As part of our Assessment for the 3^rd week of the project, we had to answer a few questions. All the other groups in the class as well as Mark, the lecturer, gave us questions to think about, discuss as a group and then post to our page.

MARK:                       What challenges arose within your group and how did you deal with them?

BIGBALLS:                *Keeping networking up to date and still juggle practical.

*Communicating with each other – we all had different ideas in the beginning of how we wanted to do the project.

*Working with different materials- We had to test all the materials before using them. Also knitting with different materials.

*Our ideas were broad we had to limit ourselves. We had to choose one thing to focus on.

*Schools- we first had to find schools that would allow us to come and visit them. Going to the schools and presenting ourselves, we didn’t plan on teaching as well.

*Not being able to go to schools due to exam time

*Not all the group members could knit.

*Collecting material and making yarn- some of it took long to knit and make a final product.

*Preparing for the presentation- not everyone is strong enough. We wanted everyone to talk. We were nervous that we wouldn’t have enough time to prepare.

AMAZEBALL:           For me, managing my time was key. There is tons to do, technology-wise, and practically so I tried my best to juggle it all and work more after hours on networking and almost always on practical work during class. This made the biggest and most positive difference for me.

BOUNCY BALL:       My responsibilities in the group were to document the whole process .Challenges that I had to overcome were the documentation and networking. It was hard to do the documentation and also help my group to knit. Every day I wrote in my journal and then I would type it out on the computer so at the end of the 4 weeks we would have a complete booklet to remember our wonderful memories. I decide just be more sufficient with my time, so in the morning before class I came in earlier and did the previous days documentation. So by the time class started I could help my group with knitting and finishing products.

NICKER BALL:         The materials itself was a much bigger challenge than I had initially thought. The whole process of collecting different types of materials, preparing them for yarn (cutting, tearing, knotting, stitching, sewing, pasting, combining, braiding, etc), making yarn balls, testing them to see if it is able to knit or crotchet with and then eventually knitting or crocheting it into the shape of a ball was extremely time consuming! It also made the whole process very stressful thus we had to figure out a way (system) in which to work to decrease the stress and increase the outcome/products. Luckily we were aware of this ‘problem’ very early in the process and so we divided the work in such a way that members mostly did what they were the strongest at but members was still helping each other along the way. This boosted the process a lot and soon we worked fast and efficiently like a well-oiled machine.

PLASTASTIC BALL:            My challenge was, having to deal with the bottles that I had to cut in a long strip to knit with them, and of which I had to create a ball with my plastic knitted product (a ball).
SWEET BALL:                      I think the first challenge I came across while using the materials was making the yarn, this took the most time because we had a lot of fabric. I did the braiding of different materials together, it was challenging because I’m use to braiding hair which goes faster than fabric. I learned hand knitting this went fast depending on the fabric used.

THE INNOVATORS:          How have community interaction and the forming of our product affected group spirit/dynamics?

BIGBALLS:                            We communicated with people in transport, people on campus, schools and parents. After visiting Cannons Creek on Friday when we came back we were very happy. We yarn bombed a tree with the students. We were more motivated after the interaction with the school. It was amazing how the interacted and wanted to help. The students reacted to the yarn bombed tree in a positive way. We had interaction with them even if we were not always there by leaving our balls with our business cards. We left our message behind and hopefully people will remember us and also what surface design is. We gave some of the matric student’s hope for studying next year.

AMAZEBALL:           Before: We were energized, excited and full of ideas, bursting to be heard.

After: The five ballzy girls that make up BigBalls, are passionate about our aim and are determined to learn, enjoy and excel together as one.

BOUNCY BALL:       Before: We are the most awesome group ever. We are 5 girls. We worked well from the beginning. Before the product we all worked very hard and were very eager. We had many ideas and wanted to do them all. We all knew exactly what we wanted to achieve. We never had any problems. We motivated each other and knew what our strengths and weaknesses where.  We used this to create a sufficient group dynamic.

After: I think we are still the same group with the same qualities. After creating the product and community it motivated us as a group to do more and be more successful. We are stronger now and we know what we are capable of.       

NICKER BALL:        Before: Our group dynamic was very strong since the very beginning - we worked well as a team and were passionate and excited about our project.

After: After working with the community and seeing what effect we had on our target market, we were even more excited and motivated to spread our word and produce

more products to WOW people with!

SWEET BALL:         Our spirit of going out to the community was exciting but we nervous, we didn’t know how people will respond to our project. We really enjoyed our day out to the community, the students at the high school were helpful and willing to learn, so that helped us relax and have fun. 

PLASTASTIC BALL:            Before: The interactions went well with our product due to the school that we went to, we had balls that we wanted to place on their tree as well as for other schools.

After: At first before the project we worked well and due to the project we jell even better now and are good friends now, I’m very glad to have such friends in my group and life.

BIGBALLS:              How has the community motivated you to excel in your project?

AMAZEBALL:           They have contributed positively to our group by helping in the process, being a part of the process, motivating us and keeping that excitement of the project alive in us. We have encouraged them to ask us any questions they may have, allowing and encouraging them to be a part of our process and interacting with students of high school in a classroom environment while teaching them to knit and finger knit for two days. Yes they have as they have helped us yarn bomb our first tree and did it together, as well as being taught by us on how to knit and finger knit as classes for school.

BOUNCY BALL:       We used social media to create awareness of surface design. We also went out to schools and interacted with them. We yarn bombed a tree with them they enjoyed it so much. The students helped us to make yarn and also yarn bomb a tree. When we sat outside campus people walked by and wanted to help us knit. And yes, we have improved when we saw the positive interaction. We wanted to make more balls and try different techniques.

NICKER BALL:         We incorporated the community by going to schools and creating awareness of surface design inside AND outside of the classroom. We taught students how to knit and exposed them to the term ‘yarn bombing’. By doing this, we inspired them to yarn bomb on of their own trees at school. This was incredible to see and brought us as a group closer together, knowing what positive effect we had on students and teachers .

SWEET BALL:                     The community motivated our group to excel on the project by them being part and willing to help on the project. By involving the student we thought them how to knit which they enjoyed, and also give them homework to research yarn booming. On the last day the students made yarn and we boomed the tree!! Everyone got involved. As a group we had so much fun, we learned teamwork and working with different people the community. Yes we got big balls lol!!

PLASTASTIC BALL:            They motivated me by being so full of life to do more, and that motivates them to do more too.

My group and I ensure that we keep our community interested at all times, we also incorporated the community by going to schools and teaching them all about our course and what our project is all about. Yes, by helping my group and I with some yarn bombing and that inspired us to do so much more than just doing the balls as a start. Yes our group has improved very much and we are more determined and inspired to do a lot more and help where we can.

SPRING CHICKS:   Which discipline “Design/Art” does your campaign fall under and why? How did your target market respond to your campaign?

BIGBALLS:                Art is using creative skills to create beauty to the human eye and the main difference between art and design is that design is simply more restrained.

Design is creating something that is beauty but still adds function. As designers, our work has to be interactive, accessible and consistent. Design is art with expectations and pattern. It is art meeting science.

We are both art and design. We create a merge of the two. We incorporate elements of art and design into our BIG BALLS, as the mediums, techniques and principles are used in our BALLS, the accessibility of our BALLS, the function of creating awareness and meaning shows design. Simply, due to the skills used to create beauty and attraction, we are art as well.

The community reacted better than expected. They wanted to be a part of the project and the making of our BIG BALLS.

 

THE REBELLION: How did the group overcome its fears?

BIGBALLS:                Check out our video!