Design Research Dissertation - Final Compilation & Reflection

28.8.2023 - 3.12.2023 (Week 1 - Week 14)
Tan Yi-Tyng (0353327)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Design Research Dissertation
Final Compilation & Reflection

INSTRUCTIONS

TASK 1

Dissertation Draft

28.8.2023 - 15.10.2023 (Week 1 - Week 7)

Fig. 1.1 - Dissertation Draft (including feedback)

TASK 2

Final Dissertation (Turnitin Report)

15.10.2023 - 12.11.2023 (Week 7 - Week 11)

Fig .2.1 - Final Dissertation (Turnitin Report)

TASK 3

Visual Design Publication

15.10.2023 - 19.11.2023 (Week 7 - Week 12)

Fig. 3.1 - Dissertation E-Book

Link to FlipHTML: https://online.fliphtml5.com/lbhqt/deoo/

TASK 4

Research for Article Publication

12.11.2023 - 03.12.2023 (Week 11 - Week 14)

Fig. 4.1 - Research Article

FEEDBACK

Week 2

RQ3 is not related to your research problem, although it is a good question. If your findings for RQ1 and RQ2 are all met, it can affect how designers carefully think about how they use those specific visual elements in the future to enhance website engagement and increase conversions. However, if you already have the data, you can include it as a subpoint in the conclusions.
Option 1 will be a better choice as it’s more organized and clearly answers your research questions. Section 5.1 is good, and Section 5.2 can discuss the perceived credibility of e-commerce websites in terms of color, typography, layout, etc. In Section 5.3, you can talk about specific websites. So, in Section 5.4, if you use it for RQ2, you can use the same heading or reword it, as it is very long for the header.
Discussions for 5.1 and 5.2.1 are expected to be shown in week 3.
For the websites you want to study, if you want to maintain their anonymity, you can simply refer to them as Website A and Website B with cover names, as long as they are specific websites that you have studied.

Week 3

Regarding section 5.2, you can utilize the primary data to discuss, for example, in 5.2.1, you can delve into how typography influences e-commerce websites. So any data relevant to the topic of typography can be used to further discuss this in the typography section.
Along the way if you want to organize your writing to make it more visually interesting, you can incorporate a few visuals.
Discussion on the 5.2 until 5.3.1 are expected to be shown in week 4
It can be observed that the writing pattern is very well guided by the design of the discussion subtopic. The flow of the reading experience so far does not encounter many problems and is able to effectively communicate your research.

Week 4

Consider revising the RQ1 by removing the "such as..." phrase. However, please review your problem statement to confirm if it mentions anything related to this and make any necessary adjustments.
In section 5.2.2 (Layout), when referencing your primary data, please specify the percentage.
In your case, it would be beneficial to include an image of the survey chart.
It would enhance understanding if you include visuals when discussing good alignment, contrast, and hierarchy.
The structure of your discussion in section 5.3.1, which focuses on the Apple website, is clear and effectively utilizes primary data. You should apply the same approach to the other two websites. Additionally, consider incorporating a discussion about brand image, that would greatly improve your analysis.
Aim to complete all discussion topics as much as possible by next week.

Week 5

Regarding the 5.3.3 Rakuten website, there is no issue. You can still use it for discussion. However, in the limitations section, you mentioned that this data has its own limitations because the subject matter you selected is not the actual Japanese website, the source is yet another website.
The heading for the discussion outline should have all first letters capitalized, except for conjunctions.
Remove the heading for 5.4 and combine it with 5.2. Ensure that the writing flow starts with an explanation of the meaning of that visual design element. Then discuss its importance and influence, followed by the use of primary data to support it. Finally, address how it can improve UI/UX if certain strategies are used.
However, in section 5.2, include an introduction that outlines how the discussion will proceed, and don't forget to address which research questions this section answers.
In section 5.2, add one more subtopic to discuss: 5.2.4 images.
For in-text citations, if there are more than two authors, you only need to include the first author's name, followed by et al.
It would make more sense in section 5.3 to discuss these three brands with the four visual design elements mentioned in section 5.2. Align your discussion accordingly with the items in 5.2 to show how they can be applied to the website.

Week 7

The section on 5.2.4 Images is well-written and very clear, as it provides explanations supported by both primary and secondary data sources. Ensure that the other 5.2 subtopics follow this same writing style.
Avoid using contractions like "it's"; instead, use the full form "it is."
When mentioning survey data on a 1-7 Likert scale, be sure to clarify what 1 represents and what 7 represents.
In section 5.3.3 regarding the Rakuten website, revise the sentences to eliminate confusion. For example, you can say, "Despite receiving a low rating for the visual element, the website still possesses some positive attributes."
Do not mention this work as a research paper, it is a dissertation.
The conclusion is well-completed with all the necessary components, including a recap of the research problem, discussion, and research methods. And you have indicated the limitations complete and well.
You can also include design project recommendations in your section 7, but it is also acceptable to focus on future research only.
Ensure that the methodology in section 3 is written in the past tense.
Even though you have removed RQ3 and combined it with RQ2, the data related to RQ3 remains important and relevant for RQ2, so don’t make any changes on that.

