Design Research Dissertation: Final Compilation and Reflection

Week 01 - Week 14 [28 August 2024 - 3 December 2024]

Ahmad Firas Bin Ahmad Fisal | 0345121

Design Research Dissertation | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

Final Compilation and Reflection


INSTRUCTIONS



Task 01 - Draft Dissertation



Task 02 - Visual Design Publication

If any problem arises in trying to view the e-book, try to view it directly from this link: Click Here!


Task 03 - Final Dissertation [TURNITIN Submission Report]



Task 04 - Research for Article Publication



FEEDBACK

WEEK 02
The bone structure of the matrix on theme identification is not too much and is good to go for building up the initial parts of the discussion.

WEEK 03
The flow of the discussion drafting is reorganised with the help of my lecturer. Good grasp of the idea of how to write the discussion. A reminder was given for me to focus on the elaboration on how the theme is connected to the research question/topic. All of the separations of sections make sense with the number of words required.

WEEK 05
Current progress is good, need to arrange certain information in the paragraph to be according to what has been introduced in the introduction of the sub-section so that readers could have a better flow. A reminder to add more primary data; percentages of quantitative and qualitative, I could show it in examples (minimum 3) to provide a more convincing discussion.

WEEK 06 
I've restructured my discussion to have more secondary sources linked to it with responses from the questionnaire added in between as the primary source data to support my discussion

WEEK 07
We have discussed the Acknowledgement, Abstract, Conclusion, and most of the other parts other than the Discussion section 

WEEK 09
We discussed both of my design ideas and the recommendation given by my lecturer is to combine certain aspects of each idea like the colour scheme of my idea 02 with the major design choices from idea 01. The existing typeface designs should be compared once again with a new set of typeface designs to see which is better for the final book design. 

WEEK 11
It's good that I have the book design almost ready with the contents filled inside, Good choice of typeface and also the font size is legible enough. To justify or to remain left-aligned depends on the paragraphs, it is recommended that I avoid having orphans or widows when trying to justify my contents or to write up left-aligned paragraphs in general. The book design has movement and is clean-looking throughout the book manipulated by the circle elements put throughout the book. Finally, a suggestion is to add a biography of myself at the very back of the book rather than putting the abstract like what I did in Trial 01 of the book design.

WEEK 13
Your Abstract, Introduction and Problem Statement are well written except for a few formatting tweaks done to perfect the paragraphs. Add keywords as well in there as part of the article requirements. Both References and Appendix were also well made, only required to add the pictures and label the accordingly.

WEEK 14
Now, moving to the final two, Methodology and Findings. Starting with the methodology, it is well written within the maximum number of words needed for the section. The structure of the survey was well explained. To only amend the number of respondents to point out exactly how many have been collected for the survey instead of mentioning it in a general way. As for the Findings, I was given an extra 100 words (making it 600 in total) to recognise the nature of my dissertation and is necessary to do so if needed to make it longer. However, I'll try to keep it at 500 words for the next rephrasing session to find repetitive phrasings in there.


REFLECTION

Embarking on this dissertation journey was quite a ride. Dissertations aren't a walk in the park; they need careful handling to ensure your work truly represents your effort. After the Design Research Methodology module, there was a bit of a delay in getting the remaining respondents for my survey. Luckily, I hit the 80-respondent mark right before this module started. Getting through this phase can be confusing, and at times, you feel a bit lost in the sea of information. Building a solid dissertation involves a lot of research and occasionally going back to square one to get your thoughts straight. With an in-depth survey questionnaire, there was a ton of data to analyze. Miss Jinchi's guidance was a lifesaver, helping me wade through the challenges of putting together over 20,000 words. Reaching the end of the dissertation module was a real win. It felt surreal, especially given the professional vibe of the project. Moving on to the visual publication design phase was a bit more laid back, and I got to turn my dissertation into an e-book, ticking off another requirement. Having finished both the Design Research Methodology and Design Research Dissertation modules, my understanding of research has really grown. The final submission stage, especially dealing with TURNITIN, was nerve-wracking. The fear of failing and starting over was real. Thankfully, careful paraphrasing and using Scribbr to check plagiarism percentages beforehand gave me some peace of mind. Luckily, the actual plagiarism percentages when I submitted were well below what our lecturers set. Creating an article publication afterwards was less stressful, as it meant summarizing the key points of the dissertation in a more condensed form. In a nutshell, getting through this module was possible with the support of friends, family, my lecturer, and most importantly, believing in myself. Building that self-confidence was tough but crucial, driving me to overcome challenges and succeed. Reflecting on this journey, I've realized that every obstacle was a stepping stone, and every doubt was an opportunity for growth. It's a testament to the importance of perseverance and self-belief in navigating the challenges of academic endeavours. The journey was not just about completing a dissertation; it was a profound lesson in resilience, research, and personal development.









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