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REFLECTIVE ESSAY

There is a drastic difference between how I view the world today; versus how I viewed the world before taking this class, and in this piece of writing I would like to reflect on that difference, discuss the things I learned and talk about how these things resonated with me as a designer and as a human.

The perception I had concerning my surroundings used to be very binary. I’ve always seen things this way; it was just easy to generalize the different Items that I’d come across into simple categories. Whenever I came across a bench in a park, it was just that. A bench in the park. Just pieces of wood fashioned together to form a structure to be sat on. Nothing more and nothing less. To me, it didn’t require any thought, “why care about such a mundane object? I do not affect it, and it does not affect me.” Looking back at my thinking process back then, I find it mind-boggling that I only saw the surface level, when there was so much more to these things. Nonetheless, my mindset has converted so much since then.

In twelve weeks, my mind clicked and there was a shift, in my perspective, I used to systemize everything into simple categories but now? Now I can see the complexity within my surroundings. If I were to look at a bench in the park today, and I was asked to explain what I saw? I would have no idea where to begin! but for starters; I will consider the following elements. This bench is made using wood, this wood comes from a tree, this tree would not be possible without the sun and the rain, it could not exist if it weren’t for the soil that it grew in. What I used to think was a mundane object is now a result of different natural processes of life coming together to create this beautiful entity, and this entity could not be possible without the different elements that form the whole. This bench is not only a bench but it’s a system that involves the micro and the macro. As a result, this bench will exist in the park and serve as a resting place for the humans that built it.

So, in these twelve weeks, what exactly changed my mindset? Why do I see things the way I do now? Well, I cannot pinpoint it to one thing but I can say that it was a result of many series of concepts and philosophies that I learned in my design across scales class.

“What is design?” This was the first lesson and the first question that leads me onto this new wave of thinking, and it was also the first time I realized, I had no clue what design was, what it was.

but one of the first lessons I had learned was that design is fluid, and it can change according to the perspective of an individual, an engineer may look at road work and view it as an art critique would view the Mona Lisa. Design is what resonates within a person when they look out into the world and find its many beauties, whether it be in the tiny veins of a green leave, or in the big blue sky that blankets our little world. One of the things that helped me understand this was a documentary by Charles and Ray Eames called “the powers of ten” where it highlighted the significance of scale and the importance of micro and macro processes.  

The second lesson I learned from this class is about the different ways we think, and the most significant one to me was the idea of systems thinking. The notion that we could use our synergistic analysis skills, to better understand the behavior of the world around us. We can also achieve systems thinking, through the use of our mental models. I learned that this process is so simple that even babies can do it. These are the steps. The first is to make distinctions between different elements. Black coffee is bitter, but coffee that has milk in it is smooth. This is a simple distinction that my subconscious mind makes when deciding what I want to drink in the morning. The second step is to realize the elements that make up the parts and the parts that make the whole, this relates to the holism and reductionism methods of thinking. The third one is to transform a perspective from a point to a view. The final way is to think about the cause and effect of things, this one in particular sticks out to me because it forces me to realize that everything, I do in my life has an impact on the people around me, and the environment I inhabit. For me, systems thinking plays a big role in the way I think.

The third lesson, I learned was the importance of designing across different scales and disciplines. Tim Brown, the CEO of the design consultancy firm IDEO declares that “Design is too important to be left to designers”. This tells me something about the design that I didn’t consider before, it is the fact that design is spreading across a diverse range, it is testing ecologies, designing experiences, finding solutions to the problems of the world (e.g. sustainable energy and clean water) and developing seamless technology for a better future. An example of this instance can be derived from the Japanese Shinkansen train when a Japanese bird watcher helped the train designers fix the problem of sound and speed through biomimicry, they modeled train after a bird feather, and the front of it as a beak, thus optimizing the trains speed performance and reducing its sound. This very example is why designers should leave their comfort zone and learn from other disciplines. When we learn from each other we can help each other.

   The final lesson I learned was from a very special book called “Massive change” written by Bruce Mau, where Mau proposes different initiatives in the hopes for a better world, he suggests things like giving people free access to knowledge and bringing unlimited energy to the entire world. This book taught me how powerful design can be, how design can lead to global transformation and change, how it can be a source for a better tomorrow, I find Mau’s attitude to be very positive and inspiring because, in his mind, anything is possible.

All of these lessons combined are the reason I see the world differently, design across scales made me realize the importance of empathy when it comes to the world around us, not only to living creatures but to everything that exists to makes the world better, it made me realize how important design is and how it CAN be a powerful force within our world. and most importantly it taught me how to look at things from a different perspective and consider what these things are and what they could be, whether it be a bench, a park, a forest or the entire universe.

