A New Designer’s Thoughts #DES100
- Emma
- Apr 9, 2020
- 3 min read
I’m new to designing. The only design I’ve ever done is make random things on my sewing machine. I’ve already learnt a lot and I have so much farther to go.
I’ve started using graphic design platforms and I’m really proud of myself for how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time. I definitely need to practice drawing, in particular limbs. In graphic design I need to get more comfortable with the tools and manipulations I can do to make it easier for me to create things and not be scared to try. I’d like to expand my knowledge and skills of tools, I have always loved creating with my hands and definitely want to do a lot of that in the future. I think it’s important to be skilled in many areas as then you have more variety and resources, you can prototype in new ways and expand your knowledge which is always helpful. I need to practice my creativity more. As a child I think I was quite creative, but through highschool I lost some of that brain power, my mind starting streamlining into the thought process of just getting through. After a few weeks at university I already feel myself thinking more creatively. Creativity is a huge part to being a designer as it is a way to generate ideas, “creative thinking is an inherently divergent, generative activity that all humans can do.” (Ko) and I think that would be just brilliant to be better at it.
I wasn’t sure if designing was really going to be for me as I had never tried it before, but I think I know now that it is for me. Even though I have found everything quite challenging, I’ve loved it. I love creating things and making something that will benefit someone else.
I am still interested in fashion design a lot, but I would like to use the laser cutter and 3d printer more. A line in Amy Ko’s book, Design Methods caught my fascination, “Maybe advertisements are teachers because they also try to shape behavior, but not by consent.” (How to be Creative) I have always been into philosophy and after reading this line I am interested in thinking more philosophically about design and how design can manipulate an unaware audience.
After reviewing the worst design ever, I am growing more interested in user experience design and how we design impacts our environment and behaviours. After becoming more knowledgeable around fast fashion, I would like to seriously focus on sustainability as a main focus throughout all of my designs, not wasting materials and cutting back on plastic. (Stanton, 2019) I think designers must consider the environment in their work otherwise I believe they are being selfish. “Choose to leave the world better than you found it. Improve things for people...make sure there is some meaning to what you are doing besides exploiting a niche.” (Monterio, 2015)
For the future, I want to design things that will benefit people, I want to create luxurious experiences people remember. I want to design things that are new. I want to create beautiful, durable clothes that people feel beautiful in. There are so many things I am looking forward to creating in the future, I may not know them yet, but I bet they’ll be brilliant.
Reference List
Stanton, A. (2019). The Good Trade. What is Fast Fashion, Anyway? Retrieved from
Ko, A. Design Methods, How to be Creative. Retrieved from
Monterio, M. (2015). What Is a Designer? Retrieved
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