Week 9

The main takeaway from your dissertation is the emphasis on trustworthiness, credibility, satisfaction, and related aspects. Therefore, it seems that a certain level of seriousness should be reflected in your book design.
The concept of playfulness does not align well with your research topic. As a result, I think that idea 1 is a better option.
The way the two different typefaces for the heading are presented makes the Montserrat typeface work better as a heading. However, when you start designing your cover next week, you can provide two options: one in "Garamond" typeface and another in "Montserrat" typeface for the heading and compare which works better as a heading. The body text is fine as it is.
For the color scheme, you can select the blue placed in the canter and the first row's green and yellow from your color palette. Use off white as a neutral color to complement your design.

Week 10

For the book cover design, because your title is more in line with a minimalist theme and to maintain a clean look, you can remove the four words at the corners. You can place your name in the middle at the top of the title, and that will make the overall cover design look better and cleaner. Also, consider increasing the font size of the subtitle by one or two points.
Your title verso, which refers to your imprint page on the left, should have smaller text, as it currently appears a bit too large. Try using an 6-8point font size and adjust the leading for a more compact appearance. It would be nice to include Taylor's logo, but don't make it overly large. On the right side, change the title font to Montserrat, a sans-serif font that is cleaner and matches your cover design.
For the book layout, it can be a mix of one or two columns, but the acknowledgment page looks better with a single column layout.

Week 11

The third choice of the book cover design is the best, but I feel your visual design words can be moved closer together.
Good experiment with the book cover design that suits your theme well.
For the design of the book chapter page, the first choice seems better.
Overall, the book layout looks good. You can continue to work with it.

Week 14

Currently, the abstract word count is 211, which slightly exceeds the limit. Please try to shorten it to 205 words.
In the keywords, retain "user interface" but remove "user experience."
The introduction content appears suitable and directly addresses the topic without repeating the abstract, which is good.
Double-check your references to ensure none are missing.
The first sentence of the problem statement is a claim, be sure to add the necessary citation.
Consider removing the third sentence of the problem statement since your research focuses on big brands, not small businesses.
Your methodology is well-structured, concise, and straightforward, covering all essential points effectively.
Although the discussion exceeds the word limit, it's acceptable if you balance it with the methodology word count.
In the e-commerce websites section of the discussion, specify the rating criteria for Apple and Nike (e.g., 4 out of 5) and do the same for Rakuten with low ratings.
In the conclusion, refer to your work as research, not a dissertation.
In the methodology, define the online interview method that provides participants with two options: voice or typed answers.
Remember to indent the second line in the references list.
You can include the survey and interview results in your appendices. Consider combining all four pages into one page.

REFLECTION

It was a big relief for me that I have finally completed this module. To be honest, as I'm not confident in writing, I felt a bit stressed during this module. Even though part of the dissertation had been completed in the Design Research Methodology module, it did not significantly reduce my workload. Mainly because I have a different supervisor for these two modules, and they have different opinions and suggestions. So, I spent a lot of time amending some parts. Especially, I had to remove one research question for this dissertation, requiring changes to ensure the content is accurate. Also, the literature review part, which I didn't do last semester, meant I had to spend more time than my classmates on writing the literature review.

Reviewing all the tasks, personally, the most difficult part for me is the chapter of discussion. This is the part where I spent the most time repeatedly reading my primary data and critical review. I also needed to read a lot of secondary sources to support the discussion. The reason I spent too much time on this chapter is that, at first, we were assigned to list out the outline of the discussion, which was approved by my supervisor. But soon, when I wrote until the third subtopic, I realized that the outline and arrangement of the discussion did not seem to match and answer the research questions. I kept telling myself that I must be optimistic, at least that I could find out the problem now. Luckily, after getting advice from Dr. Jinchi, she provided helpful suggestions, and I could then spend some time rewriting parts of the discussion. Aside from this, I managed to complete the other tasks well and on time for submission.

Overall, I have to say that although the process of writing was a bit stressful and hard for me, I gradually realized that my writing skills have improved tremendously. Reviewing my hard work on the tasks, I feel very satisfied and proud of myself. Last but not least, I really appreciate Dr. Jinchi for supporting me and giving valuable feedback for the improvement of my work throughout the semester.

TAN YI-TYNG (0353327)