Sources

Mau, B. and Leonard, J. (2010). Massive change. London: Phaidon Press.

Youtube.com. (2019). YouTube. [online] Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMtXqTmfta0 [Accessed 8 Dec. 2019].

Architecture.mit.edu. (2019). Design Across Scales and Disciplines | MIT Architecture. [online]

Das-fatima.tumblr.com. (2019). Tumblr. [online] Available at: https://das-fatima.tumblr.com [Accessed 8 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/858639485188496957/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/775252523333740783/

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WEEK TWELVE

WEEK TWELVE

What is sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure and continue

Something that can maintain itself, for example forests are self-preserving and a forest renews itself over time naturally.

Sustainability counts for what?

Sustainability counts for the environment, social and economic resources.

Global supply is declining and the remand for these resources are rising, this is an issue because it’s not sustainable. We need to change our ways because our lives depend on it. as designers we have a responsibility with what we design and how we design it because we have an impact on the world.

What is ECO design?

It is designing with sustainability and the ecosystem in mind, this method of designing started in the 1960’s

and the tools to be used to design in this way are

1)Reduce 2) Reuse 3) Recycle

Other ways of being eco-friendly in the way we design is design for disassembly, using passive cooling and daylighting, and storing grey water for later use.

What is life cycle thinking?

It is a circular design for a circular economy.

It has to work like a forest would, self-sustaining. It relates to a life cycle wherein no waste is present, or all waste is reused.

What is sustainable development? And how does it affect us?

Sustainable development meets needs of present but keeps in mind the big picture, utilizes methods of designing without harming the environment and the future generations, and stops us from destroying our resources. It also relates to systems thinking because it relates to so many things, and its impact is greater than the sum of its parts.

What can I do a designer?

To positively impact the social aspect, I must put people before profit, partake in fair trade, and promote healthy work conditions.

To positively impact the environment, I must reduce my carbon foot print and save resources, and strive to design in harmony with nature and not against it.

To positively impact the economic, I must prioritize human development instead of economic growth and save money in the long term through smart design, create new businesses that are sustainable and create a wealth that respects and helps people and the environment.

Sustainability and product design

The main objective is to reduce reuse and recycle.

This means we make products that are recyclable and modular, and use parts of the product that can be taken apart and sold for other purposes.

Fashion and sustainability

we must use clean reusable material, for example

rebook is using sustainable material, and some designers are using mycelium, a fungus for clothing

Multimedia design and sustainability

It’s harder to be optimistic about sustainability in multimedia, because of things like E-waste, the issue is that it’s hard for us to imagine technology as something physical, but we need to realize it in order to understand the impact it leaves on our world, to be sustainable in this field we can apply sustainable principles for creating speedy, user friendly and energy efficient digital products and services and boycott apps that harm the environment.

Sources

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3934/mod_resource/content/1/DAS-WEEK%2012-SUSTAIN.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3935/mod_resource/content/1/Design-Biotech-Biomimicry-Biophilia2016.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Youtube.com. (2019). YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAA0DfAdiIU [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/mod/url/view.php?id=2333 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/109071622204789841/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/380694974723665452/

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WEEK ELEVEN

Design week.

This week was my very first design week experience, and I really enjoyed my time there, I came across lots of installations and projects I delved into all the crazy creative ideas of other designers. The global grad show was the best part of my experience because I could see lots of designs by lots of innovators, this gave me hope because of how human it was, the whole concept was to provide creations to produce solutions for a better world. I tend to be cynical about the way humans tread the environment around them but this was just an example of people in a society striving and doing their best for the greater good and for a better future.

Picture sources

https://twitter.com/dubaidesignweek

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/a-guide-to-dubai-design-week-2019-1.934536

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WEEK TEN

Design disciplines

We can consciously modify the environment at different scales with different design disciplines.

-Context affects local-regional, national and global scale

-Product design graphic design, fashion design and

-industrial design lies on the microscale

-Architecture interior lies on the mezzo scale

-Urban planning community lies on the macro scale

-Material design lies on the Nano scale

-Space colony design lies on the super macro scale

Why should designers understand biology?

understanding biology can help us as designers,

for example, the Japanese shinkansen train was a very loud train, but this was fixed through the use of a pantograph, i.e. modeling a train after a feather (causing the train to produce less sound) and making the front of the train beak-shaped (causing the train to increase its speed). This is an example of how understanding biology and the world around us helps us become better designers. The process the that the Japanese designers used was biomimicry.

Biomimicry

This is the process of mimicking nature through form, shape, structure and function, for example

The way that water behaves on leaves (water does not get absorbed but it pools onto the leave or falls off). We could use this observation to create car covers or roofs with the same property as leaves. Another example of biomimicry is Velcro, the invention of Velcro was inspired by the bur seed, it’s a seed that attaches itself to the animal’s fur, its form was utilized into the invention of Velcro.

