Promote the integration of gender and professional style

Experiments in photography and watch design

Abstract

This account of practical experience examines how work-based and situational professional didactics (WPSD), grounded in formative assessment and referencing, supports professional development without stifling the expression of style among students in the photography and watch design programs. Whilst the collaborative creation of ‘study maps’ enables students to gain a firm grasp of the norms of the academic discipline, it is, however, accompanied by a homogenisation of work and a decline in personal touches. To address this pitfall, two didactic variables were tested: requiring photographers to deliberately transgress a criterion of the study map, and inviting designers to formalize the reference framework of their own style, observable in their productions. The experiments reveal that, for photographers, controlled disobedience seems to foster singular images relevant to representing places, but also appears to reduce the perceived interest in standardized productions. For designers, reflecting on their individual style allows them to assert themselves without compromising the technical and conceptual awareness of their choices or respect for the brand's DNA. The role of reference frameworks and referencing methodologies as training tools is discussed and linked to the concept of differentiation in order to preserve individuality. Experience shows that formative assessment can become a dialogical space where reflexivity through confirmation and critique is articulated, paving the way for empowering professional development and the growth of a professional ethos.