Blog Post 9

Once again I was not wide awake and just mildly interested about attending class on Monday. Sadly I’m still getting over a cold and rest is something I desperately need… Monday’s class literally gave us all a different perspective because we sat facing the window rather than the front of the class. The sunlight was reflecting garishly on the Fine Arts building, causing me to squint for quite some time, but I will admit that I had a very different perspective that day.

Jimmy advised us to go down later during the day to view the undergraduate art show and I was ecstatic that I actually had some time to view the artwork. So far the undergraduate art show has not disappointed me. I am always fascinated to see what my peers are doing and attending the show is a great source of inspiration for me. I was also surprised to see something I did in the show. Never in a million years would I have thought something of mine will be displayed in the Fine Arts Gallery.

Later in class, we discussed games, the basic elements of a game, and what our favorite game is. The first part of the discussion dealt with Monopoly and it was such a coincidence that I watched a hilarious movie trailer about Monopoly on Sunday. I never really liked Monopoly and I would always get frustrated when I would play that board game. One would think the computer version of Monopoly would be easier, but no—I swear the computer cheats! I spent a great deal of my life stressing over that game, and I definitely would not like to relive those days.

After, we went over our collected images of the Seven Deadly Sins and I was surprised at how simple some of the images were. I tried linking and connecting things together (i.e. wrath, anger, “feel my wrath,” fights, war, revenge, bombing of Pearl Harbor) where as some people found images that were really concise. I do think that if I spent more time on the project I would have found some better images, but that’s the price I pay for being lazy.

I’m going to try and be rid of procrastination. I am fed up with my laziness and am going to accomplish things on time without reverting to my old ways. Join my fight against procrastination and together we can get things done! (Starting tomorrow…)

Reading 5

Was anyone else a little freaked out by the faces that were used to describe how our creativity and conceptualization process work…?

To be perfectly honest, I am beginning to find this book a little boring. Yes, it is interesting to learn how we work as humans and understand how our creative process should work, but something inside me is not being ecstatic about the new material presented. I am not engaged and nothing in this reading is enticing me to go on and learn more about what is being said (at least in the beginning of this chapter that is). The images are probably the only thing I have been looking forward to since reading this book. A lot of things are getting monotonous and repetitive. I want to be enthusiastic about the material, but it’s just not happening…

I did find something pretty insane when I was reading the section about brainstorming. When the author stated he had the “hardest time putting anything in [his] sketchbooks because [he] felt that everything had to be perfect and artistic,” I got the chills because that is exactly why I have not drawn in my sketchbook for quite some time. I know I am a much better artist when it comes to traditional work rather than digital media and I have always been ashamed whenever I can’t draw something spectacular. I constantly work and draw to make myself better, but I end up tossing most of my artwork because it’s not the best thing in the world. Perhaps I’m being too critical on myself, but now I know I should probably keep these random sketches and ideas in sketchbooks.

Even though I have been criticizing this book for repeating things that I already know, I must admit that I am getting some new things out of it (side note: contradicted myself here). For example, the do’s and don’ts section of “Presenting Concepts” was actually really helpful. It provided some advice that was useful, however, most of the topics covered I have already learned and sadly neglected to absorb in my process of presenting ideas. I will try to use them effectively, though.

The guest perspective at the end was quite intimidating for me. It made me worry about what career options will be open for me after graduation and if it is necessary for me to continue on to a graduate school. Things were different back in the past and everyday things are changing. Will there still be opportunities for us in the future and will it be possible for us to make a successful living as new designers? The uncertainty is killing me; let’s just hope for the best! Always think positive and best of luck to you with your future career!

Blog Post 8

Wednesday’s class was about storytelling with just three pictures and I was nasally congested while trying to fight off an awful sore throat (which I still have in case you were wondering). We initially set up the room to display everyone’s images and determined which three images alone told a really good story. Although I misinterpreted the instructions, yet again, I have learned a life lesson to actually read and analyze instructions before actually executing a task.

The bulk of the class primarily consisted of analyzing the pictures together and figuring out the storylines between each set. After doing a brief exercise and going through ways as to better a story, we watched a video of John Maeda and his take on the simplicity of things. I found his talk to be very entertaining, but the speed at which he talked confused me just a little bit. The way he was able to describe where his inspiration comes in a very precise and quick manner was amazing. It inspires me to become a better speaker, think about things, and plans things ahead of time to become a better designer.

