Class Project Thoughts

I think the project is going well and as Dr. K put it this morning we have "found our working groove" as a class (or something to that effect).  However, I am a bit frustrated.  I feel like the two teams are trying to communicate with one another, but I feel like only one of the teams is listening and responding--namely the Research Team. This may sound surprising as I am a member of the Writing and Design Team, but I feel we are not doing our part to respond to the hard work of the Researchers.  How many of you have read the documents that they keep posting? I read the summary document from the trip to the library this last Friday and it was FASCINATING. Much of the things we have just been assuming as Designers are proven in that document. I know I am guilty of this too(I certainly have NOT read everything they post), but I think we as a team are too stuck in our ideas and our creative side, and I am worried that we're not using the valuable research they are producing. 

Now maybe I am still too stuck in the academic side of things and the normal way I write research papers. I feel like we should be trying to incorporate all of their research into arguments and support for arguments in our proposal. Maybe I am missing the point a bit though. I know our exhibit is trying to leave things open-minded for our visitors, but I feel we should present a good persuasive presentation for both sides: that the highway destroyed a neighborhood and that there was a need for the interstate.  Yes we need to be concerned about the design of our exhibit and what items are going in it, but I feel we also should be concerned with the overarching story.

If I were a researcher, I think I would feel a little neglected.  They were all so so so excited about the work they accomplished this weekend (and rightfully so I would say!) as evidenced in their blogs, but I felt the reception we gave that excitement was subpar.

Moving forward, I think the designers need to be better about absorbing the information the researchers find instead of worrying about only the vision we have for the project.