Your design reflects your life and experiences

I believe there are two factors that chip in to make you what you are today. One is the extrinsic part; which is the inputs presented to you by life in the environment that you live in. And second is the intrinsic part; which is how you handle it. As with any profession and the respective work, I believe your design reflects your experiences in life and your outlook towards it.

So, live a richer life. Count your riches with your experiences and not money. Travel, talk to people, experience new lifestyle and culture. Be open towards accepting them the way they are and immerse in their beliefs. Try everything you can get your hands on. A new sport, cuisine, no matter how inappropriate and stupid it may seem. “You have your way, I have my way. As for for the correct, right and only way, it does not exist”. The soon we understand this the easier it will be to accept it. I always wondered what reality is. Though I understood it earlier, but only late did I realize that, “that which is accepted by many is”. Try to see the good in it. To look at it through the eyes of those who firmly believe in the same. After all the more you are open to understanding people, the better you will be able to design for them by empathizing.

You never know how the dots will connect. You just make sure you have enough of them, when the time calls for it.

Are You a Holistic or a Specific Thinker?

An excellent article. Also so much about Human Centered thinking. This is also relevant in Design thinking and how the approach should vary with conditions.

“Design is one” by Lella and Massimo Vignelli

A wonderful read I must say. Its more than just pictures of iconic designers Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Its about their design journey.But most of all what is striking, is their belief, which has been beautifully expressed in the opening pages of the book, and equally emphasized with the title of the book; “Design is one”.

I always believed so, that although design is an applied profession, but the philosophy and the process have always been the most important aspects. Its not something just analytic and objective. Its not how something looks like but how you look at it and from which perspective. And so the subject and context will definitely matter, but will that and even can that at all change the intrinsic nature of the designer. The belief just got strengthened.

I don’t mean that there is no need for specializations. In today’s world with growing complexities and advancements in technology, one has to be at pace with the details, and there is just too little one can focus on. But, all the while it is always good, specially being a designer to be able to look at things from as much a distance as possible, zooming out as much and including as many stakeholders and factors as you can, because there are likely that many connections.

Its like it works in layers. You will always have this one part that will just work good for everything and forms the foundation of principles and process. And, then you have the contextual details to work upon. And as I said to “work upon”.

Cheers