- Project report title: Project Four: A Hero Finds Her City
- Summarize how and why you organized this Project Output as presented (Reflect on your design, process, method and purpose): A character sheet reinforces the “real life platform” game I play as a superhero. Many varied activities can be focused into a catalogue that motivates me to do more, and then feedback about how I’m doing over a longer period of time, in this case 20 weeks.
- How did this process go? I found it was helpful to have a central point to keep checking back in with, even when it felt like I wasn’t doing anything or contributing or being productive, I could go to my character sheet and think, “A-ha! I’ve been raising chickens for 3 weeks. Now they’re outside, eating compost, fertilizing, and being awesome! I think I can add a skill point to soil-building. And also, animal communication! Stacking functions, yes!!” Parts of me want to pull away from the silliness of the tights and cape, but I continue to find such a deep resonance in my work, and it seems to integrate into everything else I want to do. The character sheet helps me keep grounded even while I’m playing.
- What did you learn? I learned I want to incorporate everything all the time. There is a great need for focus, and to consciously limit the area of activity. I tend to take on more responsibility than I can handle. This sheet helps me keep track of what I am capable of, and how to get just to the edge and go a little beyond. Small and slow solutions, after all. I learned about participation, pattern, and risk. For more, see the skill points.
- What tools did you use (An explanation of the technical side of creating this project report. What software did you use? What digital literacy was required to put this together)? The sheet is hand drawn on a posterboard. I used markers and ink to update it. The report came through my phone-robot and my lap-robot working together with my fingers.
- Did you find any people or tutorials particularly useful in creating this project report? Creation Flame, Superhero Training Academy, Avatarism.
- How much time did you spend in creating this project report? The project report itself was created in under 8 hours.
- How well have did you showcase your learnings in this project report? Would you consider this project report satisfactory if it was prepared by another person? I can definitely see an improvement from past projects. When it was time, it presented itself and I worked to complete it. I would be really stoked to see someone else’s character sheet and how they track their own progress.
9. Any final reflections on your pathway integration and development? Project Four feels like a hump. It took me twice as long as originally anticipated. But that extra time allowed me to dig in, grow some roots, really put a lot of effort and focus into one place. The place I’ve found is central to the designs, because I operate according to my environment. I would like next time to do more 2D design work on paper. A lot of what I do now is intuitive, and teasing the design and process out of my brain continues to be elusive, and helped by the incorporation of symbols.