Through the Looking Glass

In the second Contemporary Design Culture class we were tasked with opening our minds and to expand our perceptions. In a series of documentaries and videos we were shown that the world are full of small details and shown the importance of the singularity of everything. We were told to take the time to be really aware and see the small things for what they are and to try to get to a place where we can design with absolute abandonment. It is easy to tell someone to get back to how fluidly a child can think but actually doing all this is much harder than talking about it. We got direction on how to think more creatively and do things a bit differently and take the risks with our designs. One way that they showed us how to do this was by looking at Sister Corita Kent’s' 10 rules for teachers, students and life. The main things that I took from the rules was to experience life more and as often as I can. Another thing I took form the 10 rules was that creating ideas and analysis of said ideas are separate things and should be treated differently and be done at different times of the creative process.

We were told that everyone has a unique perspective on the world because of the different experiences and the different childhoods and even the fact that we were raised in different counties and even different countries. I think that it is good to be reminded every once in a while that we are all unique because people forget that all the time and expects for other people to be on the same wavelength as you. Which led to the question "What inspires you?" Thinking about it now a few things that was bouncing ideas off of friends, making or looking at art, listening to music or hobbies that I love doing. I think the more things that inspire a person the more divergent thinking a person does which is good for product designers. It is good for product designers as thinking divergently helps in designing and creatively with absolute abandonment.

We did a few exercises to give us inspiration. One of the techniques of guided mastery was called forced perspective. It consists of tearing an inch by inch hole in a piece of paper and we had to look through it and take pictures of what we saw. It was uncomfortable at first as people gave me funny looks but once I got over it I started to make connections in things that might not be that obvious. I wanted to notice things that I take for granted and to get in the right environment to create.

Armed with all of this creative thinking I went on a trip to London and was opened up to an entirely different world. The streets, atmosphere, street performers, architecture, public transport and even the cocktails were completely different. The feeling of pure aw and the possibility of anything happening never left my system and I still have remnants of it.

As I get further and further into this course I notice more things around me. I still don't know if that is a blessing or a curse. This week’s class made me see that it is a blessing after all.