Week 7 functioned as a formative checkpoint within the module, offering dedicated time to reflect on my design process, consolidate my ideas, and strengthen my documentation rather than producing new artefacts. This week was essential in allowing me to slow down, assess my progress so far, and ensure that my creative decisions were grounded in clear intentions and structured thinking.
A key focus this week was reviewing my existing notes, sketches, and early concepts to identify consistency across my work. By revisiting earlier weeks, I was able to understand better how my initial ideas evolved and where refinement was needed. This reflective process helped me recognise gaps in clarity, particularly in how ideas were being communicated rather than how they were conceived.
An important aspect of this week was improving my approach to organisation and time management. I experimented with structured work sessions to break tasks into manageable stages, helping me stay focused while avoiding burnout. This approach helped me balance reflection, reading, and documentation more effectively.
By separating ideation, reflection, and documentation into distinct phases, I was able to engage more critically with my work. Instead of rushing outputs, I focused on understanding why certain decisions were made and how they aligned with the project’s overall direction. This has improved the coherence of my documentation and strengthened my ability to articulate ideas clearly.
Reading week also provided an opportunity to engage with contextual research on design thinking, memory, atmosphere, and experiential design. Rather than directly applying theory, I used this research to inform my mindset and reflective practice. This allowed me to think more critically about how experiences are structured and how meaning is communicated through design choices.
This research phase reinforced the importance of intentionality — ensuring that creative decisions are supported by reasoning rather than intuition alone. It also highlighted the value of revisiting and re-evaluating ideas throughout an iterative design process.
During Week 7, I prioritised strengthening my written documentation in preparation for upcoming submissions—this involved refining descriptions, clarifying terminology, and ensuring consistency across notes and reflective entries. By focusing on written clarity, I aimed to make my process more transparent and easier to follow for both myself and others.
This stage of development reinforced the idea thatdocumentation is not just a record of outcomes, but an active tool for thinking, problem-solving, and refining ideas. Improving the structure and readability of my work has helped me feel more confident moving forward.
Overall, Week 7 was a valuable opportunity to pause, reflect, and recalibrate. Rather than producing new work, the focus on reflection and reading strengthened the foundation of my project. Moving forward, I feel more prepared to develop my ideas with clarity, structure, and stronger critical awareness.
This week has positioned me well for the next stages of the module, where reflection, documentation, and decision-making will continue to play a central role in my creative practice.
