Unit 1: Public Analysis

Castle Park

What makes this space appealing?-This space that I picked out to analyze is very appealing ( to me ) because i've come to this place ever since I was a child and it is a very calm and relaxing place to be. This space is very opan and inviting with trees everywhere. There is also a little duck pond if you feel like getting rid of some old bread too : ). This park is very appealing to the eye because there's just so many activities you could be involved in when you're there. Who doesn't like being outside feeling like a kid again?

Why did you choose it?- I chose it because ( due to my ADHD ), it's a place that I can observe for many hours if needed and I will never tire of it. There's always something new happening. New people, new ages of people playing, different activities going on ( there's a volleyball court, a track , a soccer field, and a baseball field here too ), different sights and sounds each second, and it is very peaceful. I love being outside and so I thought that this would be the perfect place for me to sit back and observe what all is going on because there's just so much to see! You won't ever get bored!

What do you expect to find upon observation? Why?- I expect to find that when i'm observing the park that I will see alot of people doing different things and just enjoying themselves. I expect to see benches and trees, the more obvious things. I hope to see many people engaging in different activities and i'm also hoping to see many children running around crazy and releasing all their energy. I guess I expect to see all these things because i've been to the park before and it's always so busy (especially with the little kids running around the playground part of the park ). If things were to have changed, it wouldn't be the same place.

Are you part of the target audience?- No I am not. I am simply there to observe and have no intentions of being analyzed while sitting on a bench with a notebook and pencil in hand. I am not going anywhere where there are people trying to sell you an object or device of some sort nor do I want to analyze in that type of environment. Wouldn't be very comfortable to me.

What pre-conceived ideas may influence your objective observation?- Well, I don't have pre-conceived ideas, I have past experiences with this park. I know this park, I know what it looks like and I already know what's there. I'm simply going because I need to focus in on my surroundings and take in everything that i'm seeing instead of jsut focusing in on the things i'm doing. The only idea that I have right now is that since it's cold outside, there might not be as many people playing as there would be in the summer time. I might not even get enough notes to hand in.

How can you overcome these obstacles?- The best I can do is sit and wait to see how many people show up. I am really looking forward to this assignment and am hoping that I get enough notes so I have more to talk about in my paper so it won't be dull and boring in any way.