Theory and History
Why Design Matters?
What is design?
For me, design is a practice or tools that is created based on a response towards a problem that has its component, values, and ideologies.
User, Design, and Designer
Design is a process which will connect the user (consumer), design, and designer (the facilitator, associator, the maker). Throughout the process, it is impossible for each of these components to not have interlinking connection, as at every stages of discussion, problem identification, ideation, and testing, it will need the three of them to communicate.
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In order to achieve an effective solution (product, concept, or a method), the designer, they must prioritize the inclusiveness of the user's active involvement or engagement in the identification and framing of challenges as a design facilitator to create a people-centred design. By doing these, the designer then ensures that they capture the tangible results of the user's experiences and infer the intangible meaning of those experiences to discover insights for the outcome design as a guide to develop creative solutions.
Here is an example of application of "people-centered design" in the process of designing my garment this semester. In this process, I just leave my piece on top of the table and let my user to explore it, and discover the form of the design by themselves.
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By doing this, I got a clearer purpose and encounter new insights from them to improve on my upcoming project.
Even though that Design is usually linked into a problem solving process, there are also several other used of design, one of which is design as social process
Design as social process, meaning that at every design, there shall be an interaction between several designers/ group of people that will be related towards the outcome design. From my point of view, it is very much needed to have the interaction between people who have different background and viewpoints to "sit" together, and having deep, sharing discussion about the problem and design outcome. As different perspectives are included, there will be more possibility to achieve the end result to be something that is unthinkable if were to be done just by one skilled participant.
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However, there might also be some problem that occur in the middle of it. Disagreement, confrontation, all of these process that usually be considered negative, are actually beneficial. For example, the preference. While designing an object, it is very much likely to each participant who are involved to be biased towards their liking. As a result, it will then distort the truth/ objective way of thinking to make decision. Based on my experience of having this problem, I learnt that in order to prevent it, each designers should obtain the same defined goal/ purpose on the design itself.
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Design Form and Values
Forms are shapes, material objects, or arrangement. Form communicates through shape, textures, colours, or meanings.
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According to Krause (1971), all form is a manipulation of "nature" and a creation as means of survival, in which this concept of reality is imagined and assumed.
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"A man’s perceptions of reality change and as his conceptions of good life change, so does the nature of forms he creates to satisfy his assumptions... We err grievously if we attempt to hold to design concepts that do not allow the designer to function within the frame of reference of the value system of which he is a part.”
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For this semester's project, I ought to make use of the design form and values as also part of the main consideration on how I would shape my garment piece
This semester, I used ruffles piece as a reflection of distortion of expressionist, as also mixed with different pair of collars that then conveyed the emotion towards my persona. In the whole process of considering the color, the length, the shape of every pieces, it also went through a lot of interviews and discussion, testing on my persona as my social process. Through this piece, I hope to connect my piece, also with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs that says :
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"Humans strive to meet their needs in a predictable order or hierarchy. People’s physical and safety needs must be met before (Utilitarian). Next, people need their social and self-esteem needs met. They need to feel loved and accepted as part of a group. Then, they can focus on achievement and gaining the respect of those around them (Social). Only after all those needs are fulfilled can they focus on self-actualization, or achieving their highest potential (Transformative)."
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Here's other consideration of my ruffles:
- Self-Actualization (personal growth, fulfillment)
In this aspect, I tried to connect the shapes of my ruffles. As it is inspired by expressionism as response to challenge the society on how teenage girls are being resented on their action of combating sustainability, some of the shapes of it is distorted and has its variety of length and colour, which represents the growth of really absorbs the idea of expressionist who questions the form in society. The shape that can be expanded, also indicate on how the piece is exaggerated, attaining bigger shapes than the base of the dress.
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- Self-Esteem Needs (reputation)
As the piece of the design is varied from small to bigger piece, when the user wear the ruffles and attach it to create bigger silhouette, it will show powerful impression towards the society, creating a new impression of not being afraid to be different
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- Social Needs (belonging, work groups)
The whole idea of creating a convertible garment is to achieve the sense of belonging, sense of participation in taking part of sustainable action of reducing textile waste. Henceforth, by wearing this garment and attaching the piece, the user is also part of the world that fight for sustainability
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- Safety Needs (protection, law, security)
Being protected means that individual is kept safe and defended from danger or injury or loss. Through taking part in sustainable action, the wearer then will have the security by the community of those who combat textile waste
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- Physical Needs (comfort, temperature)
The materials of the ruffles and the dress itself is made from lightweight fabric. Meaning that, even though that the garment is being worn with some placement of attached ruffles on top of it, the user will still have the comfort of breathable materials, allowing them to wear it even under the high temperatures of weather in Singapore
Design Ethics, Society, and ME
It is no longer enough to design for commercial needs, but to have a pivotal role with the transformation of a society. Moving from Utilitarian functions, Social functions, Transformative Functions (Happiness, Empowering, personal growth, environmental, social , Political, Economical transformation)
Group Project
We were assigned to create a new visualization on how our classroom (TB 12) should look like in the upcoming years by having several consideration based on our values and experience on education.
First, we formed our goal and purpose of the outcome of the classroom by having discussion and some research on "What we think is important" or what aspects of design and concept on convenient workspace for art student.