Mimicking ecosystems

We can also mimic ecosystems, as a result

there should be no such thing as a byproduct. No waste is formed, everything is used, and by the end of its life it should be upcycled. Eco systems work this way. We can make materials that function this way.

Sources

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3797/mod_resource/content/2/DAS-WEEK-10-lifeoriented1.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3799/mod_resource/content/1/Reading-On%20Growth%20and%20Form.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3798/mod_resource/content/1/Resource-bioinspired-design-byCarlos.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Bioinspired.sinet.ca. (2019). The Bio-Inspired Design Landscape | BioInspired!. [online] Available at: https://bioinspired.sinet.ca/content/bio-inspired-design-landscape [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/207869339037495928/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/207869339037159143/

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WEEK NINE

(IN)Visibility of evolution in technology

When learning about evolution in school, I always assume that it’s a purely biological phenomenon that can only occur within humans, animals and plants, however things that don’t have this thing we call a “life” can indeed, evolve, and transform, and the transformation is so subtle and so slow that we don’t even realize it, but it can be seen through comparison. Televisions and computers used to look bulky and thick, there was a friction to it, when people had to press a button on a keyboard they really had to press it hard, but in comparison to the computers and laptops we have now, these things are so seamless that we even compare it to air. (for e.g., MacBook air, iPad air), the transition from friction to smoothness is one of the elements that come from the evolution of technology, developers strive to make technologies so seamless that we don’t make a distinction between the “green” environment and the technological environment, and the crazy thing is, that this is our present day ecosystem. Mark Weiser an American publisher of “the computer for the 21st century” says “The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.”

 I agree with that statement, this approach to designing technology can be a good thing, because it makes us empathize with technology, when we view technology as a part of our environment, and not as the other, we can develop it in ways that are unimaginable.

However, there are critiques.

Is seamless design good design?

Whenever I see my nephews playing games like the PlayStation, they often have these bulky joysticks that they hold in their hands while they play, these joysticks have different sets of buttons, each button has a different friction, when these games are played, the keys are mashed, the joystick vibrates, and heat emits from the object, the friction and heat are a factor of the design, but is it a bad thing?  Gauthier Roussilhe, the writer of “a fundamental critique of seamless design” states The most redundant definition(of the word “friction” is “anything that prevents the user from accomplishing his purpose”. Here Roussilhe agrees that it is redundant to brush friction off as a bad thing, and in the case of my nephews, the friction can enhance the experience because it results in a positive catharsis and improves their moods about the game.

Sources

Medium. (2019). A fundamental critique of seamless design. [online] Available at: https://medium.com/@Gauthier.Roussilhe/a-fundamental-ux-critique-b4fd32f2183c [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Calmtech.com. (2019). Calm Technology. [online] Available at: https://calmtech.com/papers/computer-for-the-21st-century.html [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/455145106072275502/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/458804280771472276/

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WEEK EIGHT

Seamless design.

Seamless design is more like a quality than an actual thing, it’s the kind of design that moves across scales seamlessly, it has no beginning and no end, its fluid and dynamic, it transforms itself continually without fragmentation.

Design as a cultural and global power

This idea is new because every time design is spoken about, it’s always inspired by one thing or another, but today, it’s not the same dynamic, it’s not an external influence acting on the design, but it’s a practice that uses design as a source of inspiration, from all aspects of life

Bruce Mau, the author of massive change describes it as “a design as the creative source of a global movement for a better tomorrow”

Massive change.

For massive change to happen, design must be a continuous transformation we should use design as an attitude in which we face problems and inspire things from it, the idea of integrating one system with another to create something seamless.

This shift leads to global transformation and change.

“a change in global design culture so audaciously hopeful, so advanced, so optimistic, so generous and so global that we call our project Massive change”- Bruce Mau.

The Bruce Mau initiative

Mau’s intention is to cause a change in global design culture, to give hope to society, and to change the world and solve the problems we have.

So how does he plan on doing this?

Through a call to action, he suggests

-giving people free access to knowledge of all types in all forms.

-To make the visible the as yet invisible, as in to make things transparent, show the things that are hidden to raise awareness of the things happening around the world, that we might not know about.

-To design intelligence into material and liberate form from matter this means innovation of the world through technology

-To create urban shelter for the entire world population

-To bring unlimited energy to the entire world

-To program software to evolve naturally

-To eliminate the need for raw material such as plastic and wastes produced from mass manufacturing.

-To shift the minds from using innovation for killing to innovation to living in peace. This leads to elastic minds, and maybe it creates a common perspective for humans to want the greater good.

-To enable sustainable mobility through transportation modes.

