In my Form, Space, and Order class I have been given an assignment on "Design Philosophy". I'm so ecstatic that the class is not solely focused on the strict side of design with all of the rules and regulations. Instead, we are truly getting to know ourselves better than we had ever imagined. Discovering what our design philosophy is will be a journey in itself. A journey that I am more than prepared to take. And the best part about finding who you are is...you always find something new. It is a never-ending journey that never gets boring. So, here's goes nothing.
OpenmindDesign by Paula Cuevas
Part 1: Word Association
We were asked to list 25 words describing ourselves and our relationship with our caregiver, which in my case includes my mother and father. Here's my list:
Balanced Open Goofy Passionate Motivating
Joyful Protected Grounded Outgoing Cozy
Easy going Inspiring Uplifting Driven Caring
Spiritual Chaotic Dramatic Conservative Intelligent
Warm Organized Reasonable Artistic Bright
We were also asked to list 25 words that describe what design means to us. Here's my list:
Functional Efficient Sustainable Timeless Smart
Revolutionary Influential Elegant Extravagant Appropriate
Everlasting Universal Fun Provocative Organized
Unique Flexible Sophisticated Different Approachable
Comfortable Resourceful Lived in Innovative Attention grabbing
The final list we were asked to make was one of our top 5 goals in life. Here are mine:
1. Be able to pay for my parents to go on vacation wherever and whenever they want.
2. Travel the world myself and absorb all the various cultures in order to enhance my design style.
3. Become a successful interior designer for commercial spaces such as hotels, restaurants, clubs, etc.
4. Graduate from Savannah College of Art and Design.
5. Begin an internship by the end of 2012.
After completing the first part of the assignment I realized a lot about myself that I had never truly thought about. For instance, I find family much more important than I used to believe. I also feel that my relationship with my parents is something that I may have taken for granted in the past. And I also realized that successful design, in my eyes, is something that should transcend the generations and live on forever. I truly enjoyed completing this assignment.
Part 2: Reflection
For this section of the assignment we were given several questions to answer. These questions would, in turn, give us answers concerning where we are coming from and what we truly search for in this world.
Why did I choose this professional path?
When I think back to what first made me want to go into the building arts, I tend to reminisce about several childhood memories. The most prominent memory I have is my father telling me he would build me a club house or tree house. As soon as he spoke those words, my eyes shone with excitement and ideas of what I wanted in my own space began to bombard my brain. I wanted the windows on this side, the door to swing that way, I wanted the outside to be blue (that is my favorite color so it made sense back then), I wanted shelves on the wall in a certain way for all my toys, the list went on and on. I would draw out my ideas in great detail. First the whole club house, then each room individually, then each wall of each room individually. I had to be sure it was right. However, my ideas never came to life. No. Instead, they sat in my idea book for years on end. I can admit that not ever seeing my ideas become reality was quite devastating for me at that age, but it motivated me to make sure that all my other ideas would come to life. And that is exactly why I decided to make interior design my career choice.
Do I see myself as an artist?
In simplest terms, yes. I do believe that I am an artist. An artist is someone who is capable of observing the world around them, interpreting it in a different way than most do, and creating something totally unexpected. That's exactly what an interior designer such as myself would do. I watch the world around me, how people interact with each other and how they interact with the spaces they spend a lot of time in. Then, I think about how the space could be improved, or what new concept could be used in it. Finally, I would execute an original idea. Another aspect that's necessary for someone to be called an artist, is passion. As long as someone is truly passionate about what they do, they can be considered an artist in their field. And I definitely have a great amount of passion for interior design.
What is the message that I want to give the world?
The overall message that I want to give to the world is that the best ideas and the most memorable ones, come from those who have an open mind. You have to be able to see the world and your surroundings from a different perspective than what would be expected. If we continue to look at the world the way that we do now...how will we ever find change and improvement? We can't unless we begin to open up our minds and really take full advantage of the diversity surrounding us.
What answers do I seek?
The answers that I want to seek out of life vary. I want to know more about myself, such as what truly interests me, what motivates me, and what my true style is. Although I hope to find these answers soon, I am fully aware that they may continue to change throughout my lifetime and I will continuously learn more and more about myself. I also want to know why the world is the way it is. Why are people so closed minded? Why are people so stuck in their ways? And why do people look down on certain cultures just because it isn't their own? However, those are answers that I may possibly never find.
Will this studio be an opportunity to further explore my personal questions?
I do feel like this studio will help me answer some of my personal questions. It has already opened my eyes to several aspects of myself that I was not aware of before this quarter. Hopefully, I can continue to thrive off of the assignments and really reflect on them. So, I do not plan on simply going through this course as a robot. I do not plan on simply doing what I am told. Instead, I plan on thinking past what the assignment requirements are and deeper into what the assignments mean. And thinking about how I could create a true connection between me and my projects.
Part 3 & 4: Collage & Design Philosophy
My Personal Design Philosophy
My philosophy at this point in my life revolves around the idea of balance, nature, and unity. These past few weeks have given me a large amount of insight into how I view the world. I had not realized, until now, that my life experiences have affected the way I look at design. Throughout life I have been through difficulties and sad moments, but there was always a uplifting moment and cherished memories that balanced everything out. And now that I look back on all of it I see that without the negative aspects, I wouldn’t have truly appreciated all of the good that has come my way. When thinking in design terms, balance can simply mean an aesthetic mixture of organic forms with geometric forms to create something beautiful. I also am a strong believer in the power of nature. Mother Nature is where, in my opinion, all ideas stem from in some way. Many of the entities found in nature can be interpreted in different ways and then can be used as the foundation for an everlasting design concept. One final aspect of design that I find highly important is unity. By this I am referring to the unity of cultures and ideas. In order to think creatively and discover new ways of designing, a person must have an open mind and be willing to mix in others’ cultures and ideas to enhance their own. These three words: balance, nature, and unity basically sum up where my design style comes from. However, I feel that over time I may find even more out about myself. And after discovering new things about myself there is a big chance that this philosophy can change. Change is necessary for progress, so I never have anything written in stone. I always leave plenty of room for improvement, change, and progress.
