User:FLEM/Analysis of sessions

Sessions content

1. Organise sessions with people of different ages, backgrounds, bubbles, experience..

2. Work with associations to produce ideas and provoke creativity.

Type of sessions:

[ ] Collective sessions (5 to 8 people)

[ ] Individual sessions (1:1)

[ ] Follow-up sessions (both individual or collective)

[ ] Couples's sessions (two people working together)

General overview (where am I at the moment)

The first three sessions I organised were “talking” sessions and it was a really good start in the sense that in that point of the research it was me deepen into this new topic trying to understand if people could start thinking about this type of things, if they use notebooks, how they interact with them, and seeing their interest sparkling was really nice. But obviously everything we talked about was still really abstract but I think it was a big it demonstrated me that having the making part as part of the learning, compulsory in my sessions, realised how much the practice and making is important to be included in this sessions. I have been writing a lot about how much it’s important to bring together making with thinking reasoning and learning but actually doing it and seeing it in practise that what I imagined is true it is even more revelling and strong, it gives even much more power to the project, to how much making can help discover things.

Analysis of sessions

Preparatory sessions

Session 1. M&Ms XPUB

Environment: XPUB bubble; people that know my work and had the same influences in the last year.

Organisation of the session:

What will I say and how the session is structured

Helloooo everyone and welcome to this first M&Ms session. What I prepared for you is not what could be called a workshop, but more like an collaborative exploration session. I mostly have only questions and not so many answers or solutions, that is why I need you all.

This exploration sessions will serve my research about notebooks, annotation systems and dynamics: what I am trying to achieve is analysing, understanding and improving notebook systems to create personalised methodologies and tools. This sessions are meant for everyone who takes notes or draw, that uses paper or not, in every way. I would like participants to produce their personal notebook because we are all different and with diverse needs, so an object like a notebook, that we use everyday, cannot be standardised. And what is there more personal than something that you can make with your hands, at your own pleasure?

On the table you can see some pink questions: I would like you to temporary choose one of them and keep it in front of you. In addition, I made a little selection of sheets of paper for you: again, I would like you to pick the one you feel like satisfies you the most and keep it with you during the session. You can do whatever you want with it, fold it, write on it, or just keep it in your hands during the session and start reasoning on it and its spaciality while we talk. I asked you to bring your notebook because I would like to start questioning, all together, the limits of this device. By using as starting points the printed questions, I would like to go through an analysis of the notebooks, what are the characteristics, the limits, questioning what you notice in your way of writing, annotating, how you use it, why you use it, or why you cannot use it so much. While discussing together, the idea is to come out of this session with an idea for the construction of the “(un)perfect” notebook, that you will start working on in another session, later, or in the studio. I am always available for consultation.

Inspirational questions for participants…

1.How do you take notes/draw/doodle/think? What kind of interface do you use?

2.What is kept/lost in the process of annotation?

3.Do you use lines or plain paper? pen or pencil?

4.Do you have different notebooks for different purposes? Which ones?

5.What do you do when a notebook is finished?

6.Do you think your notebook could still say something/be useful for some reason?

7.How much taking notes is involved in the process of learning for you?

8.Are there problems you might have while using your notebook? It can be limitation of the means, structure of it..etc

9.Have you ever thought about using a notebook that could fit better your needs?

10.Do you ever think like I would like to continue on this notebook but it’s finished? I would like to keep these pages also in the next notebook?

11.Do you think you might like to use the notebooks by sections and not by order of the pages? With separations or maybe color differentiation to start writing also in the middle of it? So you don’t have to start from a big blank first page but from a random or not so random point inside the notebook where everything will be gathered together? Do you feel like needing categories and sections? What if one section finishes then?

Results

"on notebooks and annotation systems"

to think about for next sessions

• answering all the questions everyone
• give/take some time to think
• explain my thoughts and ideas before the start so they know what we are talking about and get some context
• underline that every answer is useful, using notebooks to understand humans' brains

new ideas

• Collective notetaking on paper
• memory extension
• notebooks show what you experienced in that period of time (subjective experience)
• community memory = social function
• policy of craft, notebooks making as craft
• craftmanship: you think about the surroundings, the skills you need, the tools you use the time of creation etc..
• how to make your personal archive of memory? → the memory castle

new questions

• Has anyone ever intentionally thrown away a notebook?
• What to do if you don't finish all the sheets in a notebook?
• Do you take notes to keep or to let go things?
• What is the difference in use between apps/notebooks? What do you write on them?
• Why to have a record that is contraddictory to the actual experience?
• Why do we use notebooks?

from participants

[ ]

• Soft-cover
• anxiety from messy notebooks, don't wanna play with the notebook
• NEED line-paper, calendar and space for notes
• nice soft paper + perfect pen
• page with sticky notes to use for no-set things
• needs to be big enough
• must stay flat
• NO stream of consciousness
• YES anchor points
• what get lost when organising/moving thoughts from brain to written material?

