There’s nothing new under the sun.
Your story? Your idea? Someone has thought of it. Someone has attempted it. Maybe what’s been done isn’t exactly your idea or story, but it’s close enough that there is a foundation to be built on, a lesson to be learned or a path that can be followed. That’s a good thing! Starting from zero rarely makes you a hero.
For this activity, use the Curated Library (or the Internet more broadly) to find two examples of visual stories that relate to either your question or your medium or, ideally, both. One visual story should be a success; the other should be a failure. Investigate the processes behind each story to uncover why one succeeded and one failed. After all, there are lessons to be learned from both examples.
Use these questions to help guide you:
Describe
- What’s the first thing you see? Describe it.
- What materials are used?
- What genre is it (abstract, landscape, video, stop motion, photography, etc.)
- Try to explain the piece as a whole. What impact is it trying to achieve?
Analyze
- What elements and principles of design can you pick out? What image development strategies are used?
- Is there a title to the piece? If so, does it help you understand the message better?
- What element is the main focus, in your opinion?
- Do the supporting elements help add to the understanding of the visual story?
Interpret
- What is the purpose of the visual story? To bring awareness, to offer a solution, to invoke an emotional response?
- What message is the artist trying to get across? Or is the message open to the eye of the beholder?
- Is there enough detail in the work to create an effective visual story?
- Is there anything that needs clarification? Is that good or bad?
Evaluate
- Is there anything missing?
- Did you enjoy the artwork? What did you like about it the most?
- Can you think of any improvements that would make this visual story more effective?
- What would you have created if given the same theme to work with?
- Were colours appropriate? Was the medium right?
- Do you have any ideas on why this piece succeeded/failed? List them.
- Is the work free of cultural appropriation, ethical and moral issues and doesn’t infringe on copyright protections?
Get together with someone who is analyzing two different examples. Compare notes and jot down their lessons learned. Reference these notes as you work to develop your idea.
How to Measure Outcomes:
As you now know, the artistic process can be a long one. And even if you clearly understand what success looks like, it’s hard to measure success along they way. Use this guide to help you find different ways of measuring success before your reach goal.