Random connections method, is an exercise to conceptualise and generate ideas from random themes and keywords. This method was introduced to me by my cousin who attended an advertising workshop on the analysis of briefs and brainstorming of ideas.

An idea that was derived from the keyword “human bowl” sparked the most discussion amongst us, as I thought that this term was quite interesting as it could function as a metaphor representing the online community. In this context, us as users become the ingredients within that bowl. Further building onto that idea, we thought of how ingredients needed to complement each other to make the perfect dish, in this way similar personalities gel well together, strengthening the bond within the community and creating a good synergy between different identities

This exercise brought about alot of unexpected outcomes, which helped to broaden my perspective about identities and online communities. Through the random keywords, I was able to stray away from the terms that I was constantly working around in my research and explore new themes that helped to generate fresh ideas. I think this exercise expanded the range in my design thinking about what identities could be and also allowed me to rethink and solidify the concept of identity constructed based on communities, which I was researching about in my dissertation. It also opened up more possibilities of how I can incorporate theories from my writing into the execution of concepts and artefacts.

Over the week I discovered this app called Mood Meter, which is an app developed by Maarc Brackett–author of 'Permission to Feel' where he first introduced the technique of mood meter and the concept of emotional intelligience, that helps to keep track of one’s emotions and regulate shifts in emotions. This app allows users to gain awareness of the self through the discovery of emotional nuances and equips the user with the ability to transition into different emotions.

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• Personally, I found that the use of an application interface to simulate the mood meter technique was a smart way to devise this technique as a digital tool.
  
  Originally, back in Year 2 when we were gathering research for our compendium, I came across this case study Focus Ex by Vatány Szabolcs, which was a digital reading tool that utilises generative typography for ADHD sufferers. It was from this case study, that I got a sense of what I wanted my concept of visual systems to function as–an interactive tool that could help users learn about themselves or it can also be a tool for self-expression and a tool to facilitate online communication.
  
  One possible output for this digital tool which I thought of at that time was through an application, similar to the functionality of this Mood Meter case study. This was because an application is something that is readily accessible to all users through any technological device, as such they will be able to utilise the digital tool anytime and anywhere which made it convenient for the users to consistently update and discover new identities of themselves.

  Images: Screenshots from Mood Meter application

• Images: Screenshots of SLIC3D project from the presentation during the lecture

  One of the works that he shared during the lecture which intrigued me was ‘SLIC3D’, a fully 3D-printed book that explores and documents the 3D-printing process beyond its immediate use case for rapid-prototyping/object manufacturing — as a tool for graphic-making and re-examining the material properties.

• He mentioned that during the design process for this project, he discovered that the lines and bleeds made by the 3D printer created this new type of aesthetic, in a way these accidental mistakes gave value to these abstract design. Thus, his statement of “harnessing the 3d printing process as an aesthetic” inspired me to view even the design process, all the failures and attempts as a way of design, and look at the failed experiments in a different lens to bring forth new insights.