Tina470

Reading Response 11: Don't be skurred! (means Scared in case you didn't know).

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 11:55:00 -0700

“The biggest problem designers face is fear: fear of clients, fear of failure, fear of ideas. Our ability to overcome fear is perhaps the greatest skill we can acquire. Most bad design, most mediocre design, is a consequence of fear.”

If this ain’t the truth, then I don’t know WHAT is!

Being apart of an industry that’s all about taking risks, thinking outside the box, and breaking the laws of convention, it’s inevitable that people will be scared. There’s a lot of pressure on designers to make good things, especially under a constrained amount of time. Having a good work flow, and the ability to get over your fears can lead to work that you’re proud of.

I’ve always had a fear of drawing. Yes, drawing. I was told when I was younger that I couldn’t draw, and from then on I was scared to draw. Now, I’m forcing myself to draw everyday and actually SHARE it with people on the interwebz. Although I know the drawings I’m posting may be nowhere near amazing, it’s an important process for me to get over my fear of drawing.

Reading Response 10: Don't forget, you're werking with PEOPLE.

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:56:00 -0700

^^ It doesn’t have to be like this. ^^

With the vast presence of technology in our lives today, it’s easy to forget interpersonal skills when talking or werking with other people. You might disagree with me on this and say, “Nah, I’m good! I know how to work with people.” That’s cool. You might be the ultimate people person, but what about your client?

“We must educate our clients about design.” No, we don’t. Adrian was right, “we must educate ourselves about our client.”

Doing a little bit of research can go a long way, and this is important for both client and designer.

I see design a little bit like dating. Would you want to spend an entire year with a client if you can’t have dinner with them? (That was in the book somewhere I think.) It’s important to ask questions to learn more about each other to see if the job will be a great fit.

There are times when we may forget that we’re dealing with people, and you can try to put the blame on other people. Through the times of frustration, angst, and lack of appreciation from one side, it could be easy to jump the gun and do or say something we don’t mean.

For me, it’s important to take time to listen, slow down, and show people that I understand where they’re coming from. I think working at Apple has taught me how to do this on a nanosecond process, because I would have customers yelling at me everyday for two years. There were times where it wasn’t fun, but when I did take the time to show that I care, people really appreciated that. Sometimes striking up a conversation that has nothing to do with the project you’re working on can get people to open up and feel comfortable around you. Just think, how would you like to be approach by another designer, researcher, client? Usually you just want someone to listen or understand you right?

Taking time to listen has helped me in my Spare Some Change Project. I’m asking a lot from people to share their homeless experience with me, to take photos, or believe that I’ll do good with the information I’m given. I’m AMAZED that I’ve received about 60 handwritten survey responses from people all over Portland. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude, honestly.

Adrian ends chapter 7 with, “A client-first policy is never wrong.” For me, a “people-first policy” goes above all.

Photo

Wed, 25 May 2011 21:29:00 -0700

The Elevator Pitch (I hope it makes cents)

Tue, 24 May 2011 01:45:48 -0700

What did I sign myself up for? I could’ve done this thesis project on anything in the world,...

Mon, 23 May 2011 21:16:59 -0700

What did I sign myself up for? I could’ve done this thesis project on anything in the world, but I chose to do this. I have never challenged myself so emotionally to design anything like this. I hope it works out, not only for me, but most importantly for people I hope to help.

New Friends

Sat, 21 May 2011 00:06:00 -0700

I spent my second night at Operation Nightwatch and had a great time playing Apples to Apples, handing out my questionnaire, and getting to know everyone there.

The greatest reward was getting people to smile, laugh and enjoy themselves during their time there. A man thanked me for genuinely listening to him babble for 20 minutes because, he “feels like no one ever wants to listen to him because he’s homeless.”

Volunteering at Operation Nightwatch has not been easy for me whatsoever. I’ve gotten over my fear of talking to people living on the street. My issue now is feeling as though I can’t help enough…or not having enough to give. Some new deliverables for my thesis have blossomed out of this feeling and I’m excited to share it all with you soon.

I really admire what Operation Nightwatch is doing. They’re providing a place for people to come hang out, socialize, get some help or simply stay off the street for a few hours, three nights a week. Most importantly, they’re emphasizing their efforts on nurturing relationships…which is what helps motivate people to keep on going through these tough times.

It was heartbreaking to learn that someone I had met last week had passed away in an accident during the week. I can’t remember his name, but he was only 22 years old.

First Draft: SSC Wish List

Mon, 16 May 2011 02:30:38 -0700

Fold out, double sided poster mailer with information about what type of necessities they need and where people can donate. Will be printed on newsprint.

Definitely still a work in progress!

My Saturday Night

Sun, 15 May 2011 00:46:26 -0700

On Saturday evening, I spent some time at Operation Nightwatch, a ministry that focuses on nurturing relationships with those who are homeless, mentally ill or low income.

I had the opportunity to meet some very inspiring people, play some board games, and help out around the ministry to distribute goods throughout the night.

At first, it was difficult to be in an environment that was completely out of my comfort zone. Even as I walked into the center, the people waiting outside made comments to me that were the type of comments that made me uncomfortable in the first place. Throughout the night, it got easier for me to open up, sit down and I ended up having a great time overall.

I’ll be heading back to Operation Nightwatch next week to distribute surveys, as well as visiting a women’s center to get another perspective on being homeless.

