Journal 6: 30 Convos on Design

The first talk I listened to was from Sean Adams. I thought he made some valid points; but I was definitely not expecting any of his answers to be any thing close to what he said. He said his most inspiration comes from the Declaration of Independence. This surprised me for several reasons, I never really thought of it as a "design" prior to hearing his explanation. Thinking of it as a piece that its "audience" (the Public) had to understand was a new way of looking at it for me. This proves his point that governments need to be obviously well designed, but also in the process it has some similarities to designers work today. His answer for the big design problem was also interesting. He kind of reversed the question by saying that having this big problem that design was going to solve but too much on designers and made them feel inadequate. He backed this up by talking about how the process of design works with clients. As a designer you help your clients maintain their lifestyle and allow for them to live their everyday lives as they see fit. He also said that the next big problem for designers should be their next project, which was also an interesting take.

The next video I watched was from Joe Duffy. He talked about how it was hard to pick one single piece of inspiration and thinks its more of a group of inspirational pieces that motivate him. His example of this was nature; he thinks it has specifically motivated designers over the past 25 years. He then brought out an example which was some jars of classico pasta sauce; he and his team used illustrations from nature. They also used natural colors to make it have a hand made old family recipe feel. I feel like this was a great branding strategy because people are starting to pay more attention to the foods that they eat and a natural feeling that this label uses hints towards this. Another example he showed was the Islands of the Bahamas branding. I had seen this before and love it. They use natural colors and "flora" along with tropical fish to make up a map of the Bahamas. This was such an innovative and creative way to represent the island. They got their inspiration after visiting the Bahamas, this shows how important it is to gather ideas and inspiration to help you in the long run develop successful solutions. With these examples it is easy to understand why he thinks the next big problem for designers to solve is how to keep incorporating and preserving nature. It is important that nature is protected so it can keep inspiring designers now and in the future.

Eric Ryan inspiration comes from the camera and the endless possibilities it allows. He made a good point that even if you don't have a camera with you, you are never not able to snap a picture thanks to cell phones. This allows for inspiration to be documented anytime as long as you have your phone, which is almost always. I also really thought what he said about training the mind to find inspiration in unexpected places. This is something I really want to incorporate into my own designing. I think I am going to start being more observant to my surroundings to try to find inspiration in new places. He also said that the more unexpected the better; it allows for even more originality. With this incorporation you will look at the world differently and it will show in your work. I had never seen a "grass roof" before he talked about them being the next big problem for designers to solve. If this was a possibility I think he is right it would have a very good impact on our culture but unfortunately I think this is something that is far from the near future. But I appreciate where he was coming from in saying the sea of grass would create a more beautiful place, which is also a designers goal.

Greg Hoffman's inspiration comes from the new Mission 1 motorcycle; he likes what it represents because it has the same functionality as any other motorcycle but it is innovative because of the fewer emissions it releases. It is an example of how you don't have to give up form and function to create a product that is better for the environment. Another important aspect considered in its design was sustainability. Hoffman's answer to the question about what problem designers can solve next shows how broad the design field can be. He answered with tackling youth obesity by encouraging youth participation in sports. The main goal was to get kids active again. He also had three main points that he thought would be beneficial;

1. Environmental design; create a space where kids want to play.

2. Equipment design; get youth active by providing fun opportunities.

3. Communication design; send out message to youth to motivate them to lead an active lifestyle.

I know Hoffman works for Nike so I think its great that they are concerned about youth and what there options are for activities. If they focus on youth it will allow for them to start a healthier lifestyle which they will hopefully continue with throughout their lives.

The last video I watched was from Eddie Nunns. He also said it was nearly impossible to narrow his inspiration down to a single piece of art. Instead he said he was inspired by efforts of other designers. Some examples he gave were architects dedicating their time to designing low income housing. Also designers who spend time designing products for everyday life. Since he works for Neimann Marcus it was refreshing to hear about how he supports fashion design for people at all economic levels. He made a valid point that good design should be available to everyone and part of their lives. He also said that a problem that designers should work to solve involves nature and sustaining it. He talked about the world of ecology and how sustainable energy is an area that needs to be more developed. Lastly he talked about the wind turbines that you see while driving out in the middle of nowhere. I had never really thought of them as a "designed piece." He made a good point about them and even said they had a "magnificent" design, almost looking like a statue. With these goals on preserving our environment it is key to have everything designed well so it works well the first time and fits its specific purpose.