5 words

Last week we were asked to list our five best and worst traits that we offer when working in team environments.

Positive:
Analytical
Honest
Motivated
Open minded
Reliable

Unfavorable:
Aloof
Competitive
Disorganized
Indecisive
Passive

I believe these are the best and worst qualities. Coincidently, these same qualities make me an either better or worse partner. I enjoy working with a familiar team and, yet random teams for new experiences. When working in groups I sometimes find being passive helps me; it allows me to see how other people think and process, while being indecisive pushes me to think in different ways rather than settling for first thought. Although quiet, I am constantly thinking and analyzing, even when I may look half-baked (aka. missing Lamb Chop).

Influence

I’ve been dwelling on this question for a while.

Everyday I am surrounded by many great thinkers and designers. The teachers at Humber have challenged and taught me to think, learn and view design in different ways. I take in their words as words of wisdom, although sometimes I feel some of those words get lost in translation. My fellow classmates also influence me through their creative thoughts, suggestions, and ambition to explore new boundaries. Although we may not all want the same things or look at the world the same way, we are all striving for the life we would like to lead after the completion of our studies. As for the main influence that has lead me back to where I am now, I remain uncomfortable with talking or broadcasting it over the Internet. I am generally a private person and very rarely talk about my past. I can only really think of one main influence and their status will be left unknown, all people need to know, is that it was this person who pushed me to think for myself, taught me that everything is not always as it seems, and to take risks when believed to be necessary. They were the first person to open me to the world of life, art, and design; showing me that, through patience, hard work, passion, and determination anything is possible.

Final Design Statement

Design is Innovation

manifesto

project L toronto

The L Tower is part of ambitious plans to revitalize the Hummingbird Centre. The project includes a new Arts & Heritage Awareness Centre (AHA) on the first few floors followed by condos.
- Glen Farrell

Developed by: Daniel Libeskind

http://www.theltower.com/

What do you think.

twenty words

Twenty plus words related to my design theory.

- Altered
- Evolved
- Processed
- Planned
- Simple
- Complicated
- Problematic
- Personal
- Expressive
- Explored
- Functions
- Influence
- Manipulated
- Restricted
- Boundless
- Engineered
- Information
- Business
- Inventive
- Brilliant
- Good
- Bad
- Controversial
- Loud
- Quiet
- Safe
- Wild
- Targeted
- Open
- Suggestive

inspiration

design is prt. II

Over the last 7 weeks I have been exploring, reading, viewing, and consuming thoughts and information from designers, people and industries about what they believe design is. Throughout this process I have found myself lost in phrases, words, haikus, theses, visuals, etc. The most common expression I keep stumbling upon about design, is that it is an idea or problem waiting to be solved. So, if design comes from an idea or problem, whether your own or someone else’s, design must be the solution.

Solutions in design appear in many different forms such as:

- Mass media distribution
- Engineering
- Architecture
- Programming
- Self-expression
- And the list continues

We, as designers, are the problem solvers; providing the solutions we feel and understand to be the best possible. Without design there is no solution and we lack the building blocks necessary to bring our ideas to fruition.

Therefore as my revised statement to what “design is” is:

Design is a solution.

time spent

The following chart illustrates the average weekly amount of time spent interacting with media.

process

Depending on my understanding or lack of knowledge of the subject being executed for every project, my process is relatively the same with minor modifications. For the Prologue Jazz CD my process started out as follows:

Research (lack of knowledge on Jazz)

Movies
- KANSAS CITY
- Louis Armstrong: Satchmo
- Bird

Music
- Big Band - Various Artists
- Birth Of The Cool - Miles Davis
- Essential - Charlie Parker
- Jam Session - Charlie Parker

Artist
- Steven Johnson
- E.J. Gold
- Leith O’Malley
- Justin Bua

Sketches
- Filtering idea’s out of my head onto paper
- Organizing and combining thoughts and elements

Break

Sketches
- Review
- Modifications

Illustrator/Photoshop
- Development of first ideas

Break

Illustrator/Photoshop
- Review
- Modifications and cleaning

undeclared

Extrovert walking out of a four year, blind-sighted haze. Learning life lessons through exploration, curiousity, successes and failures. Loosing myself in a mindlessly repetitive occupation, as I was falsely led to believe that it was to be my life’s vocation. Introverting and conforming loosing the passions I once loved. Unwilling to settle, I was always dreaming and suffering from a need demanding change.

Who Am I?

Right now I am a student observing, listening, practicing, exploring, and reading. Retaining as many messages my mind will allow me to store. Getting over many of life’s lessons that have made me nervous, shy and quiet. Looking to continuously grow and develop without losing my love for learning, design and exploration.

As a designer I am still unsure what my main focus will be. The world of design offers many different opportunities and possibilities to venture. As design students we have only begun uncovering a small vessel as to what design is, can be, and its influence. My dream would be to have the opportunity to work on as many different forms of design as possible. And to never get gripped by a certain style or trend; but to continuously evolve and mature, keeping my eyes open to what is possible.

Answering the question ‘who I am?’ is yet to be determined for each day I think differently, for each day I learn something new, for each day I am developing into who I am still becoming.

design is

Design is everywhere and in everything that has been made, changed or altered by civilization. It has been manipulated to serve a purpose and functions in many different ways such as mass communication, urban development, engineering, self-expression and personal fulfillment. It has been helping business cultures such as hospitals and airports make their environment easy to navigate. It’s what made personal online banking possible, why Pamela Anderson has become a Canadian/World Icon and the reasoning why you purchased your latest ipod. Coming up with a single definition as to what design is has been a grueling process, for the single word in itself incorporates almost everything we interact and communicate with on a daily basis.

I’m looking forward to the development of what I believe design is over the next fourteen-week period. I believe as a designer the exploration as to what design is and what design can be, can open us to a world we have never thought or explored before. These different avenues I believe will have a profound impact in the way we think, develop and question the way we approach, interact and view design and its functionality.