The document describes a project at La Roche College aimed at teaching undergraduate students visual methodology generation techniques without the use of computers. As an extra credit assignment, students were asked to redesign book covers from the college's library collection based on analyzing the book's content and appeal to their chosen major. The goal was to inspire more effective, creative idea generation from students who are accustomed to designing solely on computers.

2. 13:
VISUAL
METHODOLOGY
GENERATION
I own this. Don’t rip it off. © RJ Thompson Two-Thousand Ten / MMX
Robert J. Thompson | 300 Heinz Street, #C109 | Pittsburgh, PA 15212 | 412.779.7665 | www.whatiszola.com | rj@whatiszola.com
RJTHOMPSON BOOK THIRTEEN

3. RJTHOMPSON VISUAL METHODOLOGY GENERATION
[ NARRATIVE ]
Project Title: Solutions: effective design, etc. etc. To illustrate the
Visual Methodology Generation Inspiration for this project came from my concept of the “concept”, I had shown them
participation in the Design Methodolo- the book covers I had worked on for Project
Media Used: gies class I instruct at La Roche College in A, at which point they were able to get a
Adobe Illustrator CS4 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Loosely adopt- better idea as to what they were asked to do
Vinyl, Binder Clips, Screws, Hinges ing elements of the Design Methodologies for the extra credit assignment.
graduate class at Savannah College of Art
Research Criteria: and Design, I crafted a class that was more
Undergraduate student methods of prob- in-line with undergraduate concerns and
lem-solving. overall education.
Target Audience: As far as the multi-disciplinary, abstractive
College students ages 18-22. methodology generation applies to non- [think outside of the box] [ideal vision] [ideal vision]
design students, a class I teach titled
[break the walls down]
Concept: “Digital Fine Arts” is the perfect testing
Considerable efforts were taken to ground for my project. Specifically, La
fear
illustrate the importance of efficient, yet Roche College, as made evident in Project assumption
qualitative and creative idea generation to A, has a suffering library. The contents
19 and 20 year olds. Unfortunately, their of the library tend to be more out of
colored panel
specific generation has known nothing date and ineffective to the contemporary habit
but the computer, insofar as their design education of any student, across the board.
complacency
education is concerned. As a part of those Having said that, as extra credit, I offered knowledge
efforts, I specifically denied them the use them the opportunity to recreate a book
of the computer to create solutions to cover for any book in the library. As part rules
binding
many problems, be they political [the G20 of the project, they are asked to analyze Each wall has it’s own characteristic. Fear of the unknown is a powerful factor
when trying to devise creative solutions that may or may not need a particular
summit in Pittsburgh, PA], academic [the the content of the book, and it’s cover emphasis on innovation in order to succeed. Assumptions misguide our
judgement and fool us into taking possible fiction as fact, distorting the truths of
financial strain that La Roche College is -- and how it may appeal to someone in (Right)
reality. Without proper knowledge, how can we identify the problem, and more
importantly, reasonably solve it? What are the rules– what is hindering our
choice-making, and how can we work within the rules to solve a problem?
facing], or even for a hypothetical client. their major [as they had chosen books The box unfolds into 4 free-standing panels
Habit-forming is a dangerous situation– how do you innovate if your habits form
the same possible answers, how do you break your habits to gain new insight?
The ceiling and base of the box will not be included, at least, in this preliminary
version of the project. Functionality is limited by the inclusion of a ceiling and
Simply put, all of their ideas start in the specifically in-line with their major.] Did and back to a box shape.
When one is complacent, everything suffers– where is the energy, where is the
excitement, where is the enthusiasm to generate new, innovative solutions? base. The colored panels symbolize the use of designed diagram posters that will
attach to the back of the panels and act as a creative problem solving tool that A not-true-to-scale representation of the idea in a full-scale scenario. A person
A not-true-to-scale representation of the idea in a full-scale scenario. A person
classroom, then onto the computer. the books have concepts? Did they have people can write on top of, free of the fear of making errors or running out of
space to accommodate a particular thought.
would enter with a specific problem that requires a particular amount [or quality]
of idea generation. Starting with the panel to their immediate left once they enter, would enter with a specific problem that requires a particular amount [or quality]
they work through the prompted exercises with their problem in mind. of idea generation. Starting with the panel to their immediate left once they enter,
they work through the prompted exercises with their problem in mind.

4. RJTHOMPSON
[ break the walls down ] VISUAL METHODOLOGY GENERATION
fear
assumption
habit
complacency
knowledge
rules
Each wall has it’s own characteristic. Fear of the unknown is a powerful factor
when trying to devise creative solutions that may or may not need a particular
emphasis on innovation in order to succeed. Assumptions misguide our

5. RJTHOMPSON VISUAL METHODOLOGY GENERATION