Friday 2 October 2009

Day 5 | Musashino







The last day of the workshop/project, day 5. My last 80min journey to work via train & then bus. Being almost the only western bound that way. The day was a busy one with students frantically finishing their posters, designing to the last minute. A different kind of relationship today as i sat down on the computer with them, adjusting elements and reviewing work as they printed off tests. An interactive session with students. Yoshiro and i took a few of the students to lunch to the staff canteen, where we slurped our noodles together over Japanese tea and smiles. My slurping was very British 'reversed' and messy. Theirs noisey and rapid. I am amazed at my chop stick skills as i even ate cake today with them!

The afternoon session saw work being printed on the large format printer. Students returned to the studio with Cheshire smiles and their glossy designs. Out of the 15 students 13 completed and displayed their outcomes. A good review took place with the interpreter taking over from Yoshiro. I started the session off by giving them 3 coloured post-its. Each coloured represented a criteria (best typeface , best poster and best name). They had to vote. This loosened the review up and became from interactive and fluid. Nothing worse than having to do all the work! Students asked many questions at the end about western designs and they seemed eager that they had that style! They were also concerned if they were 'different' from western students. The students expressed that they enjoyed the project and the speed in which they produced such work and that they had not had this type of experience before and had never designed a poster either.

At 5.30pm they had arranged a reception where there was a feast of food and drinks. Many other students attended and a few staff members. Yoshiro gave a speech and toast and i had to summerise at the end of the drinks (with interpreter in tow). This finished about 8pm...another long day at Musashino. I certainly have earned my crust.

I have to say Yoshiro has been an amazing host and has certainly looked after me over the week. He is a really lovely man and you can see the care and passion he has for the subject and his students.

Only one day remains and i still have work to do! Tomorrow Yoshiro and his family (!) are meeting me at my hotel at 10am for a morning tour of Tokyo. Then at 3pm i have a lecture to give to the Japanese Society of Typography/Science for Design (gulp)...

2 comments:

  1. Some great photos again - love the one at the top. Sounds as if the students and staff have all really appreciated your work and your inspiration. Hope that gets replicated back at LCC....!! You've done a great job and should feel very proud of yourself. Now try to enjoy a bit of sightseeing before the last hillclimb... kx

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  2. Looks as thought you went down a storm with the prof and the students there girlie and, I've got to say, that their posters are fantastic. You've brought something very different to the Tokyo teaching experience - bet the post-it note vote idea catches on - and the students sound like they've really enjoyed your style.

    Good luck with the lecture tomorrow - bet you wow them too ! have fun with the Prof in the morning and, if our blogging paths don't cross before you take flight, then safe journey home.

    PS How was the pancake malarkey?

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