What really makes things simple? Simplicity is defined as the state of being simple (i.e. the state of easily understanding a topic or something that is not extremely complex). I feel that simplicity ranges from person to person, however. Just like the state of beauty, one might see an object as simple whereas another sees it as complex. The way one perceives an object to be simple is left to interpretation, and it is important that we have different perspectives to widen our thought process.

Blog Post 7

Monday’s class really took a lot out of me and drained me completely. Maybe I was more tired than usual because of the fact that it was a Monday, but in either case, I was exhausted. Perhaps getting up just 15 minutes earlier and making some coffee in the morning will be a good thing? I would much rather fancy 15 more minutes in bed than getting up to make some coffee, however, particularly because I don’t drink coffee on a daily basis…

Our morning started off with the entire class rearranging ourselves by birthdays. Although I had a feeling that we all did a good job with organizing ourselves by birthdays, I felt as if I lacked confidence in agreeing with others when asked if we were in the right order. I think I need to trust others a little bit more and break out of my comfort zone to take chances and make mistakes since, after all, mistakes are magnificent life lessons. Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge and hesitation is the product of fear.

After rearranging ourselves, we promptly moved on to the exercise of the class which was working with a small group of people to create a story with found objects. Although I found this project to be kind of difficult, I was actually surprised as to what kind of ideas my group came up with and how other groups told and presented their story. I feel that presentation is everything and one can say a bunch of nonsense if he/she speaks extremely well to captivate his/her audience together.

After storytelling, we went over our homework assignment and it wasn’t until after I viewed everyone else’s work I realized I went completely off topic and started finding pictures that described my short phrase, not really changing its meaning. Probably listening to instructions and analyzing its meaning before actually executing a task will be the best thing to do from now on. It was common sense, but I took it to a whole other field (thank you, procrastination). 

I personally think that my enemy right now is procrastination. I’m trying to succumb from its evil ways, but I have had no such luck so far. Any suggestions about how to avoid procrastination is greatly appreciated!

Reading 4

I know this may be a little irrelevant to my response regarding the reading of Section 2, but has anyone else notice that a few of the images used in the reading involve hot air balloons? I have nothing against them, but I was wondering if anyone else observed this phenomenon. I don’t think I missed anything in the reading regarding their use (if I did, please let me know), but their existence in the book makes me think about where the author is going with them. Are they being used as metaphors to help us become better designers, or could they possibly be sending some sort of subliminal message? I point this out because it’s a design aspect of the author and I am curious to know as to why hot air balloons are the chosen object to represent a few ideas in this book. Why not an airplane or a kite? Would something else be appropriate in place of this hot air balloon?

Moving on, I never really knew that there was a term which defines the necessary aspects of how something functions (i.e. inherent constraints and imposed constraints). I did, however, know designers followed some sort of constraints, but it was not until now I discovered there are actually terms to define parts of the designing process. Each portion of the book which talked about the different types of constraints gave me more knowledge about what things should be taken into consideration when designing.

I especially found the section about time management extremely useful. I have to admit that my time management skills are okay, not the best in the world, but it will do. For me, dealing with a busy schedule requires me to sacrifice a lot of time whenever I am free. The downside to this is most of my free time involves sleeping or resting, so my body has miraculously adapted to functioning on less than 5 hours of sleep a day (I honestly have no idea how I do it sometimes). Budgeting my time a little better, working with a set schedule, and maybe planning ahead more will probably give me some additional time to rest. I will take some of the advice mentioned in this book and see if any of the provided material will be valuable.

When I read the section about sustainability, I was quite shocked that it talked about current designers’ efforts to go “green.” The very brief lecture about the environment made me think twice about some of the things that I do on a daily basis and how I can step up to make the environment cleaner, “greener,” and more efficient. Frankly, I am really not used to reading textbooks that are current and new, and I found this to be a very pleasant shock since it also provided ways on how we can eliminate some of our resources for a better tomorrow.

