What is good research?

What is good research?

In order to really push my research further, I need to set out a strong idea of what good research looks like; this will help me explore stronger design concepts as they will be greater informed by better concepts, which will be crucial in the context of the penguin book competition. 

Good research should have a large impact on the design itself, as it impacts the ideas behind design decisions; it should resultantly have a goal in what it wants to communicate. For the penguin project, research into context is crucial, as I need a good understanding of previous book designs and what audiences are expecting in regards to genre and design principles. As well as this, my research should involve analysis of these book covers, as well as looking at contemporary design to further inform my decisions; analysing work helps question my own decisions, and why others have done so - everything needs to have a reason behind it. 

What is a 'smile in the mind'?

Following my briefing, I was pushed to look at the mindset of a 'smile in the mind' in graphic design. The concept explores 'witty thinking' in graphic design, in order to create an entertaining visual. This links to my chosen book, as the book itself has a certain playfulness that could be translated into a witty design. According the book 'A Smile in the Mind', witty thinking is 'playfulness with ideas, words playing against images, and unexpected connections prompting new insights. It is clever thinking, not funny drawing.'

According to the book, there are types of 'witty thinking', consisting of:

• Comparisons; juxtapositions or contrasting 
• Two in Tone; contrasting ideas to form a hybrid, e.g. animals and accountancy  
• Shifts; disrupting expectations 
• Deduce; removing things 
• Changes; transformations 
• Chance; things in common