What I’ve Done this Week

This week I haven't done much to show visually, but I've made the beginning preparations of my slides for the workshop and the beginning of my written portion of the thesis.

On the workshop side of things: For the slides I'm just using the same template I made at the beginning of the semester, and will use up until the oral defense, since I already have it and for the sake of time and consistency I'll just keep using it; no sense in making more work for myself than necessary at this point. In planning I've gone back to the outlined structure and will be mostly sticking to it with some minor edits: starting with an overview of AI and how its impacting the world and the field, showing some creative examples from this thesis, then getting into the setup of the LoRa and integrating it with TouchDesigner, then allowing for creative freedom and exploration, coming back at the end for reflection and presentation of each others work. From the committee meeting feedback and thinking on the workshop itself a little more, I think the importance here is to educate and demonstrate on methods for being creative and designing with AI. 

It's important for a lot of reasons: not limited to, but a highlight being the ramifications it has on the field, and from my own experiences working with clients in this new age of AI, it's important for designers to be knowledgeable of its strengths and limits, and how to work with it better and more intentionally than non-designers prompting and pressing buttons. Especially for undergrads looking for jobs, the workshop can serve as a means to democratize AI tools to them, and to give them the ability to make it more of their own thing as opposed to, again, what a client or firm can expect or execute from standard and widespread models, which is where the LoRa's and TouchDesigner come into play.

On the side of the written portion, I've got an outline of it, and this week so far I've been gathering the papers for the literature review and references sections, and I've been reviewing the guidelines for formatting, and looking at last years graphic design graduate papers (such as Ernests and Ugos) for reference since (shocker!) I find it more helpful to see visual examples, and with the updated guidelines into 2024-25 and ISU's websites less than helpful descriptions of them, it can be kind of confusing without looking at exactly what's kind of expected. Not that formatting will be a huge lift but I'd rather know before I get into the grind of actually writing it.

What I’ll be Doing Over Winter Break

This won't be any new news from the final class presentations and my committee meeting, but during winter break, my focus is on laying the groundwork that everything else will build on in the spring. The two main priorities again being workshop planning and making meaningful progress on the written portion of the thesis. Rather than trying to execute major public-facing components during this time like the exhibition, I’m using the break to slow things down strategically and make sure the structure, goals, and logistics of the workshop are clear and well thought out. A key part of this is doing a test run of the workshop with a small, low-stakes audience (my family), which will allow me to refine pacing, clarify instructions, and troubleshoot any technical or conceptual issues before running the official session early in the semester. I’m also using this time to identify and order any remaining materials needed for the workshop and exhibition, and if I do end up having more time, to continue refining the installations so they’re more stable and resolved heading into spring.

Again on the written side of things, winter break marks the beginning of the final push on the written thesis. My goal here is to establish a strong foundation by solidifying the literature review and introduction, making sure my research questions, theoretical framing, and methodological approach are articulated well before workshops and exhibitions demand more attention. By the end of winter break, I want to enter the spring semester with a clear plan and slides for the workshop, a partially drafted written thesis, and fewer open questions so that the rest of the timeline can focus on execution, analysis, refinement, and defense preparation rather than foundational planning.

Semester Reflections

This semester flew by! As I'm sure it does for all 3rd year grad students. I'm really satisfied with my work and progress I've made over the semester. From the beginning presentation I was real hard on myself and worried about how it would turn out But over time with research, work, and planning, all the pieces became more and more clear, and I was able to put it together into a package that I believe makes sense and is important and meaningful. My opinions and thoughts on AI are always in flux, and will probably remain so for long after the final oral defense, but in the sense of research and academia as well as public knowledge it is important to inform people of the multifaceted aspects of AI as much as possible, so they themselves can decide what it's best used for and how to use it effectively and ethically, not through word of mouth of CEOs and demos, or social media rants. The hype/hate cycle is real, as is a potential bubble ready to pop. As I said in my presentations, the future is uncertain, but it's up to the people to decide if these tools should be adopted or rejected, and in what ways they should go about either, with only the informed mind being able to make the best decision.

On a process side of things, I also gained a much clearer sense of how making and research inform each other in this process. The installations, workshop planning, and technical experimentation aren't separate from the writing or theory, more so being actively shaping how I think about AI, interaction, and learning. Seeing ideas succeed, fail, or behave unexpectedly in practice reinforced to me why hands-on engagement is such a critical part of understanding AI systems, and why this work is important. That balance between thinking, building, and reflecting is something I’ve become much more comfortable with this semester, and it’s given me confidence moving forward. While there is still a lot to do, I feel like I’m entering the final stretch with a strong foundation, a clearer direction, and a project that aligns with both my academic goals and my personal values as a designer and researcher. Lastly, I just want to say thank you to the graphic design faculty, both in my committee and out, and my graduate student colleagues (even if they all won't see this) who gave feedback on my presentations and work to help make this thesis what it is and what it will be, and thank you to Alex, who is certainly a huge part in helping in all steps along the way as my Major Professor. It's not over, and there is still a lot of work to be done, but I am now more than ever confident and ready to finish strong.