I felt that the guest perspective by Brower Hatcher was a little boring. Although I do not disapprove of some of his aspects on designing and his thought process, and I definitely respect him as an artist, I found the way he presented his advice and philosophy about his career mildly interesting. After a while of reading advice and taking it in from so many other artists, designers, and critics, everything is beginning to mold together. Most of the advice I’m receiving is repetitive, and even though I know repetition is the key to learning, I want to be able to learn something I have not learned yet. I have read much better perspectives than Hatcher’s, and I feel he didn’t entice me. I am curious to learn more about what is out there and not what already exists. A new perspective on things is what enthralls me at the moment and I want to explore new things, not something that has already been discovered! Aren’t you curious as well?

Blog Post 6

Wednesday’s class was a little slow for me. Although I found the critiques we did to be very entertaining and somewhat useful, I felt that I didn’t receive much out of it (partly because standing for a while makes me lose concentration and focus). There were a few projects that I found very interesting and there were others that kind of confused me and made me think really hard. Trying to find the connection between a picture with one word or short phrase is actually more of a challenge that it sounds. Being able to get into the mind of a designer and understanding what he/she was thinking without him/her telling me what the connection is behind his/her work is a complex task—a little fun, but still difficult since everyone thinks differently.

Being able to see how others process their work and come out with something extremely different from my perspective is fascinating. Perhaps the one thing I got out from this class so far is being able to see how others work because it inspires me to open up my thought process and learn more about design. When we are narrow-minded, we are restricted to our own thoughts and perspective, and are ambiguous to other creative ideas. It’s best that we break out of our comfort zone and try something new to gain more inspiration and become better designers.

The second half of the class involved observing other design ads. I have seen a few of them before and all of them are witty, clever, and get their message across. Some may be better than others, but all in all they are very nice designs. The bulk of this session focused on the Band-Aid ad which I thought was humorous and still got its message across. I have seen this ad before, and I have always wondered what went through the designer’s mind when he/she came up with this design and how long it actually took this person to design it.

My creative thought process is subpar and it takes me a LONG time before I actually hit a great idea. I have tried various processes to get my brain moving and discover new ideas, but on very rare occasions will I ever find the best one. Yes, I have found good ideas during my thought process, but not yet have I discovered one that I can deem the best. Perhaps my standards are too high, but I am my toughest critic. I have not yet met my standards and I am determined to push myself until I succeed. Will I meet them this quarter? Not likely, but we’ll see!

Blog Post 5

It’s the beginning of the third week and I am already wishing it was the tenth week. Going to class from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday while also putting in 20+ working hours a week is extremely tiring, but there is no room for complaining. As Elizabeth Gilbert said, “Just do your job.” It is my job to be a student and get a good education, and in order to do so I must push myself until I reach my goal. 

Monday’s class started off with a talk about the Disney Corporation. I am an avid fan of Disney and I am always interested in the thoughts of what people have about them. I have heard tons of remarks about how they are fake and “plastic,” but they are doing something right to still be a successful company. Yes, Disney has a different way of presenting ideas via films, television shows, merchandise, theme parks, and much more, but being different and standing out is what draws people’s attention. Disney has very strict, military-like, guidelines for their employees and it shows a great deal of professionalism to other employers. If you, the reader, are interested in learning more about what the guidelines are, as well as “untold” Disney secrets and stories, Mouse Tales by David Koenig provides an excellent behind the scenes look of the company through the stories of former cast members of the Disney Parks.

As a class, we discussed what the elements of a good story are and broke into pieces what a good story should have. We came to a census that a story should have a beginning, middle, and end, characters (protagonist and antagonist), setting, plot, and other descriptive terms. We also talked about how key aspects of a narrative are tied together in a linear action.

The films we watched in class were very inspiring and, like the other classes, made me view things in a different perspective. I have read a few books by Amy Tan and I have not yet been disappointed. I found parts of her presentation to be quite hilarious and I definitely related to some of the things that she brought up (i.e. how she was supposed to be a doctor, but ended up becoming a writer). She also made me think about things in a new way. For example, I never really thought about how everything in life, including accidents, occurs for a reason. Tan’s theory about how uncertainty is a good thing provided me with a different perspective on life and it inspires me to always try and seek out answers for every question I have.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s presentation also provided some excellent advice which will probably stay with me for quite some time. Her suggestion to us about not being afraid and just continuing on with our job made me think about how we sometimes avoid things. Why do we avoid doing certain tasks? What is the reason why we avoid things? Fear is the main reason—we are afraid of failure. We never really know the outcome of something unless we try. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. When in doubt, attempt something.