[ ]

• smoothest paper to prevent myself from hesitating because of no friction
• don't like to have already made cover
• notebooks from teenage years: I would neglect and let it sink
• need for personal space, use notebooks to create a personal space

[ ]

• I forget things so it's helpful to remember, to centralise thoughts and let space for more things
• plain sheets
• hard cover not to break them
• separate notebooks for different needs
• to let go stuff and stop thinking

[ ]

• pocket size notebook to bring it everywhere
• used to describe an entire experience
• sticky notes for temporary thoughts
• flexible, has dots for concepts and reflexions

[ ]

start motivated then forget about the notebook

[ ]

I keep them but I don't look back

Notebooks to experience the world, not to keep track

Notebooks as defence, to feel protected

to participate in a different world

to let things out

[ ]

• lot of layers
• start multiple notebooks at the same time
• when it's new, the content is selected
• sticky notes for temporary thoughts
• other archives/papers, content is distributed everywhere
• scattered around
• use them to visualise, it's about what it's happening right now
• not attached to one tool
• site-specific notebook
• time-based notebook

references

https://pzwiki.wdka.nl/mediadesign/Politics_of_Craft

https://www.artistsandhackers.org/Community-Memory

https://computerhistory.org/blog/community-memory-precedents-in-social-media-and-movements/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zettelkasten

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palimpsest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmud

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom's_Dream

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folio

http://georgemaciunas.com/essays-2/improving-education-in-the-world-based-on-maciunas-knowledge-management-and-learning-machine-system-by-astrit-schmidt-burkhardt/

Roland Brothers around notula and nota

Gallery

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Session 2. Leeszaal

Environment: XPUB bubble, that has similar interests and research questions, as well as research methods, but a bit more open as they are not all studying with me.

The session took place at Leeszaal, Rotterdam West, on the 17th of October 2022. The audience was composed by an XPUB type of environment: people that work or study in a similar environment as me and my classmates. The concept of the night was that the participants would help us in shaping our raw ideas.

In the preparation for this session a lot of questions came to me. I could not think about a better way to transform the questions and the relative answers into actual results. For this session I planned to have an annotating exercise through the use of a sheet of paper and a pen of their choice to start experimenting with more interesting feelings and thoughts. Unfortunately, due to the typology of the event, my exercise did not function as planned and the session got back to its original shape.

Consequently, the general outcomes have been very similar to ones of the first session, even though I had a few new questions to propose. The good thing is that, as I keep underlining, we are all different, therefore different concepts appeared from the new participants: "using notebooks as a lens into human brains and learning types", "how to make notes with sound?", "how does the shape change the content?", "digital space is not an object, therefore is not considered as a precious space as much as a notebook", "notebooks therapy to discover strategies and solutions for ourselves", "cultural structures in notebooks", "paper is slow writing: how does it impact the way you produce text?", "notebook as memory extension".

All these conversations helped me to shape the concepts and reasons I have to work on this research and to see where and how participants would need help or a push from my side.

Session 3. Individual session with Clara

Environment: a person that studied with me in the past but we went through different directions. Still in the artistic bubble though that can definitely be perceived throughout the session.

Different notebooks for different purposes: C gives names and date of birth and death to her different notebooks.

[ ] Important thoughts and sketches

C: I use it less than before

E: Do you know why?

C: What if i draw something and it's not nice? After I have drawn it then I have to keep it there, inside my notebook and the notebook is ruined with bad drawings.

C: I compare the pages to see if they are all beautiful.

CREATIVE SOLUTION: Making collages to fill in the spaces that I left while moving on in the notebook.

[ ] Self-structured bullet journal

It's a blank notebook on which C creates the different sections, drawing them and organising them as she feels like

C: I like to browse through it like a notebook therapy

[ ] C: started many journals for example to make it more funny to take medications, where I make cute drawings and doodles that refer to my "obligation

[ ] Weekly planner to remember things

entire week in one page

pages with lines

CREATIVE SOLUTION: taping on the pages paper inserts so I can use blank paper and write how I want, as the lines create limitations in my thinking

[ ] C: I have a notebook for a podcast I am working on

I use lines only when I have to write everything aligned and organised

I skim the ideas in my head first, or talking, and then I write down when I have a precise idea or keywords I am sure about.

[ ] Sudden ideas: on her phone

Problems/hates:

[ ] Anxiety of blank pages

[ ] What to do with the back side of paper I have written on? Waste of paper.

[ ] Ripped pages.

