to reach a finished proposal, and the reasons some designs succeed where others are passed over.
Articles here are short and specific. Each one names the problem, the constraints and what was learned, so that readers outside the studio can judge the reasoning for themselves.
Field note one: studies pinned during an early stage of a competition brief, before any single direction was chosen.
What the journal covers
- How competition briefs are read and questioned before work begins
- How designs are tested against the criteria a judge will apply
- How studio critique changes a proposal from its first draft
- How materials, colour and form are chosen for a specific setting
Field note two: two layouts set side by side. The comparison is recorded in the article, including the version that was discarded.
Articles also explain how the centre thinks about the wider field. Competitive design is not only about winning. It is about making the reasons for a decision visible, so that the work can be understood and improved by others.
Published articles will be added below this introduction in date order. Until then, the news page lists current activity at the centre.
Questions about a particular article or topic can be sent through the contact page.
Field note three: a stack of drafts marked up for the next round of review.
Field note four: the workshop bench, where material samples are cut and tested before they reach a brief.