I learned a lot in this class and from now on I won’t be a complainer. If I dislike something, I’m just going to deal with it. Like the Nike states, “just do it.”  

Reading 3

This section of reading was, as the title states, inspirational. I learned more about the world of design and the thought process that should be taken into consideration when brainstorming new ideas. Although some of the techniques mentioned in the beginning of the reading are techniques I have overlooked before, reading about it in further detail brought out a different perspective. It’s as if one watched a movie and discovered new things the second time around. My advice to you, the reader, is to always try things more than once!

Reading about these techniques I have learned about before made me think differently. “What if I were to change the area at which I work?  What if I do not set up time for me to discover new ideas? What if…” The possibilities are endless. I find it amazing how with creative thinking, and by doing something a little differently, can make us think outside of the box and get us out of using tunnel vision.

Yeohlee Teng’s perspective about the design/fashion industry was very insightful and made me want to get out some paper and jot down ideas. Everyone thinks differently, but her perspective could have provided just a little bit more advice about how we should brainstorm ideas and elaborate more on her method of designing. All in all, it was still a very nice perspective, and I did benefit from it.

Once again, I have heard numerous times about the exercises towards the end of the reading, but I never really understand them until after reading this section. Everything can be a source of inspiration and we should not judge the thought process of certain designers. Everyone thinks differently and if the end product of a design looks nice, don’t question the awkwardness of a designer’s thought process. Learning new things is a process of endurance and experience. The more experience one gains, the better prepared they are for future tasks. As I said before, determination is important and having plenty of it will only make one stronger.

Blog Post 4

Wednesday’s class was rather interesting—mostly because of the short clip we watched of Scott McCloud. I will admit that I am not a diehard fan of McCloud, but he is a very interesting person full of knowledge. It would be nice to attend one of his presentations because just by watching this first presentation, I want to see more. The way he uses comedy and leads his audience through his presentation was amazing and still managed to keep my attention. This is the only presentation by him I saw, and for me to say that I want to see more means he did an excellent job because presentations are not my cup of tea.

In the beginning of the class, we went over mind mapping which is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, and tasks. Mind mapping encourages brainstorming to plan and organize tasks. The easiest path for a fresh idea is through an open mind because it is a way to incubate ideas. Having an open mind enables good ideas to get stuff through. I was actually surprised that I understood the entire process of mind mapping.

I have made a few mind maps before, but I never really understood the point of them because they would be linked to some sort of Old English literature or a form of history which just threw me into a confused dimension of words and phrases. Because it was broken down and analyzed piece by piece Wednesday, I was able to grasp the idea and use my creative thoughts to effectively produce a mind map for our exercise of the day.

I found that using this method of brainstorming ideas is something that will be worthwhile and a process that I will be using again sometime in the future. I did enjoy the exercise we did on Wednesday and for once I am actually excited to start my homework.

Reading 2

Just by reading the introduction of the book, my mind has been blown away. Although I already knew a few things that the author was mentioning (i.e. everything being an aspect of design), there was so much more that I did not know about the field. For example, the explanation about the design process was really interesting. I never knew reading something from a different person’s perspective could really pieces things together.

I find it rather interesting that the book strays away from the design process and shows how ideas we have can be brought into a different world, organized in a unique original form, and yet still keep its meaning. We are defined as problem solvers and decision makers as opposed to just designers. I really do appreciate the fact that the author explains more about the field of design and how we should perceive it because it will only benefit us in the end.

The map about how we will pursue our design journey was also very interesting. Reading the source material in a different, creative form kept my attention and it inspired me to try and identify the parts of this “journey” in my own career. I feel if more text books were organized in a way that used understandable metaphors and examples I would easily grasp the subject matter and have less trouble deciphering the meaning (yes, some may disagree with me, but I need to have things broken down and explained to me very clearly before I can understand anything).

All of the exercises provided were fascinating and it inspires me to try them all. I am not quite sure I understand reverse designing, however, but all of the other projects are very useful and I appreciate the guidelines provided at the end of the reading. I feel that just reading this material has made me into a better designer when it comes to brainstorming ideas, and I anticipate reading the rest of the book.