-To provide food and health worldwide

-To Eradicate poverty

-To seamlessly connect all energy and intelligence, material and capacity wise.

-To use design culture as the driver of new kinds of ethical responsibility and direction

Sources

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/mod/resource/view.php?id=2177 [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3698/mod_resource/content/1/Design_Will_Save_The_World_On_Bruce_Maus.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3734/mod_resource/content/1/The%20Incomplete%20Manifesto%20for%20Growth.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3728/mod_resource/content/1/MassiveChange.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Nytimes.com. (2019). Design for (Better) Living. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/arts/design/design-for-better-living.html [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

MASSIVE CHANGE NETWORK. (2019). BRUCE MAU'S MASSIVE CHANGE NETWORK. [online] Available at: http://www.massivechangenetwork.com/ [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/368732288241381916/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/827888343983425629/

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WEEK SEVEN

Model.

I would define a model as a means of representing what we know about the world, there are many examples of information being utilized through models that people have made, like Rene Descartes’ Mechanical universe (1596-1650) or the Representation of the Polemic universe (16th Century)

It can also be a mathematical or graphic representation of a specific phenomenon, relationship, system, or an aspect of the world around us.

Mental models.

A mental model is the knowledge that we build through our experience of the world, its psychological representations as well as abstractions of reality. Our mental models are powerful because they determine how we feel and how we should act in accordance. We develop our mental models all the time. But we do this through systems thinking.

Systems thinking.

thinking makes us smart, humans build meaning from the information that is around us, we do this whilst being aware of how we think and how we perceive the world works. There are four systems thinking strategies that make us develop our mental model,

the first one is making distinctions between different elements in the world around us, the second is categorizing the whole, and the part, and seeing the big picture(macro) whilst also considering the elements that make the macro (micro) the third way is thinking about the relationship of cause and effect, and action and reaction.  And the fourth and final way is taking perspective from a point to a view, these strategies are thinking processes that we do this all at the same time, without even realizing it.

Representation.

To represent something is to portray someone or something in a specific way.

According to some theories about perception, our mental state corresponds to perceiving things around us.

Models in design.

Everything that has been formed with a purpose through design will require some kind of modelling

For example. The solar system can be modeled through a 2d sketch, or a kinetic structure, or even through architecture and interior planning (solar system observatories)

Models design in computer simulations.

With the advances happening in technology, there are ways to make models of things through using simulations and programming, it’s important to utilize the technology we have because computers can add a depth and complexity with to models and it can portray information more accurately and beautifully.

Sources

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3694/mod_resource/content/1/whysystemssurprise.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3703/mod_resource/content/1/DAS-WEEK%207-SYNERGY-MODELS.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Mlab.taik.fi. (2019). Visualization and Visual Representations in the Design Process. [online] Available at: http://mlab.taik.fi/polut/Design/teoria_visualisation_design.html [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/368310075768145417/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/511369732670927897/

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WEEK SIX

Synergistic design

synergy, as defined by the Cambridge dictionary is; the combined power of a group of things when they are working together, that which is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately, applying this idea of synergy to design is something that that design students should consider, because when someone is working on a composition or a 3d model, during the design process things must correspond and elements must work together in order for something worthwhile to emerge.

Synergy is present in things such as fashion, painting and sculpting, it’s also found on the natural scale. Bees and flowers, through the process of synergy. Produce honey. And on the technological and humanoid scale. AR and VR create a synergy with one another, and as a result we can perceive artificial things that are not truly there.

Synergy, Resilience and Evolution.

The simple yet complex natural process of evolution would have never occurred without resilience. (Resilience is the ability to recover strength, spirit, etc.) and synergy.

Evolution needs resilience and synergy both in order for adaptation and survival.

What principles do synergistic and resilient design have in common? And how are they connected to evolution?

Resilient design is adaptable, flexible, and sustainable, synergistic design is adaptable, flexible and sustainable. In that sense, for synergy to exist. It needs some form of resilience and strength, and for resilience to exist, it needs some form of synergy. One cannot be without the other. This relationship is directly proportional. These concepts connect to evolution because evolution requires adaptability (survival, networking, synergy) and flexibility. (adaptability, strength, resilience) in order to grow and sustain life.

Sources

Youtube.com. (2019). YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ272i1Bhqo [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/pluginfile.php/3660/mod_resource/content/1/Thinking-in-Systems-RESILIENCE-SELFORG.pdf [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Moodle.didi.ac.ae. (2019). DIDI Moodle: Log in to the site. [online] Available at: https://moodle.didi.ac.ae/mod/resource/view.php?id=2103https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/synergy [Accessed 7 Dec. 2019].

Picture sources

 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/769904498778457792/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/605593481123916213/

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