CMT Summary

Taking part in these lectures has, I feel, fuelled my desire to learn. I am progressively reading more books to increase my knowledge base on, not only design, but psychology, religion and politics. Media, design, art; they are all intermixed in today’s society, culture and how we live. I feel as if I had an almost ignorance towards learning as I began this journey. I had my own opinions and I was quite happy with being biased. However, as I have looked more in depth at topics that have sparked my interest I have become increasingly aware of how to use others opinions and research to my advantage, as well as being forced to look at things from another point of view, instead of stubbornly holding my own standpoint. I have even found myself taking back what I have previously said, my opinions having been changed by what I have read.

The most provoking lecture for me was on Post Modern Perspectives, which surprised me; I had thought that ‘Disney’ or ‘Cartoons’ would have held more of my attention or given me more inspiration. I was intrigued that the topic of religion in today’s society was so prominent, and I feel that I have delved fairly deeply into this, for me, relatively new subject, although I am well aware I have barely brushed the surface.

I now know not to judge a book on its cover, old cliché I know, but I never realised how much it affected me. For example, on first glances a sitcom may seem completely anti-religion, however on further viewing you may discover it brings religion into modern-day households. Furthermore, you may get a lecture, which you think has no relevance to you, and later realise that it has everything to do with how you got to where you are today.

I feel the lecture on Comics, Cartoons and Graphic Novels really opened my eyes to accessible design; about designing for the consumer and making design more appeasing to the public. I believe that the inspiration to open new doors to the public greatly helped my assignments this semester.


As for my ‘Six Cities’ project, I was finding it hard to relate to my lectures. I realise it isn’t so much what was looked at, but how it was looked at. The thought process behind it, using what has gone before to influence what can be done. Our final project was based heavily on inspiration taken from ideas used by other cities and even current Dundee projects. This takes me back to the first lecture, which I rebuked so much, on the industrial revolution. I questioned how the past could truly affect us today. I now realise that without taking influence from what has gone before and building upon it, we could not be where we are today. I also posed the question “can originality prevail?” I now think the answer is “yes it can”, however only if it uses what has gone before as a starting point.