Well, what's your definition of 'retro design' and what's your definition of 'modern day design'? If you define these, or you can find definitions of them, then you can discuss the differences and how they arose over time ie changes in technology, cultural difference etc etc.

And if it's such a difficult topic - are you really going to stick with it? Presumably you have to write about 10000 words for it and if you're stuck now, how are you going to be getting on in 6 months? Maybe you should think about switching titles?

Searching for creative juices

You've got two problems--writing and research. You seem to be struggling with both.


Research: It sounds like a worthy topic, but very broad. Find a way to narrow your scope and make a more specific statement about the past influencing the future. Aside from the obvious--trade rags,journals, and the web--do not forget to tap possibly the best sources out there in successful designers.Do you have mentors? Call a few whose work you admire and see if you can schedule a phone interview.Ask permission to use the interview as a source that you'll cite in your paper.


Writing:Go to any used book store and find a style guide.Research is the fun part; writing is the biggest challenge.I'm sure you had to take english comp 101, right? Go back to your prof and ask is s/he will proof your paper before you turn it in. Don't worry about the writing yet, just get your research and content ontrack.

Aesthetics and art have always been cyclical. Visual art wouldn't be able to progress as it has without experimentation based off of what has already been done. How can you expand on an idea that has never been created???

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Hi
good luck with your dissertation. I am glad it is not me.
Tell you what though I did my degree in filmaking yrs ago. I am now doing a two yr
multimedia graphics design course. It is 50% marked on research and essay writing.
God I had forgot how difficult it can be.

You cannot do to much research. But it is so easy to copy paste from the web these days
and that stands out so cleary. I guess you know this all already anyway.

Make plan before you start writing.On some sheets of A4 you can draw rectangle boxes that roughly relate to the wordage that you will use for certain sections.. Introduction
etc. That can help you get focused, you can be drowned in research material and get your self into a right state wondering how to get all that 'stuff' onto the paper.
It does not do any harm either to just dive in and write some 'articles' just fluid stream of consciousness stuff from what you have gathered from your research. Keep these as sketches and see what may develop from there. That can help start to fill in some of the rectangles on you sheets of A4. They do like 'structure' in these things.

andy worhal and check out beyond the brillo box... good book.

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Wouldn't the definition of 'Retro Design' indicate that it's a lift of an old set of styles into a modern piece? Seems it would be based on a designer's individual experience. Guess I don't exactly understand the nature of what you are wanting to write about.

If you are wanting to write about trends, and how one trend effects the next trend, that would be a totally different paper.

If that's the direction you are going, one decent place to start is the different periods throughout history. Find out who the big names were, what their influences were, and where they turned the corner. Art Deco is a good starting point. I guess you could go back to Victorian design as well...but I'd look at the different disciplines that encompass commercial visual art - advertising, illustration, fine art, architecture, and maybe even literature, etc and see how each played off of one another.

You could also look at color trends and use that as an illustration of how it effects moods and tones throughout the design community as well as society as a whole.

Once you start researching specifics, you should be able to piece things together. Don't think of yourself as having to be a writer - be a communicator. Communicate what you learn through your research to whomever your writing for. Write it as if they will be hearing it for the first time. Get yourself organized, write an outline, and stick to it (after your research) - and pick your title last. The title should come from your writing.

It doesn't matter if you win or loose, it's how much cheese you get.