Attributes

The following are five positive characteristics that describe my contribution in a group setting:
1. Co-operative
2. Analytical
3. Hard-working
4. Creative
5. Intelligent

The following are negative characteristics that sometimes apply to me in a group setting:
1. Unmotivated
2. Rigid
3. Aloof
4. Disorganized
5. Defensive

Influence

My family is the greatest influence in my life. As the youngest child of three, I not only had two hard-working parents to look up to, but two hard-working older brothers, as well. Though my parents have not always understood my decision to study design over a more academic field, they have always remained supportive and enthusiastic. They only ever expected me to try my best and to be a good person. My parents taught me the importance of dedication and integrity, goals and perseverance. Their belief in me, even though they're genetically programmed to have it, helps when it comes to believing in myself. My brothers have always tried to set good examples for me by being responsible, compassionate people.

"What a mother sings to the cradle goes all the way down to the coffin." -Henry Ward Beecher

There have also been significant teachers over the years that have left an impact on me, moved me and opened my mind to new ways of thinking. Everyone in my life has influenced me in some way, however large or small the influence may be and whether they know it or not. I think everybody can teach you something and knowledge can never be useless.

I also find many of my influences come from things, rather than people- books, poetry, music, art & design, movies, styles, etc.

Words I Live By

Imagine success
If you're going to dream, dream big. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't or won't or shouldn't. Picture the you that you want to become. Envision the world that you wish to live in. Talent and drive will get you nowhere if you have not mentally rehearsed your success.

Persist
Think about what you want out of this life- give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it. Do not allow anything to hinder you.

Recognize your potential
There is stunning clarity in realizing the vastness of your potential. Every individual has the potential to manifest brilliance; to make a mark that is anything but disputable on the world.

Be your own best friend
Wherever life brings you, you will have the comfort and company of the person you know best. Get to know yourself; becoming certain of who you are only makes you stronger.

Read
Reading makes you smart. I'm not joking. Not only will you gain a vocabulary, you will open your imagination to a place where things are infinitely possible. "If you believe what you read in literature, you can…believe anything."

Change is not a choice
It is inevitable.

Tomorrow is another day
Tomorrow is always a new beginning. It is a fresh start, another chance. New mornings, new ideas, another sunrise.

Think
Isn't the point of an education to learn to think for yourself? Do not believe everything you see, do not listen to everything you hear. Form your own ideas and your own opinions. Use the organ between your ears to decide things for yourself. "Rule your mind or it will rule you."

Be courageous
Courage=freedom. If you are courageous, brave enough to believe completely in yourself, nothing can break you. And you will find yourself free to be you and to do you however you choose.

Living for the moment might be the meaning of life
Every day that you take for granted, you are losing something you can never get back. Who knows what that day could have given you? Who knows what you could have given that day?

20 Words

Below is a list of words relative to my theory on design:

Communication
Creativity
Process
Exploration
Strategy
Criticality
Imagination
Experience
Inspiration
Possibility
Problem-solving
Culture
Evaluation
Discovery
Questioning
Function
Media
Objective
Concept
Impact
Solution

Design is (revisited)

In order for design to have an effect on its audience, an informed individual with a powerful imagination is essential. A foundation in critical thinking is also necessary, as ideas are generated by creativity but evaluated by criticality. Because while it is an emotional instinct that tells you you like or dislike something, it is an intellectual ability to determine what is strong and what is weak, why something works or does not work. I believe the time spent thinking about what is being created is just as, if not more important, than the act of creating itself.

The combination of the creative and critical thinking that is imperative to designing leads to my statement on design, reflecting both my personal style and personal interpretation of design itself:

Design comes from the creativity of a critical mind.

Design is what?

Design is a process and practice that requires creative, yet critical thinking to effectively communicate a desired message.



The simplest questions are the hardest to answer.

Media Consumption

The following is a breakdown of my media and technology usage in an average school week. This evaluation required me to observe and record my reliance on technology and the heavy influence of the media in my personal and professional life.


READING
books: 5 hours
news: 3 hours (approx. 30 minutes daily)
magazines: 4 hours

LISTENING TO
net radio: 0 hours
traditional radio: 7 hours
iTunes: 25 hours
CD: 2 hours

WATCHING
television: 8 hours
movies: 4 hours

SENDING
text messages: 100+
e-mails: 7
calls: 3 hours

RECEIVING
text messages: 100+
e-mails: 6

INTERNET FOR
social media (msn, facebook): 15 hours
surfing: 12 hours

PLAYING
video games (system): 0 hours
online/computer games: 0 hours


Both technology and the media are very apparent in my everyday life, as the majority of the time analysed was spent using the computer and cellphone. I'm not surprised by my findings, as I love technology and know it's something I am accustomed to living with.