CREATIVE SOLUTION: glue one page on the top of the other

[ ] Squared format

personal notebook research from others

Erica

03.02.23

roll, to take apart the pages and hang them, meant to be part of the workflow and the work of the residency

a surface could gather information, something semipublic

portability and accessiility

more open to others and collectivity

performativity of writing

how is it accessible for others?

maybe it was not, because of ownership

we would hang the single pages, as an explitic invitation to access it, changing the format helped

the paper kept closing on itself

rings

out of frustration: rings just gathering materials fast and cheap as possible

i do have a calendar section now

i tend to spread notes everywhere: i had flyingpaper everywhere

the rings allow to collect things together that previously detacthed

you can also put together

i don't wanna write on my notebook, not to write wrong things, in the end it became a dump for all materials

it also allows to choose what to put or not, more editorial approach to choose what to have or not

sections of topics

beautiful cover

first section with the map of things im busy with (a weird index) homework and satanic reminders, some cute pages to devide

that started to collect random things, an a4 folded to a5 to fit the overall size

at the end, other section to keep track of body needs

additional thoughts:

it's not digitalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll (joke)

still using flyng paper to explore and experiments

for journailng ideas instead of brainstorming

spread sheet notebooks

tryouts get lost because they are flying

bigger space on bigger sheets: explicit intentions to mock the spreadsheet style

empty space for annotation, but empty spreadsheet, you can play with the rules of spaces

for what you can write,

one is more literally used as a spreadsheet

the other just has the aesthetics, used as a normal sheet

trying out a table

my personal notebook process	the ever-changing process a person can go through, by analysing and keeping attention to their individual note-taking activity and their use of paper notebooks to understand themselves and their needs.
Concept	A roll of loose transparent paper sheets
What is the starting need that brought to the creation and use of it?	Erica participated in a residency and needed a notebook that could be part of the workflow. It needed to be portable and accessible, more open to others and collectivity, giving writing a role of performativity.
What are the positive sides? Does it work within the starting purpose?	During the residency, she would hang the single pages, as an explicit invitation for others to access the notes. It was easy to put in a small bag and be transported everywhere.
What are the negative sides? What could be a different approach to solve the issue?	It worked very well for everything but the accessibility for others, because of ownership and the fact that she was the main user of it. In addition, the paper kept closing on itself.
To try out:

Supi

29.09.22

conversations on notebooks...

supi presented me some updates on the use of notebooks she's doing. First of all Supi noticed how much a different tool/pen has a different result on her way of working/drawing/thinking, how much it makes a difference in the act of playing with the use of the pen (the way you interact with the pen, an object that teaches her through the act of drawing - notebooks as discovery space). In this case, paper has a substantial impact on the results, so that often pen and paper goes together. Supi has started with a common (basical structure) notebook, then moving to other prototypes. One that she made herself (and to which i contributed with a simple rubber band to avoid the paper from breaking), in which she's using photocopies paper (more simple it is, the least guilty the user will feel while using it) and a 0.38 Muji pen. This type of notebook is giving Supi more space for organisation (or mess) but especially, it's creating new and unexpected connection between the content of the pages. At the same time, a few weeks ago I delivered supi the notebook kit: seems like it's going on but needs more time to try out the structure.

what do I do with the rest? What do I do with all this content? Where do I put it? In supi’s notebook the central question is: how many sheets can it contain? When to stop? When to start moving pages somewhere else? What to keep and what to leave in the process?

Followed conversation with supi about “if I get rid of some of these pages of the notebook, how do I choose?” What is to be kept and what is to be left out? In some way, as in translation you pick one word or another because you want to give that or this meaning, also with notebooks could be the same: How will the notebook appear after the translation?

22.11.22

Supi's picture - notebook's plan

Supi's picture - notebook

28.01.23

Supi's picture - cable-bound

04.04.23

Supi and I had a discussion on the use of the notebook she worked with since december. She understood that it could not work with her as she imagined. Sometimes too much organisation can become restrictive in the use of notebooks: the categories, having to choose where to write what every time. She's now experimenting with little scrap sheets to draw on; a new notebook with a rubber band or even without binding at all (binding are not for her); she is gathering papers from her notes, articles or other already printed materials, all together in a big collection. See pictures for more details.

(audio recording available)

C.E.S.

Make your own tool 1.0 - 22.11.22

Organisation of the session

Introduction (10 minutes)

Hello

I’m working on a research about paper notebooks, or more widely note taking devices, and on how we use them for our thinking and learning process.

This is an ongoing research, therefore, I do not have all the answers that also makes all of this really exciting and I hope these sessions, that I hope will continue, are a space for both you and me to explore and discover new things.

(theory) Last year I started questioning my notebook's practice and tried to build a new paper device that would satisfy better the needs of my brain in that moment. To get there I asked myself what were the problems in the device I was using and how changing something small could already improve my use of the notebook. I then wondered: "Why are we all using a device with the same structure? And what impact does it have on our learning, thinking and living, as well as on the imaginary of self? And how creating our personal tools would help users to understand better themselves and their needs?".

I am interested in notebooks as a means of creativity, a space for thinking and reasoning, a personal world inside this messy world we live in. I like the idea of getting lost in our own space, how writing and doodling and drawing become part of our living. And, I wonder, can this personal world be the same for everyone, can it be standardised? My theory is that everyone, in different situations, has different needs while using a notebook and that the efficiency (in the sense of: how much we use it, how useful it becomes for us, how we feel free and comfortable with it) can change using different structures.

