Design context workshop

To clarify some avenues for research 10 of us had a workshop to help us understand the way to research and possible opportunities to gain further knowledge.

I listed 5 subjects that I was interested in researching into, and then made a statement based on my limited knowledge and then added questions on the subject, which were then added too by my peers.

Premier League Football
There is too much money in Premier League football
Should we pretend the premier league isn't there?
How has football culture changed over time?
What impact will rich eastern owners have on the Premier League?
Why do players command such high wages?
What specific audiences within Premier League football to design for?
How are you going to communicate that there is too much money in football?
Are you going to communicate this?
What kind of design - publication? illustration?
What are the budgets your likely to work with?
How much are they paid?
Who earns the most?
What do they spend it on?
Whats so special about the Premier League?
Would you target people who are not interested in football?
How could you target a non-specific gender?

Bookbinding methods
The appropriateness of bookbinding to design delivery should be considered
Why should we care about bookbinding?
How many methods are there?
How can binding help a print revival?
The effectiveness of machines/mass production binding versus the physical act of binding?
What value does binding add?
Where are you likely to be to play around with different binding methods?
What industries provide the best opportunities?
What materials could be used? to what effect?
Where do you source the materials?

High spec print finishes
The use of print finishes should be confined to those who use them effectively?
Who uses them effectively?
How will fluctuating material costs affect the market?
Who uses high spec print?
Why use high spec print?
How will creative budget costs affect the implementation of costly print jobs?

Design for publishing
Experimental delivery can impact on readability
Who reads/designs publications?
How does experimental delivery impact on readability?

Sports Statistics
Facts on sports statistics should be given more attention
What type of design - illustration, type, etc?
What specific audiences would statistics be of use for? (gambling)
What form would the statistics take?
What purpose and context would you have?
What type of sports?
Focus on sports or sports individuals?
How will these be presented? format/ onscreen or print
Where are the statistics from?
How legible and comprehensive can the wording. image be?
Ton of voice - in terms of the context of sport?
How are they normally depicted? this not enough?
Why sports/ which sports?
What statistics?
Who else designs sports statistics?

More notes from the context workshop

- Content gathering - document it and be selective

- Thing at the end tells people what I am and what I am interested in (Guide to work I do, and what I want to do)

- What's the knowledge I need to stand out

- Learning the mechanics - stock, processes, brand guidelines, news, eco factors

- Blogs - Anand Patel, Alexandra Bucktin, James Edmundson

- Arrange visits/ Less known studios/printers

- 10 questionnaires, 10 visits

- Gather material/ quotes

- Cut and paste from websites (interviews, articles)

- Content could be informed by brief

- Collected stuff (paper manufacturers, questions on stockists/ink coverage) find out who uses these papers

- Question designers on type/processes

- Design Council - Pubications