Rationale

This is my blog for my Graphic Design course at the University of Leeds. I aim to detail here different designs that I find interesting, and share them. I will make sure to try my best to convey what specifically about them appeals to me, and try and tackle things from the 'design point of view' whatever the genre I am reviewing. I also aim to review things objectively, to judge things unbiased by my non-design feelings on my subjects. My critical thoughts on my topics will be constructive, and I will attempt to write down what I would rectify in order to fix any problems, should there be something wrong with my subject. I intend for most of my reviews to be positive, so I can share the things I really really like with anyone reading my blogs.
My hope in showing these things I love to everyone is that they will go on to inspire other people, and they will share my love for things like Scott Pilgrim, Penny Arcade and Hellboy.
The brief I am having to meet is thus:
Critically review 5 books, 5 films, 5 artists, 5 buildings / places, 5 museums, 5 websites and 5 designs. My blog must be professional, and no sarcastic comments must appear. This means I'm going to have to reign in my tendency to be sarcastic or scathing in my critical writing for comedic effect, which shouldn't be too hard, but I'll have to make an effort to not let my writing become dry as a result.
The intended result of all this blogging is to expand my horizons and force me to research and consider my influences in preparation for both my dissertation and my independent project this year. The idea is that I gain a better understanding of the design I admire, and a greater insight into the background of the designers I want to emulate and follow in the footsteps of. It is also important that I engage with and get to grips with our culture in general, so I can draw influence, ideas and inspiration from the world around me.
Other people's work and acheivements have always inspired me, and I've always collected my heroes' works around myself, to learn from and to enjoy. I have always enjoyed sharing them with other people, often even when they don't want me to, and I am extremely opinionated about a great many creative things, for example, films, books and videogames, and any mutations of those things there may be. I have a lot to say on a great many of these subjects, and hopefully this will serve me well in my blogging.
The other outcomes include the possibility that I will come out of this as a more professional critic and designer, with much more informed opinions. The ability to adopt a professional approach would be a useful tool, especially when it comes to talking to clients in the future, and not getting too attached to what I want to do personally.
Hopefully, I will be inspired by the blogs of my peers, and will learn new things from their writing. I am very aware that although I am very familiar with a fair few areas of design, I have a lot to learn, in certain areas more than others for certain, but there are many works in all areas of design that I have not yet come across, and hopefully my coursemate's blogs will reveal to me whole new worlds of inspiring work.
In summary, this project should be beneficial to me in a whole variety of ways, and I look forward to being inspired by new things, and sharing my own influences with my peers.