dundee-six cities

I know that this blog is meant for the DHTP and CMT lectures but on another project also for Design Studies-The Six Cities project I feel somewhat connects to this.

Dundee is known as The City of Discovery, The Jewel of North East Scotland, a city that highlights the pride of its residents. What is Dundee known to you as? While researching for the project, looking at different sources that has a connection to Dundee, this struck me. I mean reading from a newspaper, magazine, on a website or even on a postcard the same appears-Dundee; The City of Discovery. Is that all Dundee is known for or as it is a "City of Discovery" it is a city waiting for you to discover what it is?

Through research I have found a lot of information and facts about Dundee that I never knew before, things that existed, which I never knew did-it was like re-discovering Dundee from what I already know of Dundee. One thing that hints toward this is a quote I found on the Dundee City Council website;

"Knowledge is the key to Dundee, and all it stands for as a city."

On a different website-the Angus and Dundee one if I remember correctly also hints to this as well;

"Discover the secret"

While researching and looking back on the research that I made-it feels like I am discovering Dundee through fresh eyes again, like the working title of the Dundee Design Festival; See New Worlds. In the brief it says how we should seek "tools for seeing," is this a tool for seeing Dundee in a different prespective without us knowing?

On the Dundee and Tayside Imagebank, I feel too that it was another tool for seeing-it has a databank of photos submitted by various people of places all over Dundee. This database really intrigued me as it shows places I never heard before, places that were hidden from the eye but waiting there for you to discover it.

More and more research lead me to the Six Cities website. It was very blank, didn't give much information but has very inspiring quotes as well,

"What does design have to do we me?"

"What is the most beautiful object that you own"

Relating back to Design Studies and Richard Carr's lectures of the Festival of Britain-the festival changed people's lives and made people aware of Design. Is this what Dundee's Design Festival is aiming at, like the Festival of Britain?

Have you ever questioned yourself while you were first here in Dundee, what it has to offer you, what went through your mind when you were redesigning the Dundee Cake? It seems that such project has been interwoven into us since the beginning, it doesn't matter where you are but what you think.