Topic - How "deconstruction" has been influenced art and design?
Aim - Find out how "deconstruction" has been used as a design principle in fashion design.
Objective:
- Define what deconstruction is, the original definition from Philosophical and literature and how it then being used in art and design domain.
- Explore how deconstruction as a design strategy works in fashion design How it works in space, visual strategy, geometrical, asymmetrical, appearance and texture.
- Explore and highlight these distinguished fashion designers who are known for using deconstruction as their design strategy. Look at their previous works and analyze their principle or concepts.
- Discuss how deconstruction subvert tradition and bring new thinking to the relationship between body and garment and how it influenced fashion designers today.
Structure of the Honours Project/Dissertation: 4000 words
TITLE PAGE
Table of Contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Findings / Discussion
Conclusion
Bibliography: Harvard
Appendices
6.1 Title page
The "working" title is the title you will use until your find your final title.
Usually a title is made of 2 parts:
a. a reference to your topic:
b. what you intend to investigate/explore/analyse
Example: 1) To Boldly Go: Analysis of costume design in Star Trek between 1965 and 2010.
2) Made in the USA: American casual style in contemporary fashion collections
3) La Dolce Vita: Italian culture as seen in Dolce and Gabbana's advert campaigns
6.2 Table of Contents:
Remember the table of content is not included in the word count
6.3 Introduction: approx. 250 words
This is the first contact that your reader makes with you as the author of the text. It has to be well organised and clear.
It is important to see the introduction as a "work in progress": until you complete the entire text, you can't really introduce the whole work accurately. Some people prefer to start writing the main body, move on to the conclusion and then write the introduction.
The introduction should consist of 3 key components:
1. A brief explanation of the context of the topic
2. An outline of the topic as you understand it resulting in your aim and objectives
3. A brief outline of Methodology: explanation of how you have addressed the topic in your report. Also give an indication of the scope/limitations of your research.
The introduction serves as an expansion of your title - giving a bit more detail about the problem or question you are tackling in the paper. The introduction describes to your readers what and where you expect to take them in the main body of the text. It should make a very clear statement of your aim - Why did you carry out the research? Why are you writing this report?
It lays down the parameters that you have set yourself for this piece of text: word limit imposed will not allow you to give a comprehensive coverage of all aspects. It is better to acknowledge the extensive nature of the topic and note that you are going to limit your discussion to only some of these aspects: usually those you consider being most important. You need to explain the reasons for this decision in the introduction.
6.4 Literature Review: approx. 1000 words
This section identifies the range of existing and established theories and research in your area of study. You are providing a context for your work. Your literature review should focus on RELEVANT work that has been done before in the field of your research.
Your literature review should be concerned with putting your own study in the context of other published work, drawing out aspects that your researchhas explored further. This section shows where you are filling a perceived gap in the existing theory or knowledge, or you are suggesting something that goes against,supports or is controversial to, existing ideas.
Remember your review of literature should be critical not simply re-telling the contents of the source. Do not be afraid to criticise what previous researchers/theorist/writers have done - or the way that they went about their research. You can show where your work differs from what has been done before - or how it is similar.
As mentioned before, you must accurately acknowledge ALL sources - either in citation or in direct quotes according to the Harvard System, and in the bibliography. Make sure you note all the necessary bibliographic details when you first read the books, especially page numbers fordirect quotations.
Example of a citation:
Bond (1998) states clearly that the research took many years to conduct, while Crane (1999) suggested that the same subject had been explored over a few months.
Example of a direct quote:
‘Einstein´s brain is a mythical object´ (Barthes, 1993:68)
6.5 Methodology: approx. 750 words
Methodology is the critical and analytical study of methods of research and understanding. While you will select methods of researching and analysis that you feel are most appropriate to your topic, you are also expected to demonstrate a critical viewpoint of the uses and limitations of those methods.
Please give an accurate account of the methods of research and analysis that you have deployed for your primary research, which is what YOU haveactivelyundertaken to derive results. This may be through:
Collecting evidence (e.g. market research)
Collecting specific information (e.g. contacting companies)
Undertaking some practical work (e.g. in a studio)
Collecting information from people (e.g.Questionnaires/Surveys/Face-to-Face interviews etc.)
Describe the methods you chose to collect data/explore your topic and explain your choice. It is important to explain what research methods you used to collect your information: and justify the choice of primary research methods: such as interviews (structured, semi-structured) and surveys et al.,You must also explain your choices of interviewees: who? where? how many? And why you have made these choices?
You should also highlight any secondary sources (books, articles, journals, published surveys and data) that are supporting your findings from primary research methods.
Remember that you do not include your questionnaires, interview transcripts in the methodology section-these are attached in the appendices.
6.6 Findings and Results, Analysis and Discussion: approx. 1650 word
This is the section where you describe everything you have found out through your research. You should give all of the results. It is where you analyse and contextualise the results of your research referring back to key theorists/texts identified in your literature review. Here you make interpretations and judgements:keep the discussion open and do not draw out your conclusions in this section.
6.7 Conclusion: approx. 350 words
Summarise what you have achieved in terms of the research and its implications. You should review the entire text:
1. Re-state the aim the of research question
2. Summarize the specific evidence you have presented in support of your objectives
3. Provide a statement of your overall viewpoint on the topic based on your findings.
4. Highlight what you think are the implications/consequences/significance of your findings.
6.8 Bibliography:
Remember the bibliography is not included in the word count
This is where you give the detailed references for ALL the sources of material you have read. It includes everything, articles, interviews, Youtube clips etc. even if you haven't referred to them, or quoted them in your writing. As long as you have looked at them in relation to your research, you list them here.
Check that anything and everything you have quoted, paraphrased or referred to - anything that was written or stated by someone other than yourself- is acknowledged in your dissertation, according to the Harvard reference Method.
Be warned: Turnitin will highlight any unacknowledged use of other people's work and this is regarded as plagiarism and will carry penalties in line with Manchester Met and Istituto Marangoni plagiarism policy.
6.9 Appendices:
Remember the appendices are not included in the word count
Supplementary data, while not essential to the understanding of the paper, does add useful information or insight. Any material related to your research that does not fit easily or suitably in the body of the paper can go in as an appendix.Think: ‘Blank' survey or questionnaire forms,interview transcripts, or visuals (which should be clearly captioned).
References - Readings
1. Deconstruction Fashion: The Making of Unfinished, Decomposing and Re-assembled Clothes by Alison Gill
2. Fashion and Philosophical Deconstruction: a Fashion In Deconstruction by Flavia Loscialpo.