Week 2 / Create my project plan and decide on a strategy - this is still an early research stage and can be quite open, especially if I'm still developing an idea or approach. However It would be good to be able outline any initial thoughts or direction. Loose aspirations would be good at this stage.

Week 3 / Research current themes and moods relevant to my forming ideas and project requirements. More in-depth competitor research and relevant current affairs. Begin brainstorming and gathering visual ideas and thoughts on the aesthetics for my outcome.  

Week 4 / Start concept development - sketches, experiments and testing of ideas. 

Week 5 / Further concept development with my experiments and ideas, begin to refine 2 or 3 concepts for audience and peer testing. Identify current or possible upcoming obstacles as we move past the half way point. Refection at this stage is important.

Week 6 / Design development begins, selected route/outcome for project is to be chosen through feedback and reflection and taken to start designing and developing. 

Week 7 / Further development and finalised design prepared for 'client' presentation. Exploration of application should also be considered. 

Week 8 / Final outcome - delivery and application of project. Final feedback gathered to reflect. 

- Extensive research is vital and key to a successful project - think globally.

- Make sure you create a customer profile - a series of parameters or set of information that defines the desires, trends or interests of the demographic.

- Break the project down into small manageable parts.

- There will be different solutions for the same problem - choose the most appropriate from informed decisions.

- It's good to set a series of checkpoint meetings/approvals with your client.

- Think micro and macro - the whole design needs to appear considered.

- Rigorous testing is needed before launching digital designs to check for hidden errors or glitches.

- Organise your time - plot out the progress of each project from start to end, allocating time to each aspect of the design process.

- Create a schematic diagram to identify how long certain aspects of the job will take to complete, paying particular attention to print and production timeframes near the end.

Since 2017, a year after skateboarding was designated an Olympic sport, the school has been helping students hone all necessary skills to make it in the skateboarding world.

The Ark League was formed in 2017 from a merger of Flat Ark -- a BMX Flatland World Circuit competition started in Kobe in 2013 -- and Skate Ark, which was created shortly after skateboarding was given the tick as a new Olympic sport for the 2020 Games. Break Ark debuted this year as the festival's third offering.

After a tutorial with Stuart and Cat where I ran through my ideas and research so far:

- My Target audience I will narrow down even further to female skaters in Tokyo, 17-25, this will make my marketing strategies, research and creative development more focused.

- Rather than working round the illegality of skating in the streets, why not work against it? Because of the nature of this module I am under no obligation to follow 'rules' or 'laws'. Skateboarding by history and nature is a very rebellious lifestyle (it's not just a sport), so I shouldn't shy away from this, embrace it, encourage it even.

- What is there already in Tokyo I can use? Just building a skatepark or venue is very mundane and safe - going against Skateboardings nature (as per my previous point). I want to look at brown fields, rundown architecture. Skateboarding started in the US around surf culture, can I touch base with this origin? 

- Another student on the course - Shiina - is living in Tokyo, so I have emailed her asking some questions and for the possibility of some images she may be able to take for me, as primary research in my current position will be very difficult: