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Breaking out of my comfort zone with field modules at Cardiff Met

Lottie
Lottie

If you like a challenge and going outside of your comfort zone then Field modules at Cardiff Met are for you!

Field, sometimes called Explore or Collaborate, is a unique type of module where we work in collaboration with other course disciplines from CSAD (Cardiff School of Art and Design) and share the same brief by working together in groups.

For example, fashion design students might find themselves working on projects with fine artists, animators or ceramicists. This is a great way for everyone’s skills to be shared, to meet new people and also explore what other courses are all about.

This time last year I had just completed my first Field project. It was Textiles based, and we had to design a house light in the style of the artist, Monet. This allowed us to widen and develop our skills by combining the skillset of Product Design with that of Textiles to produce the best design possible.

, Breaking out of my comfort zone with field modules at Cardiff Met, CARDIFF MET BLOG
Field modules can be a challenge but they are a chance to get a new perspective.

One of the benefits of doing a Field project is that you can learn how to use other courses’ equipment – so, for instance, the Textiles students were shown how to use the laser cutter and blue foam wire cutters so that we could all work together to produce our final model.  At first working with another course came as a bit of a shock, but it ended up being a really successful and enjoyable project.

I am currently in my second year and have done two different Field projects so far. We picked our top five choices back in summer, and were allocated two of them each. I was pretty apprehensive about the first, Architectural Heritage, as it was very different to my course.

I was the only Product Design student to complete the project, which looking back on I’m actually kind of proud of – it meant I got to learn new skills and acquire more broad design knowledge that was outside of my comfort zone. Plus, we are told that second year is the year of experimentation, so that’s what I was aiming for!

, Breaking out of my comfort zone with field modules at Cardiff Met, CARDIFF MET BLOG
Hard at work on modelling for a Field project…

When the time came to start the second Field project, I was initially allocated a project that felt very abstract, so I decided to swap to a more Product orientated project called Design Affordances. After being away from my usual structure for my last Field project, I felt it would be much more beneficial for me to explore within my own course, as I know there are many skills I haven’t acquired yet. It was time to get back into the flow of a practicing Product Designer!

The project brief for this Field module was to design a music product with a digital app targeted to a specific music genre, and as a group we had Rap/Hip-Hop. This was definitely the right decision as it was one of my favourite briefs since starting Uni and something I could really relate to as I love my music!

, Breaking out of my comfort zone with field modules at Cardiff Met, CARDIFF MET BLOG
A mockup of our music app – this project was a lot of fun!

Field projects are challenging, but they can be enjoyable, and I have learnt skills that I know I will be able to apply to my course and hopefully even my career in the future.