Blog Post 3

I am trying as hard as I can to appreciate the material I am learning from this class, and trying to get into the work as well, but I think I need more practice. I have learned a lot in the past few classes and the things I learned will be useful material for me in the future. We primarily covered perspective in the early portion of the class and it brought forth some interesting facts that should not be overlooked.

Everyone has an interesting perspective. As designers, we should be able to use our life experiences as source material. Everything we do goes into a mixture of thoughts, subconscious mind, conscience, and we are in charge of everything. We should focus ourselves and concentrate on how we do things rather than finding things to do. Success is defined differently among people, but a contribution from oneself is necessary.

The in-class exercise that involved everyone was very interesting and it made me realize that effective communication is extremely important. If one’s voice is not heard, a good idea or contribution may derail the success of a project, or the project may suffer because it lacks a different perspective. Participation is necessary, and the only way to get better with communication is to practice.

Even though I did not attend the guest speaker event on Friday, I did learn a few things from my classmates, most importantly, we learned six points that will make us better designers. First off, we must tell our clients what they need, meaning we should  tell our clients why something works as opposed to them saying why they dislike our choice in style for something due to personal preference. Next, we must make our own work since clients are looking for our piece of mind in our work as well as originality.

We must do a lot with little, shut up and listen, and make things better. As designers we must learn to effectively communicate our designs to a wide spread audience. In doing so, we must listen for constructive criticism and feedback as well as enhancing things that we already see as successful. All things that we see are great can be better, which brings me to the last point, be curious and never satisfied.

We should never accept our first ideas and continue brainstorming until it is better. Determination shapes our ambition and we must learn to have both.  Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

Reading 1: Cover-XVIII Response

Before I move on to my response to the reading, I would like to say I am not a fan of people with a conceited, egotistical attitude. I despise those that arrogantly flaunt their pompous nature to everyone and are aware of it. I bring this up because the author’s preface reminded me of my pet peeve. Personally, I choose not to read an author’s prefaces and introductory notes until after I read his/her work because I see it as a form of bias. I do not want to give an author sympathy based on what he/she tells me until after I read the material.

Even though this is strictly my opinion, I found that the preface and explanation about how the book was organized was okay and up to par. I have read better prefaces which tied meaning to an author’s intention as to why he/she wrote the book, but because I did not read the material beforehand, I cannot say much. The clear explanation as to why and how this book was made gave me a better insight and I am intrigued to see what else the author will be providing in his book.

I did appreciate how the author explained each section of the book and explained what was important in each section. I do hope that this explanation will let me better understand the material he provides. I also do wish that other text books provided thorough explanations about the content material…

The layout of this textbook is very nice, however. The clean sophistication of the layout is very pleasing to the eye and there are not too many images that do not over power the text. I am amazed with the layout and I love the use of color that is incorporated throughout the book. Overall, I am excited to read more and see what else the author has to offer.

Blog Post 2

Although I was not expecting to learn much on the second day, I actually learned quite a bit. The material covered jumped from how a webpage works to seeing things in a different perspective. I am still getting the hang of understanding concept development, but I am excited to learn more about the field and soon apply the things that I learn to daily practices.

Before going any further, what defines concept development? I see it as a process of analysis—a way of generating ideas for a project. Analytical perception is a key role in leading a successful career. Asking open minded questions and never restricting ourselves leaves us endless possibilities. Relating this topic to class on Wednesday, we asked ourselves numerous “what if” questions and everyone made me think in a different way. It connected me with how others think and how I am very limited by restricting myself to my own individual analysis of topics.

At the end of class, I kept asking myself “what if” questions because of curiosity. What if we could travel back in time? What if we could fly? What if I didn’t take this class? The importance of the exercise finally hit me. Critical analysis leads us to a world of endless possibilities which in return allows us to develop amazing designs. Thinking outside of the box is crucial for success.

Having a different perspective on things exudes strong, powerful messages. Towards the end of the class, we viewed images that gave powerful messages. The images made me realize every message can be perceived in a different way, but it takes critical analysis to pin point the accurate portrayal of the message. The exercises we have been doing in this class have been very helpful so far and I believe they are benefitting me in my process of concept development.

Yes, I am still having second thoughts about this class, but at this point I am going to force myself to enjoy every moment of it since its benefits outweigh the cost. As Lance Armstrong once said, “Pain is temporary; quitting is forever.”