I am supposed to reflect on the first half of the semester in this posting. It has really been a roller coaster of sorts, with big ups and big downs. Finally after six weeks I am coming to understand there is in fact a method to the madness of this class, but it took a really long time to get there. I began frustrated in general with this design class because I felt we really got off to a slow start, and I wasn't sure how the first few projects related to interior design. And despite going through a pack of xacto blades, curbing my self-hatred at my lack of any knowledge to do with Creative Suite, and coming up with a final presentation that looked like a three year old made it, I have in fact leaned more than I expected about the design process. Specifically, how detail oriented it is. I think this profession will reward those with strict organization skills, and a strict attention to details, both of which are processes I need to put a little more effort in to. But I also learned how much of a struggle the design process can be, or how straight forward it can be. I think the line between the potential for struggle or ease of the process really stems from the strength of the design idea. If it is a mediocre idea it really falls apart during the design process. But, if it is a strong design idea it holds up very well from one design aspect to the next. The strength of the idea really becomes apparent in the design process.
On a side note I have really come to understand how time consuming this professions has the potential to be. I cannot at this point imagine designing an entire room, let alone a house or a building. There is so much thought that has to be incorporated into any given space, that any time I see an interior I like it now reminds me of the headache the designer must have swam through in order to get to that final finished product. I am also getting a little nervous about what the design process would look like if you had to cater your designs to a client's taste. I am no way excited about that process.
Overall I think this class up until this point has been successful at teaching me how to think differently about design, a feat that is probably more valuable than memorizing standard dimensions in space planning techniques. It is not what I expected, but it is pretty interesting to feel the effects of learning a new way to view the world, or at least the interior spaces of the world.
crystal - i am heartened to read that you are starting to see the method in the madness. as i always mention in class - the design process is not always kind and will not always "reward" you for working so hard. the part that keeps you going is that fact that somewhere, sometime, the moment will come and your design will just feel right and it will be the way you envisioned it to be. it will be strong and you'll be able to defend it. we are really trying to teach you how to think - this is the purpose of school (in my opinion) and you won't get this when you get out. the more technical parts - you'll pick that up along the way. you can also read that stuff out of a book. you can't learn the design process any other way. you just gotta do it.
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