(practice) This is what gave me the idea (show my notebooks' evolution): a normal notebook of which I just folded the sheets to create this multiple columns paper item. In my case I built it from scratch, but there are also options to work on the ones you already have, if you’d like so. At some point I needed to reorganise thoughts and I made this little prototype (show grad proj little notebook).

Creativity levels: (from the book Convivial toolbox)

The most basic level of creativity is doing, that requires a minimum amount of interest. This is what happens when we use our already made from the industry notebook.

The second level is adapting. This action is made to personalise and change in a little way an object you already have. If you brought your personal notebook today, you could try to improve it but making little additions to it, like a back pocket, a taped new paper, post-its to create more space.

The third level is making. This happens when we build a notebook from scratch but following predetermined patterns or rules. This action needs more time and energy.

The last level is creating. Creating is making something that doesn't exist yet. It relies on the use of raw materials and the abscense of predermined patterns.

Everyone can decide at what level they feel like engaging with their own notebook. The purpose of this sessions is to engage with further levels of creativity and explore how to make the notebook fit better your needs.

(ask about notebooks making knowledge - do you do it? if you do it, how? if not, why?)

I don’t know if you already use notebooks frequently or if you’d like to do so, and I hope that we'll be able to discover this here together during this session.

The idea is going through a few little exercises to get into the process of ideas and see how it goes. Later, we will make a notebook ourselves.

I’m here to guide you so whatever you’re level of bookmaking is, you will be able to create something today.

Do not overthink, it's not right or wrong, just do what comes to your mind.

We are going to do three short exercises to explore possibilities. You don't need to read what you write, you're invited to share but you're not obliged. Just free your mind. This is experimental. Whatever you'll make is good.

PART 1 - 3 get-into-practice exercises

EXERCISE 1. (5 minutes)

Questions in layers

1) Do you use notebooks?

2) List a few situations in which you use notebooks.

3) Describe what do you like or dislike about your notebook.

EXERCISE 2. (5 minutes)

prepare 3 sheets of paper of same size and give them in different rounds of 5 minutes

1) Fold the first paper. Give it to the person next to you.

2) Fold a second paper. Give it to the person next to you.

3) Fold a third paper. Give it to the person next to you.

4) Put these sheets together, where the binding in these foldings could be positioned?

EXERCISE 3. (5 minutes)

prepare 3 different sizes of paper and give them in different rounds of 5 minutes

1) From answer 2, pick one situation in which you use a notebook.

2) Write something about what needs you have in that situation on this paper. You are allowed to fold the paper to make it more comfortable for you.

3) Write again something (or the same thing) about what needs you have in that situation on this paper. You are allowed to fold the paper to make it more comfortable for you.

4) Write again something (or the same thing) about what needs you have in that situation on this paper. You are allowed to fold the paper to make it more comfortable for you.

Reflection round

Share if they have interesting observation.

How was it different to write to a different shape? Do you wanna share what you wrote?

Let's do a round.

---

[break of 10 minutes]

---

PART 2 - Make a notebook section (40 minutes)

Maybe you can now think about a notebook for a specific scenario and think about a format that could fit. Pick what you need and build a prototype. This can be just the prototype to test a scenario, but if you end up liking it you can try to use it. Think about it a few minutes. If you have some ideas or problems you'd like to talk about, I’m here to guide you so whatever you’re level of bookmaking is, you will be able to create something today.

Exercise>>Make a notebook from a cardboard.

Importance of recycling materials: an important part of my practice is making notebooks by starting from already used materials. I brought today a few "book covers". I'd like you to start thinking about a prototype you could fit into one of these shapes/structures.

This will also help triggering our imagination. It can be as easy and simple as you can imagine, and you could also think if there’s a way to make it more adapt to you, helping yourself with the results of the exercises we just did.

Let’s start!

After the session. (10 minutes)

Ask 3 questions:/ conv/ let's do a round/ first time, feedbacks are welcome / if they have any thoughts in the next weeks or months or start making osmething invite them to share.

1) Did you like the session?

2) What would you change/What did you like?

what impact this workshop can have on this?

3) Would you participate in a follow-up session?

If so, leave your email address here:

Analysis of session

Introduction

We have been talking, I introduced the research, showed my notebook example and said that my work is on going, so I don-t have all the answers and I am also there to learn together with them. I said we would spend the session experimenting and learning from each other.

I forgot to present each other and what are we doing there, so remember next time to do a presentation round, asking about their bookbinding experience, and a super small overview of their use of notebooks.

PART 1 - 3 get-into-practice exercises

Then we did three exercises where I freed them from any fear of failing, accepting everything they would create (just be careful when I am in doubt if a modification on the exercise they might propose doesn’t disrupt the reason why the exercise exist, as with number 2).

