About:
Design Strategy and User Experience
In any design brief that I undertake my purpose lies in the push towards understanding the intricacies and complexities of problems at hand. To achieve this my design process focuses heavily on research, analysis and testing. This speculative process focuses on methods that allows for strategic insight and the conceptualisation of new ways forward.
Check out the various projects I have been involved in and the various ways that I have utilised my process to deconstruct and reimagine the way products, systems and environments are interacted with.
P - 001 - - - - - - - - Designing The Critical Thinking Supermarket Consumer
P - 002 - - - - - - - - The Note Archive
P - 003 - - - - - - - - Chicken Checker
P - 004 - - - - - - - - Aurora
P - 005 - - - - - - - - Shape Matrix
P - 006 - - - - - - - - Error.Box-7707
P - 007 - - - - - - - - Diagrammatic Deconstrutions
P - 008 - - - - - - - - LDR - Live Digital Reality
P - 009 - - - - - - - - Unsaved
P - 010 - - - - - - - - Geometric Meditation
P - 011 - - - - - - - - Chaos & Serenity
P - 012 - - - - - - - - Journeys
P - 013 - - - - - - - - Street Art
P - 014 - - - - - - - - DSG Cube
Email - info@louiedsg.uk
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/louie-thompson-759b2816a
Instagram - louiedsg
- P - 001 - Designing The Critical Thinking Supermarket Consumer
During the final stages of my studies at Central Saint Martins I spent my time analysing the supermarket system. I conceptualised a new speculative approach that encourages individuals to make more informed choices and shop smarter.
This enquiry was initiated due to my frustrations towards the design and operation of modern supermarkets. They are often driven by unethical practice through employing psychological techniques that exploit our cognitive vulnerabilities. Through diagrammatic enquiry, I offer an insightful analysis of these techniques to reveal the subtle manipulations at play and in response designed a simple three-step methodology that allows individuals to shop critically, intentionally and overcome psychological exploitation.
The intention of this project was to ultimately spark questioning in individuals. I simply wanted to evidence my discoveries in a diagrammatic journey that makes people think about alternative ways of navigating and interacting with the supermarket environment. People may never use the three-step methodology I developed however I hope through their engagement with this project I have been able to broaden perspectives and inform new approaches.
- P - 002 - The Note Archive
- A point of INSPIRATION and a point of ACTIVATION...
A large part of my practice consists of physical note taking to retain information, expand ideas and visualise outcomes. I wanted to educate myself through the exposure to a plethora of people's notes and in depth research to learn new approaches and inevitably expand my note taking abilities.
To do this I gathered notes from around 50 of my peers studying on GCD at Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London. I then analysed all this material to help expand my understanding of how to effectively take notes. Through this process I had a realisation that instead of just trying educate myself why not use my valuable discoveries to educate anyone who wants to expand their note taking abilities.
INSPIRATION - Through the "Note Showcase" readers are able to explore notes utilising the methods of - Mindmapping, Visual Journeys, Hierarchy, Drawing and Colour. These are the 5 approaches I identified as being the foundation to many successful approaches. However as I mention in the book "There is no definitive approach" we all retain, learn and express ideas in many different ways. The note archive focuses on expanding the individual approach not push a single restrictive one.
ACTIVATION - After the showcase readers are prompted to activate their discoveries through the "Assignments" section of the book where I dissect the methods showcased in simple step by step approaches.
P - 003 - Chicken Checker
- A project based on the idea of supplying poultry
- product information transparency to supermarket consumers.
- This concept ended up taking the format of a digital stamp of
- quality called "Chicken Checker". Through the utilisation of
- NFC technology shoppers can scan chicken products and
- access a quality rating based off an assessment of various
- data such as the farming processes behind the rearing of
- the chicken, it's welfare, utilisation of drugs, nutritional
- values to the carbon footprint from farm location to the
- point of purchase in store.
P - 004 - Aurora
- A Design Sprint With The BBC
P - 006 - Error.Box-7707
Through the design of a modular installation this project prompts individuals to come together and create new environments through collaborative efforts. The utilisation of lines in my work allows individuals to connect the boards presented in a multitude of ways in hopes of creating journeys through space that no one can predict.
P - 007 - Diagrammatic Deconstructions
An insight into my gigamapping process...
P - 008 - LDR - Live Digital Reality
Live Digital Reality was an attempt at trying to change the way people access news and various types of media by experimenting with new virtual reality technology. This wasn’t just an attempt to use this new technology but was an opportunity to discovery what challenges / ethical implications may arise as the result of converting to this new format of media consumption.