The Master’s thesis I chose for this task is from University of Zagreb – School of Designs and it was written by Nikola Heged. The title of this Master Thesis is “TERAPINO — System for Advancing Therapeutic Techniques“.
1. Level of design
The design of this thesis follows the guidelines set by the university. While there is no freedom in designing the format itself, small adjustments to the layout of elements are allowed. In my opinion, the format used is quite interesting; it is rather large and horizontally oriented, which gives it a sense of importance and formality. The author skillfully utilized the given format to create a cohesive and harmonious whole.
2. Degree of innovation
I consider this project to be innovative because it connects the physical and digital aspects of therapy for children. The system fundamentally functions as a digital application with an extension in an analog form, depending on the specific needs of the therapeutic process, patients, and/or therapists. The system covers the process during therapy but also enables individual therapeutic activities that the child can complete independently at home or with parents. In this way, the overall therapeutic process is rounded out and enhanced, extending beyond the therapist’s office to the home environment.
3. Independence
The author collaborated extensively with the Polyclinic for Children and Youth of the City of Zagreb, and this project is based on their professional work. From this, I conclude that a great deal of effort and independence was invested in collecting, summarizing, and conceptualizing the project — under the mentorship of professors, of course.
4. Outline and structure
I find that the structure is clearly laid out, starting with an analysis of the area of interest, followed by creative research methods, which further guides the author towards defining the target group and designing the project. The flow of this thesis makes sense to me, and the sections are well-connected. In its outline, the topic appears to be well-focused and not overly broad, addressing only what is necessary for the final outcome.
5. Degree of communication
The degree of communication in this thesis is clear and effective. The author does a good job of keeping a consistent tone while explaining complex ideas in a simple way. The structure helps with communication by moving logically from one section to the next, so each point builds on the last one. The use of visuals and examples makes it easier to understand, which helps a wider audience follow along. This focus on communication adds to the overall clarity and effectiveness of the project.
6. Scope of the work
The scope of the work is well-defined and focused. The author clearly outlines the main goals and objectives, making it easy to understand what the project aims to achieve. He saw the clear pain points of the topic, and without going off track or including unnecessary information, worked his way to the solution. Overall, the scope of the project is appropriate and supports the main thesis effectively
7. Orthography and accuracy
The thesis is well organized, clearly divided into logical chapters and subchapters, also the author uses footnotes for citations the right way. However, the thesis does contain some spelling errors, which could have been avoided with a more thorough review of the entire work.
8. Literature
I believe that a sufficient number of works have been used for the literature review, all of them seem relevant and credible sources, which I consider very important for this topic. Additionally, the literature is divided into books, scientific articles, and online sources, which I appreciated as it makes it easier to review.
*This blog post was created with the help of ChatGPT, used for summarizing thoughts and translating them into English