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Function
When we think about function, we prioritized about the comfortability of the design and arrangement of the room as a student. Throughout the 2 semester, while having class on this room, we feel that the arrangement of the table and the chair of ours are obstructing us to focus on the lecturer. Because of the long table that is arranged vertically, most of us need to shift our back when looking at the materials displayed on the LCD at the front. Having this difficulty, we then just be easily distracted by our phones/ even talk to one another as the shifted back is hindering us to be fully focused on the materials.
So, we think that by adjusting the design and layout of the space, it then help us better to have more efficient class-discussion, and our design process
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2. Value
Inclusivity and accessibility are two key aspects that we value the most. We believe that by having some adjustment on the colour of the space, form of the utility of our room, it will help us to have sense of belonging, when we feel included throughout the lecture process. Other than that, most of our modules is based on group project. With the rounded tables, we hope that it will give each participant (students) equal standing in a discussion, enabling them to contribute their perspectives and ideas freely and fully to the conversation.
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Here is our sketch and visual on how the classroom would look like. Other components including:
- Long-leg chair, to enabling student to stand in between two hours class, without having the impression of interrupting the lecturer who is still teaching during class hour
- Big locker, for each student to keep their things
- Surrounded LCD on the space, to enhance the inclusivity that we value
- Natural light from open and close ceilings. (We rarely talk about this with our lecturer, but....) sometimes, as a designer and a student, we tend to get too intense with the project that we have and easily burning out. Our consideration is, if we were to re-design a class that is already located on the highest level of the campus, why not then just using it as a "rooftop"?
By having this, the student will have the ability to breathe some fresh air while studying on the class.
Reflection on the process and outcome:
After learning more about forms and value, also the connection between design, user, and designer, I now have better practice and knowledge for working in a group. For instance, usually if we were to be assigned to do a group project, we would just share about how we think the outcome should look like. However, for this project, we first were focusing on how we can have the same goal and purpose of the outcome of it together, by setting on which aspects that we need to prioritize. Having the chance to share our vision together, it then guide us to have better understanding on what is important and what we don't need to look consider for in the process. By doing this, it really makes our work and discussion to be more time- efficient.
Contemporary Societies and The Roles of Designer
Some perspectives about what I think about design and contemporary society
While doing my project, I realized that trying to create a sustainable design/ forms/ garment is not the only thing that I am aiming for. The whole piece of my garment, is actually an action also towards a problem that happened in the society.
Some of it relates towards: how design can change perspectives of the society and how design is entitled towards identity
- Behavioral design, aligns to design theorist Christopher Jones; design as the intentional initiation of change (Jones, 1970)
However, I think that habits are relatively resilient against persuasion suggests they can persist despite the vicissitudes of daily life and, importantly, that habits can serve to regulate and protect behavior in times of stress or distraction). Not all people, consumer may rightaway understand what the designer means because of different backgrounds
Mind map on finding out more about the topic of my essay
At first, I was very confused on the topic that I will tackle on for my essay. Here is the rough mind map that I made
For the very first mind map, I was just looking at several possibilities of the role of designer that I discover throughout my project, along with several readings that I did during class. Here, I tried to really put them all together, connecting one source to another and also share my thoughts about it. At this current stage, I was also trying to separate my view as the designer with the design that I created for my project. Because, I just want to really conclude every possible data that I learned and get. After that, I highlighted several points that may be "strong enough" for me to be the guide and topic for my essay.
Relationship between design and the designer
Design:
- frozen statement in a discussion, along with the user and me as the designer
-Reflect towards who the persona is. How they see the world, they value.
-A solution
Designer:
– the matching of a problem solution pair
- the ones who do the analyzing, the connecting and gradually evolving the design
- the ones who do the action of producing a design that
- translate the way to influence their user through its design
We are connected because....
The designer who identify the evaluated problem, then translate the problem towards the concept and focusing more on the solution through their design. And through along the process, the design and designer have its own way to communicate. For instance, at every stages, the designer itself need to decide whether the design is related towards the goal/ purpose of the design. We form the way of our design as a way to persuade, motivate, and concluding all of our discussion and analyzation of the problem.
As a designer, I need to create a design that will be placed towards the issue, or the habit that I aimed to break. (on the context where habits are performed: the habit architecture. Cues in those contexts, rather than attitudes or willpower, elicit and maintain habitual action. Habit change may be accomplished by directly changing the habit architecture). In this case, meaning that I made garment that is for teenage girls to be able to be worn in a place where they can “flex” and show it to the world that they also participate in combatting textile waste.
Going through deeper about the fact and opinion about the actual role of designer, I then got confused on how to make the essay to be actually critical, and also sort of adjust my thinking about the project. Several questions that I asked to myself, including:
- Is my garment actually effective?
- After doing all process together with my persona, will they be completely understand about the whole concept of my design?
- Is my only job at this stage is just to be the problem solver? As a connector?
- Will my project really help my persona?
Reflection on Design Theory and History
This semester, I had a lot of discovery and new comprehension about the used of design, other than just for aesthetic and a solution towards a problem. For me, Design is also a tool when people are going to be connected and worked together, in order to attain a new concept (not just object) that they will experience. It is a process that will involved several participant with different expertise and background, which will also linked towards the human behavior, society, and practicality.
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From all of the materials that I already learn from this subject, I realized that in order to be a great designer, it's not just the skill in the making that is important. But also the thinking. As a designer, I still believe that my most important role is as the facilitator, the connector bridge between my user, design, and knowledge that I have regarding the making skill that I have. This, then make me also through another realization that management skill and deeper understanding about human's psychology is essential also. In the future, if by chance I have the source to do so, is also expertise that I wanted to learn.