For my comic, I worked with Shay. We decided to base it on cleaning her room. We talked about her cleaning process and her room layout. I included her poster above her bed of The Kiss by Gustav Klimt. I also thought it would be super fun to add Shay’s reflection in the mirror. Another idea for the comic we had considered was her skin care routine, so I made sure to show organization of her makeup. I really liked making this comic and learning from my classmates.

Was it challenging to figure out how to depict the process clearly in five steps?

I think it would have been harder to do if I had to limit the comic to only five steps, as I feel like there are a lot of steps to cleaning a room. In fact, I definitely could have added more to this. I do see however that if we chose a different topic, it might have been harder to stretch it to five. I think that would push us to make sure to include every single step even if it may seem small and unimportant. For example, the way Hannah’s chopsticks comic, something that might be natural to someone, was very broken down.

How many steps do you need to fully teach someone to do this task?

I think this would be undefined because everyone has a different routine and things to clean. I think it is also noteworthy that not everyone has access to a vacuum, Clorox wipes, candles or tea, so they may have to adjust. I think that people also have different interpretations of what is considered clean. I felt like Shay and I are both the kind of people that when we clean it has to be spotless when finished.

Did your partner find your depiction accurate?

I would say it was accurate for the most part. I did leave a few things out, like showing everything being placed on the bed, then vacuuming, and then taking care of it all because I think I could have gone on and on with steps. I also lost my sketches and planning sheet from class and did not find them until after I finished the comic, so when looking back I realized I had left out one of the last steps, but otherwise, I feel like it followed the directions she gave me.

What corrections did you have to make?

After my first sketch, I began to think a little bit more about the design and flow of the comic. I wanted to move away from the boxes and see if it could follow a flow that was not necessarily left to right. I also considered initially showing a messy room which may have helped explain what was going on better. I decided I wanted a materials section instead. As for the design, I reconsidered ways to have close ups and differentiated the feeling of drawings in the steps.

What other information must you include to make a clear explanation?

I did want to push myself to not use words, but I think there are some areas where maybe it could have been beneficial, like the first step as representing making the bed. I like the details I can get out of just pencil, but I did also think about Jess’s comment about outlining or if coloring it might have made it a bit more understandable. I was also worried the flow might get a little confusing, especially when the arrows weren’t in my original plan. Yet, I think that aids to the idea that it does not need to follow that specific order. Personally, I like my clothes to be put away before I vacuum the floor. Another thing that might have made this a little more accurate to the chore is some references to time passing.