1. In the first writing exercise I proposed I need to be more precise with the questions and find better ways to invite people to answer because they were a bit to straightforward, not giving a lot of space for interpretation and people were a bit confused. Another question to solve is how much time to give between the questions, should I wait that everyone finishes? just say 5 minutes and it's done?
2. The second exercise was really nice, because participants put their hands on things and they could actually perceive the different approach they had in what they were doing. They came up with a result that they did not expect and it was really exciting. They asked me if they could use glue and I said no because the purpose is that they had to find a way to make whatever paper they found themselves with in the form of a notebook, with a binding in whatever part they would decide. Here, remember not to rotate always in the same direction as I don't want only one person's foldings to mix together. Maybe one you keep, one right side, one left side.
3. The third exercise, I had to modify it on the go, while doing it because it got a bit boring because there were too many repetitions without new discoveries. Find different questions, could also use the foldings they made in exercise 2 to have the same feeling they had with the weird narrow paper. The solution I found made the exercise interesting because it created a reaction in them and in the way they were thinking about how they would normally approach pieces of paper when writing, because the paper they used was of an unusual shape.

Reflection round

Then we had a discussion when they could explain what were their thoughts and I could already see that they were already looking at things differently, especially thanks to exercise number 2.

[ ]

• Notebooks are always too big or too small
• like long lines

[ ] has different notes in different places, also digital

[ ]

• needs to be at 90 degrees
• the weird folds inspiring for drawings, not for notes because too messy
• like envelopes and foldings

[ ]

• crave for the format of a book
• need to be compact and stable
• if narrows help writing, so like columns and foldings

[ ]

• like to play around
• how to combine together? rip off bad pages to recombination them
• paper didn't allow flexibility

[ ]

• questions to the point
• write differently on the shape they made
• the shape changes the way I write
• vertical words in lines give me the urgency to let things out --> let's bind together the urgent notes

[ ] narrow paper for stream of consciousness and play like notebooks with columns

I still have problems in understanding how to document these impressions. I think they are visible in some way or another in their final notebooks but still, annotate on my notebook like this is enough?

PART 2 - Make a notebook section

In this section I asked them to make a notebook based on whatever came up to their minds while doing the exercises. It could be a basic standard notebooks, adding a small modification, doing experimental weird things, everything accepted.

The moment when we passed from the first section to the second was a bit too direct and not smooth so it would be nice to find a way to get into that section more smoothly. Or step by step. In this case we solved by asking them what size or shape they wanted the notebook could have. But it also means that every time it could be different, so for example if one time we focus more on paper then we could choose which type of paper we want to start with.

It was really nice to see that everyone reacted in their own way and if you look at the results they produced during the session you can really notice that they were not only making basic notebooks but they already played a little bit with the ideas that came out through the three exercises in the first part and it was much better then only talking that stays a bit in the abstract side of things.

After the session

At the end people finishes at different pace, depending on what they work on and it's difficult to find a moment back together to discuss because they are all into their work and do not really feel like talking. This time I did not manage to do more than a fast general question on how they felt and if they would come to follow/up sessions.

After the session I sent an email with pictures, some further information and a form with a few questions about the session. This is risky because not everyone then go and fill in the form.

General overview

• I need to prepare three or 4 different bookbinding methods so whatever shape or structure they propose I can help them properly. Also prepare different papers so they can also play with that part, maybe having an exercise specifically on this.
• It was interesting to see that I managed to make this session not on bookbinding, but it would be nice to organise another session where people can focus on type of binding they can use to have a bigger overview of the possibilities. Maybe prepare a presentation on this. Second session to be organised after a period of incubation where they can feel the thoughts directly in their living.
• It was extremely nice to see them doing the exercises and get excited when they saw things happening. It is really good that they could create their own things with their hands.
• I really enjoyed the time together and I think that they also had a lot of fun, and this is also really important for me.
• I want to try out different exercises that can lead to similar concepts, to start thinking about this topics I am talking about. Starting from my questions and develop exercises directly from them.
• I need a bit more time, so maybe 2.5h or even 3h, but it is also tiring so I need to think about it a little bit.
• 8 people was a good number, but in the second part it was even a bit too many to be able to follow all of them properly. On the other side, this provoked an interesting result that was that everyone tried their best to be independent and found experimental ways to solve their problems, while sometimes asking for help when they did not know how to do it or could not go on with what they had in mind.
• Write for an exercise that helps them reasoning but that I can also keep with me after the session so it would be nice to ask questions that are related to the things I am looking for researching about.
• It was nice the part of the creativity creation stuff I introduced, it would be nice to have a super small theoretical concept to share with them while I go on with reading and researching.
• The exercises are not only made to get into the process or in the mindset I am looking for, but it really helps to get through the writing, in the same way I asked to answer my questions by talking with people, giving a context to it by doing it on paper and using that to create other exercises works really well.
• Possible structure of exercises:
  1. Writing exercise where they answer something about the topic and at the same time start interacting with paper
  2. Exercise for the folding
  3. Exercise for the paper

"Make Your Own Tools 1.1" for notetaking

Leaflet for event

Script for the session

Introduction - Concepts & Theory

definition of personal notebook process and research project

show a few examples

learning through making

At the beginning, before starting the exercises, everyone will receive a table to fill in different features to make a notebook: binding (what, if there is something, keeps connected the sheets), paper choice, shape, cover, add-ons. This paper will stay with them till the end of the session and help during the feedback moment.