The Process

With every new project we're handed, I immediately feel a range of emotions towards it–excitement, yet intimidation, eagerness, yet hesitance to tackle it. My first ideas come to me during the first discussion of the project. This includes words, symbols, visuals and moods relative to the subject. I tend to leave the project at the back of my mind for a few days to allow for random inspiration or thoughts that may come my way.

Following this original thinking, I returned to the project, the Humber Jazz Studio Ensemble CD, needing to understand it as thoroughly as possible. I reviewed all the information given to us, organized the necessary elements in one location and began to research, research, research! I researched the meaning of the word 'prologue' (the title of the album) in relation to music and Jazz as well as its meaning in literature, drama, etc. to fully comprehend it. My research sparked brainstorming about appropriate visuals for 'prologue' which proved fairly difficult at first. My research also included other album covers, both personally owned and online, the Jazz music genre and the Humber Music program itself.

When I felt I had a strong grasp on the theme of the album, I began to sketch thumbnails on paper. I always sketch out every idea that comes to mind, horrible or not, as it helps to distinguish between the strong and weak concepts. From my thumbnails, I selected a few ideas that I felt had potential to be developed further and moved to the Macbook. Here, I am faced with a world of distractions–Facebook, MSN, Weeds, music, surfing and so on. My procrastination can take over for hours on end, until I find the motivation to focus on this one thing. I explored different ideas on my computer, until I found the one that worked best when executed. Once I had a concept and design direction to follow, the rest fell in to place with much time and stress over the typesetting and image placement. And music playing. Always music.

How do I create?

In Week Two of GDES 440, we viewed a TED video featuring Ken Robinson. He discussed creativity as it stands in the education system today. I found myself relating with many points he made about creativity and the imagination–its richness and infinite possibility. Robinson mentioned that the human imagination was a gift and should be treated as such; that human capacity exceeds what our education system allows us to believe. While I don't agree that school suffocates creativity, I am aware of the pressure to pursue what is perceived to be a noble career in the maths or sciences. I can relate with students who are told that being a writer, musician or an artist will not lead them on a prosperous path. Personally, my creativity had the chance to grow and develop in secondary school.

I think I have the insight to understand the necessity and nature of creativity in all aspects of human life, academic or not. I can see how everything around me that functions or stands on its own required a creative mind. I think true creativity is the unknown. It's the courage to travel into the unknown and leave behind the things that you easily identify with; the things that are comfortable. If you have the courage to delve into that realm, into the dimensions of your imagination, you can emerge with something brilliant. I am constantly collecting inspiration. It can come from anywhere. The more I see, know and experience provides me with more and more inspiration and resources, and things I can relate with.

Of the suggestions discussed from the 100 Habits list, 'you are what you eat' stood out to me the most. Who we are is defined by what we consume in our environments, by what surrounds us. Our knowledge and creative ability reaches only as far as we reach. Being hungry for knowledge only allows me to design better, to write better, to understand society and cultures better, to be a better person. Being educated allows me the privilege of forming legitimate opinions and the ability to create and use my creativity purposefully. The more I learn, the more my imagination becomes limitless. For example, the first novel I ever read resulted in an uncritical reaction–an emotional response, as I had nothing to compare it to except my own life experiences. My response was confined and isolated to my own little world.

In the context of creativity, I am a developing individual with a lot to learn about trusting my intuition and appreciating ideas, however small or large.

What is design?

Defining a topic as broad as design is not easy. Thus, the 15-week exploration of all things design in this blog. I find most explanations of design are either too vague to be meaningful or are too generalized to cover everything that it encompasses. I chose to study graphic design when I began to realize the effects that design, advertising and the media have on people and cultures internationally. It is an industry with so much potential for success, power and change, as communication technology continues to be an integral part of Western civilization. Design often reflects the social, political and economical norms or issues of the time and impacts our lives on a greater scale than most realize. It surrounds us, influences us, persuades us, informs us, reminds us and asks us to ask important questions.

Because design is a practice rather than an art, good design requires a creative, yet critical mind. Similar to design, creativity is not a miracle. It is fostered, nurtured, and developed from a foundation of ideas, inspiration and previous experiences. A designer's imagination is a vital part of the design process, as concepts that work and satisfy a need must also be unique and compelling. Design is not about impulses or a designer's emotions; it is a problem-solving business. It is about understanding human nature, behaviour and desires both in a client and your target. It is fundamental, conceptual and should serve a purpose or communicate a message. The designer's role is to be objective and create a solution to a design problem that is the most effective and simple way of doing so.

As I try to completely wrap my head around the design industry over the next 15 weeks, I will hopefully be able to better answer the question, 'What is design?' in a way that is significant and specific to my personal journey and design style.