User:FLEM/2.0.0

start of XPUB 5th semester documentation period in January 2023.

i decided to start again from here as the past documentation has been submitted already + I need a fresh start as I have not been able to do it in the last 2 months.

18.01.22

It is hard to document the work here at the moment. I do not know how to come back to it. I have been writing in all other platforms.

Today I contacted the locations for possible C.E.S. in the next 2 months. (see pdf)

The plan is to finish by the end of March with 4 sessions, to be able to add the materials from the sessions in the thesis. to see old session's documentation go to: User:FLEM/Analysis of sessions

I am writing the thesis: i am currently working on the context section, that gives an overview of the concept of paper notebook and the relations with the world.

AT the same time, I am planning new exercises for the sessions. I hate that I cannot do the batch upload here so it is a bit hard to document without pictures.

31.01.22

Feedback (things to keep into consideration) & possible answers:

How might the work sessions be evaluated beyond asking whether the participants enjoyed them? What's at stake for you? When does a notebook "work"? When not?

I do not have a way to evaluate objectively if a notebook works or does not work: the purpose of this research is to create a method that can help others to discover it by themselves. Does their notebook work? Can it be better? How can it be different from what it is?

The criteria, in the overall research, is: does it become evident, or obvious, that the form impacts the writing? If yes, this is what I want to achieve and I want to get out of my practical activity. My aim is to create consciousness to enable people to go further in the process. This can be evaluated mostly from their reactions, the results of the sessions, their activity through time (in a longer research this could be followed for a longer time, but due to time restrictions, this is constraining right now). What is important is that t's not only me experimenting, but also others.

--> use cases that prove my point from my personal use of notebooks and also from others (Erica & Supi) --> including as case studies

How can you more precisely articulate your own values and concerns in this work?

a) I am concerned that people do not use notebooks with consciousness and do not see the impact this medium can have on their lives

b) with my research, i can work with the knowledge I am creating, through research and sessions, and make it accessible to more people

c) I do not only want to rely on my own opinions therefore I decided to invite other perspectives on this topic by organising the CES and open discussions on the topic with different people

What is the form of publishing that you're working toward?

go to 02.02.22

What are your assumptions around standardization?

nice question. will be discussed in the thesis. It's true though that standards sometimes are necessary: this research is trying to give value to personalisation and personal creativity, not to demonise standards.

The translation of materiality to web publishing could be worked on further.

this is not doable in such a short time.

Who can help me?

Talk with Michael on feedbacks -->

Talk with Steve: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/NextStepEm

see joanna drucker performability of materials

make templates for sessions?

create a structure to follow what is the process, outcome, theme, materials, questions, inspirations, learning, reflective thoughts..

also for other people's stories.

02.02.22

I had a bit of a hard time in understanding what to do with the materials i am gathering with thesis and CES, how to frame and publish this in a form that can be accessible to a public. I am going to insert here the options that were part of my project proposal since the beginning and that got left aside while going on:

A) For the project to continue after the end of the series of explorative sessions, I plan to create an instructional piece/text that users could use to go through the analysis of self and the creation of their own tools, in this case notebooks.

B) Create a collection of essays on the outcomes of the sessions and the discoveries of the participants (see thesis outline).

C) Build a hybrid/digital prototype: an online tool to create and print layouts and customised instructions [the magic modular notebooks kits]. This digital tool will be gathered together with research results and documentation on an online interface.

I understood that the workshops are just one of the methods that I am using to gather information that feeds my thesis questions: How can I, through research and explorative sessions, discover more about the topic and create a generative structure that can help others discover themselves and their needs, in their own way, to promote creativity and self-expression?

The methods and formats I will be using for this purpose are:

• CES: Collaborative Explorative Sessions, in which the participants act in different exercises as prompts to activate their imagination and creativity towards the act of making DIY paper notebooks.
• Personal research: in the past months, I have been going through this process myself: it's true that we are all different, but through my experience and knowledge on this topic I am able to provide prompts and ideas to create a "generative structure" that would help others, even outside the CES, to think consciously at their note-taking practice and their use of paper notebooks.
• Research done by others: I have been discussing in the last months with Erica and Supi about their personal research into the use of notebooks and they have been actively producing and analysing options. This interest and their contributions are essential to provide an helpful structure.

Therefore, the final outcome will be a toolkit that will present, in different shapes, how to go through the analysis of self and the creation of personalised paper notebooks.

The Toolkit will be a box, probably, and will include a series of objects and materials:

- the thesis, printed on different papers, different sizes, every chapter, or paragraph will be different.

This version of the thesis will include a selection of photographs of the materials obtained in the last months, my notebooks, other people's notebooks, the CES, the experiments, the notes...

- different type of papers will be included, a cardboard to hold everything together, and other materials to help in the playground (metal rings, threads etc..)

- a "10 steps to make your own notebook", an instructional piece to go through different experiments.

it will include simple and accessible adds-on that users can use to start implementing their already-existing notebooks (like pockets, folding, additional papers..)

- a set of cards with questions to trigger the imagination

- a selection of short fictional stories based on the notebooks participants made during the sessions and influenced by the stories they told me.

These materials can be tried before the publications by participants or individuals that took part into my research.