In addition, I prepared other two tables that I would like you to keep into consideration while we move on into the session. They are experimental so I hope you will also help me to shape it in the best way, so if you have any consideration please share it with me.

Phase 1 - Exercises

1. PAPER CHOICE: 4 different papers in a pile + 1 on top to take notes on. The features to analyse are: thickness, smell, folding capability, feeling with pens, possible use and do i like it?
2. FOLDING: folding exercise + rings options; rotational: everyone starts with 3 sheets, everyone has to fold it once and give it to the left, to their right and one they have to keep. Then with the resulting 3 sheets they are going to do a round of making holes wherever they want; the last thing is to put it together however someone can think of, using metal rings, threads (try out 1-2 bindings), or nothing (if reasoned).
3. SHAPE: writing exercise on the result of exercise 2 --> what do I ask? --> what do you use a notebook for? (situation, need..)

Phase 2 - Make your own paper notebook

Importance of recycling materials: Explain practice of recycling and reusing paper, as well as try to work with constraints coming from the materials we use.an important part of my practice is making notebooks by starting from already used materials. I brought today a few "book covers" and we are going downstairs to the Trashbunker to get some materials. I'd like you to start thinking about a prototype you could fit into one of these shapes/structures. This will also help triggering our imagination. It can be as easy and simple as you can imagine, and you could also think if there’s a way to make it more adapt to you, helping yourself with the results of the exercises we just did.

Following the table we have been compiling during Phase 1, make a notebook and when it's done, compile the table.

Conclusion - Feedback moment

Discuss everyone's choices and feelings.

Give out something to fill in.

list of materials

prepare a bag with them all inside

-wooden sticks

-metal rings TO BUY

-selection of papers

-awl

-hole maker

-bone folder

-cutting mat

-choice of threads

-scissors

-needles

to buy:

• 30 sheets for exercise 1
• metal rings

exercises

A)))

5 carte diverse

Appoggiate sotto a un ulteriore foglio

L’esercizio consiste in prendere una carta ad occhi chiusi, toccarla annusarla e rispondere a qualche domanda

Spessore

Possibile utilizzo

Odore

Abilità di piegatura

Poi bisogna scrivere le risposte sul foglio al di sopra del mucchio

B))) the personal process of notebooks making

using the table at User:FLEM/noteboox, have the participants to start filling in the "new idea" notebook and then at the end of the session, to fill in the "notebooks process" table where to see what went good at what did not.

new ideas for notebooks
Need	being able to move the pages so that every space is a free space
Concept	write on separate sheets and then put them together with strings or rings
Pros	Different paper sheets so I can write separately and then decide how to organise the notes
Cons	It is annoying that I cannot add things to the text if the space is finished (absence of folded columns)

my personal notebook process	the ever-changing process a person can go through, by analysing and keeping attention to their individual note-taking activity and their use of paper notebooks to understand themselves and their needs.
Concept	describe what the notebook consist of.
What is the starting need that brought to the creation and use of it?	this question helps to highlight the starting point and main reason for the creation of a new notebook (or modification applied). it can be described in a few words.
What are the positive sides? Does it work within the starting purpose?	this is to understand if the solutions that have been found and applied to the new notebook are valid and working. this is important mostly not to lose track of the reasons underneath the concept and to evaluate how much the modifications worked.
What are the negative sides? What could be a different approach to solve the issue?	if what has been analysed above did not work, why didn't it work? analysing what worked and what did not help to reason on new ways to solve the issue that was not solved.
To try out:	a space to throw some ideas about practical solutions to apply to a possible new notebook or that can be applied directly to the version that is under monitoring.

Analysis of the session

Intro & general overview

I started this session with presentation rounds: this conversation becomes very important to be able to understand who I have in front of me. I had 4 participants this time, half of the time before: this opened a lot of reasoning on the amount of people I truly need or want to have, and how much the collaboration becomes essential, to stimulate each other. I had the feeling that a smaller amount of people creates less exchange between one another.

What I realised it could be important to ask at the beginning is if they are at the workshop to experiment or to understand their way of working. Both options fit into the idea of the C.E.S.: experimenting helps to try out different options and give the participant an overview of what is their purpose during the session. This knowledge avoids a lot of the "lost" feeling the person might feel in the moment of making decisions. I understood I have to facilitate much more what happens and guide them through different steps to arrive to a possible plan for the second section of the C.E.S..

I presented myself and my research: I had on the table different examples of the paper notebooks I experimented with in the last months. Showing not only examples of notebooks, but the mentality I had through the process of reasoning, helps to inspire people at the beginning. Some of them took one idea I tested and made a version in their own way. Working together, exchanging discoveries is part of this process: while exchanging ideas with my study cases, Erica and Supi, I noticed I picked some ideas they were experimenting with and the opposite. Everyone then re-elaborate the idea to make it fit in their concept.

I described the creativity levels again, but I feel like theory in such a context does not help so I will not do it again. If I want to deliver specific information, I should provide printed material to share and make available for later reading. Also after the session it could be more interesting and understandable to read about the topic, after having experienced the materials.

For this session, I wanted to provide a help to move from the first part of the session to the "making a notebook" one: I experimented with different tables for my own work and decided to try it out with them to see if it is something usable. The result is that I still think that in a longer period of time it could be interesting to document the process, but it is not essential for the discovery itself. In addition, it was a lot to ask to my participants to take notes while reasoning while making and folding and experimenting. What I discovered though, is that I can use that tables to describe, by observation, what I noticed in their work and as an aftermath, analysed what they did and why. During the session, I always walked around, asked questions on what they were working on and about the choices they were taking while producing. This also is meant to help them to analyse the reason why they make certain choices. Why not including this concept in the overall C.E.S.? This will be discussed in a later section.

Phase 1: The exercises

1) The first exercise had a good concept underneath: experience materials with all the senses and understand what works or does not work for you. What I erred has been the choice of paper I made, because they did not like any of them for a possible notebook. On the other hand, this mistake arose an awareness in something I have been thinking about since a while but never really pushed properly. I imagined these exercises to be a way to experience materials and bring out their creativity and imagination, to be able to deal with the second part more consciously and with a little bit of knowledge about their needs. Instead, these exercises should exist to lead them towards a possible notebook while helping them to understand better what they do and afterwards what they need. Something I have to keep into consideration is the fact that participants have not necessarily analysed already their use of notebooks, so at the beginning it would be useful to create awareness on it, before starting to question it. Maybe the C.E.S. should be a way to guide them through a discovery of their note-taking practice that leads to the creation of something that could satisfy certain requirements (discovered during the guided series of exercises). Practically, how to rethink this exercise: try-out pen on paper after having tried the other features, give a long sheet to write on and, most important, choose papers they'll have to pick from to make a notebook afterwards. How to make it shorter so they can try different types and be sure they will find at least one they like?

In this exercise also the choice of the shape of the notebook could participate: a sheet is not only texture but also shape. How to make a choice on what kind of shape does differently then another? How to challenge the relation between shape and content?

2) This exercise worked well when I had 8 people, but with 4 did not produce the result I was expecting. It needs to be faster, it needs to work also for a smaller amount of people and it needs to help with the production of the final "outcome". For example: what if i ask them to fold different sheets by themselves in ways that connect with the use of a notebook and then analyse what does it mean (for example, an annoying fold, an unusual fold and a funny fold).

<<<<<<<<<I am questioning just now: do i want them to experiment or to conduct them towards something I imagined? is this becoming too much structured for what I imagined? I did not want to tell people what to do because I thought it was intruding but it feels like it is necessary and also will definitely help to have a better structure in the toolbox. Am i losing track of my values or am I improving the workshops? >>>>>>>

3) The questions need to be leading towards something, they should help to reason on their practice. And also, most people do not reason while writing. I have to separate "taking notes exercises on weird papers" and "learning about your practice". To reason they have to talk but how to help them in that? Also, this maybe should happen at the beginning. Connected to what I said about the questioning their practice after discovering about their practice. (Study your own note taking practice)

On the exercises' phase: The exercises should become part of the guide towards a possible "outcome" (do not like the word outcome=find synonym): the guide is composed by exercises and questions that help to analyse and question the practice of note-taking and the use of notebooks while providing the participant with a "list" of choices on the use of all the components of a paper notebook. The idea would be that while doing the exercises the participants accumulate both materials and choices that they will put aside and bring them back at the moment of making a notebook. In this way, they will have all the decisions taken when starting section 2 and will not feel overwhelmed by the block of the notebook maker (lol). They will also have produced a certain amount of materials that can be used in the making: this will also help with the problem of time. They should also be faster.

Importance of recycling: this part was extremely helpful to turn the session upside down. It really helped them to get inspired and understand that everything could possibly become a (paper? fabric? wooden?) notebook. I had the idea of collaborating (how? i don't know yet but i texted them in the meanwhile) with Trashbunker (entrance of Blaak) and have a session in which they can only make notebooks out of the materials that that day are present in the Trashbunker. This adds a lot of limitations and I felt, in every session, that I needed more restrictions for my participants to be able not to get lost and create something that it is not totally random. It is hard to make situated notebooks during such a short amount of time and limitations can help to produce something that it is not the perfect outcome or the most original but does help to understand the concept. This process could go on forever and it is quite hard to come up with a useful idea from scratch that is not only experimental but also functional towards a need someone could have daily (but maybe did not think about - how to help them to think about it?). What is a situated notebook // a non-situated notebook?

Maybe I do not need them to produce a notebook they can necessarily use, but also something that helps them to understand the process of making notebooks.

Phase 2 - Make a notebook

This phase went good because the trashbunker's limitations helped them to make decisions. Before going there, I felt they were a bit lost on what to do. Not making notebooks every day makes it difficult to take these decisions from scratch. I discussed above how this could be solved and how the two sections have to merge together and one needs to feed into the other.

Anyway, they produced 4 amazing results that I will try to analyse using the sheet I wanted them to use (see Appendix?). All of them made choices, but were not able to identify them properly. I would like to bring that up to light also to their eyes.

Conclusion - feedback moment

This should be the most important moment. Not because I need feedback on me, but because it is the time to come all together and discuss the choices they made. If they cannot have that space and time to do this, the session does not make sense. In addition, I could take notes on what they are doing while they are doing it, interpret their actions and then give them to the participants to see what they might have done unconsciously (?). They cannot really articulate what they are doing and this is the thing i have to focus on a lot.

Also my feedback questionnaire was useless. byebye dead dead xxoxo

gallery

• 

  writing exercise

• 

  prototype of participants, using pins to bind a notebook

• 

  smelling exercise

New concept for following session

*from brainstorming session 14-03-23

The research project is described and analysed in the thesis, through the use of theoretical research (history and context) and practical research (methods and case studies).

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The CES are a playground to experiment with different approaches to arrive to a collection of exercises that could take part of the outcome --> test, try-out, experiment.

• make clear = bring your notebook
• apply knowledge
• The session and the final toolkit are starting points/initialiser for them to test scenarios to see what works better (the CES are for me, the toolkit is for the people, made by me as a researcher together with the participants) --> it is different if I organise the sessions for my research's purposes
• One option could be that the aim of the session is several outcomes that leads to a realisation and some inspiration on how to do it --> test different ideas, examples, small prototypes
• QUESTIONS: work on them, create a NEW SET of questions to lead them towards the process --> limits of page, lost in the page, what could they find in their notebooks?
• do they have an idea of what to do? Help them by facilitating with suggestions and options
• provide structure and accept the unexpected
• stuff needs to be connected --> how folding influences the note-taking: not only the way I write but also what I think and realise while writing
• create a format of notes that helps me to talk in the workshop and allows me to talk and go back easily
• FACILITATOR: have a good example with the first person that answers to questions
• the importance of RECYCLING: it is also about accessibility, this is important into my practice and to me, the purpose of making something accessible: do I have time and effort? how can I make things faster and easier? what if someone is not skilled/does not have time? does not have materials? where can they gather second-hand materials?

NEW STRUCTURE PROPOSAL:

1. INTRO EXCHANGE: i present, they present, i present they present *explain the stations and the tools at the beginning (folding, cutting, glueing)
2. FOLDING EXERCISE: (adjust to save time eg fold pass fold pass fold pass then write about personal practice)
3. PLACE HOLDER (eg try out papers but shorter)
4. MAKE DIY PROTOTYPES (experimenting/making different little things more than one big thing, say that they can be try-outs) --> keep the 1:1 moments/tutorials where I walk around and discuss decisions together (encourage and suggest, talk about individual materials, needs, skills, knowledge)
5. CONCLUSION

INTRO EXCHANGE

• intro? Explain the process more in detail, (also in context and content), "the aim of this session is that you will start to think about this process yourself" underline that this is a process they could do
• 1st TASK (INTRODUCTION)

me my process/show how the process to them

them their process / reflection on their practice something that did not work (reflect and choose problem struggle)

! what if they do not find a problem? then ask other questions: why does it work? Can you imagine a possible scenario where it could not work? If the format was different, would it make a difference? what if it was a different type of content? Would you like to experiment with something different?

• do an analysis of their notebooks
• background + experience

EXERCISES

1. FOLDING EXERCISE: exaggerate helps to try extremes/limits out how folds can have an impact + at the end of the exercise present the process they went through to choose what they put there and for what reason + say in the prompts how they could use the folds

--> reflecting on research, take notes, prepare text, talk about your creative practice, present their work (something they have already thought about in their life), give examples, show possibilities.

--> participate in the exercises to share my excitement (maybe doing it a bit more extreme of what i would normally do to show how it could be)

2. PLACE HOLDER (eg try out papers but shorter)

rethink it thinking about what kind of choices i make when i am making a notebook, what are important factors for me?

3. MAKE DIY PROTOTYPES (experimenting/making different little things more than one big thing, say that they can be try-outs) --> keep the 1:1 moments/tutorials where I walk around and discuss decisions together (encourage and suggest, talk about individual materials, needs, skills, knowledge)

• assemble recycled/second hand materials
• make a selection of little things and feel encouraged

CONCLUSION

Describe what they did, what they would like to try in the future, did they have any realisation? + keep in touch, send pictures and updates, send thoughts and questions