REVISED Schedule for Thesis

Thu, 12 May 2011 10:06:29 -0700

Schedule up until Jury Day

Tuesday, May 17th

Newspaper

Business Cards

Signs

Posters

Rose City Resource Guide

Tuesday, May 19th

Revise all

Box

Screenprint materials ready

Begin presentation outline

Tuesday, May 24th

Done, get ready for Jury Day

Thursday, May 26th

MOMENT OF TRUTH

Reading Response 9: Bidness Etiquette

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:21:52 -0700

1. Tackle the nasty parts first.

2. Manage your time, and manage it well.

3. Design with reason, strategize.

4. Explain your work well, both on paper and in person.

5. Don’t show up unannounced.

6. Spell check.

7. Let your interviewer see your work.

8. Find clients/employers that keep you going.

9. Take responsibility.

10. Be appreciative.

Reading Response 8: "A Fight Worth Fighting"

Tue, 10 May 2011 02:21:04 -0700

As a design student today, what I find most challenging is acquiring the skills I need to make the things I want.

There’s a lot of talented designers out there, and a lot of skill sets to learn in order to keep up or truly define what your own style is. Working towards becoming “a truly multifaceted designer” can be extremely exhausting, but so much fun at the same time (10).

I completely agree with the three essential attributes that designers need to have: cultural awareness, communication skills, and integrity. While reading the chapter, I tried to think if one skill could necessarily stand out from the others, but found that here especially, that the sum is greater than its parts.

Cultural Awareness: Always be curious.

My 2-year-old sister is my biggest inspiration when it comes to doing research. She’s constantly asking questions such as, “How?” “Why?” “What happened?” “What’s that?” to the point where I want to sell her at times (not for reals, just in my dreams, geez peoples). The most rewarding part of it all is when she fully understands something, and has the BIGGEST smile on her face. That “AHA” moment, or our need to strive for it can get lost as we get older. That process of being curious, constantly asking questions, and finding our what it takes to learn something is what designers need to have CONSTANTLY in order to be successful. Don’t be the d-bag that knows it all, because quite frankly, you don’t know everything. There’s always something to learn, always something to improve. Stay hungry, and most importantly, stay humble.

Communication Skillz: Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk

Being able to talk about your work is one of the skills that I highly value in designers. Sometimes, the design itself may not captivate me, but the way the designer presents it and talks about it really can. Not everyone has the same aesthetic or the same process from getting from point A to point B, and that’s okay! There will be times that we as designers have to explain that process to get people to understand what the heck we’re thinking just to get everyone on the same page. I myself am trying to avoid certain words like “beautiful” or “gorgeous” when critiquing or providing feedback with my peers, because sometimes those words don’t do anything for your work. Asking, “What’s the strongest part of this project? What’s the weakest?” won’t get you a “beautiful” one word answer, but something more valuable that you can use and carry on to another project if possible.

Integrity: What’s the code?

Does anyone know? Because I don’t. If you do, let me know!

This might be the most difficult part as a young designer (well, for me anyways), maintaining your integrity while trying to gain real work experience. I think that young designers can be taken advantaged of by clients, friends, family, or employers. Being disrespected is what really ticks it off for me, and at times, makes me lose my love for design.

All things considered, design is a fight worth fighting for. Otherwise, why do it at all?

I’m not a fan of flats, but I would totally rock this!

Sat, 07 May 2011 22:19:24 -0700

I’m not a fan of flats, but I would totally rock this!

gorg: Inversons les logos de marques concurrentes

Sat, 07 May 2011 22:16:44 -0700

gorg:

Inversons les logos de marques concurrentes

gorg: Design You Trust – Social design inspiration!

Sat, 07 May 2011 22:15:40 -0700

gorg:

Design You Trust – Social design inspiration!

"It seems our very sense of self worth is predicted more and more on our suffering through the..."

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:43:02 -0700

“It seems our very sense of self worth is predicted more and more on our suffering through the inconveniences and psychic destabilizations of ungrounded transience, of not being at home (or having a home) of always traversing through elsewhere.”

- Miwon Kwon from The Wrong Place. Substitute reading, summary is on its way!

Where were you when you heard about 9/11?

Mon, 02 May 2011 19:26:00 -0700

Osama has been caught, William and Kate are married, the south is recovering from a major storm, and the Blazers are done for the season.

These are some of the major headlines from the past few days, all of which I’m sure you all are familiar with by now thanks to social media, or people you know who heard about it through social media. It amazes me every single time how big of a role Twitter and Facebook plays in relaying headline news all over the world.

Where were you when you heard about 9/11? How did you hear about it?

Most likely, it didn’t involve Facebook or Twitter, or even social media at all, right?

In 2001, Facebook or Twitter wasn’t around for people to share instantly what was going on. Heck, I don’t even think Myspace was around for people to determine their Top 8. Now, people heavily rely on social media to validate news, find resources or simply figure out what the heck is going on.

So…what does this mean for designers, if it means anything at all?

I have no clue. Do you? If so, let me know!

With the presence of social media, people are more transparent, more open and willing to share their opinions because it’s kind of a safe place to do so. But what happens when you don’t have resources like the internet, mobile phones, etc to constantly stay connected like a lot of us are? Does that prevent from creating relationships, interacting with new people, saying hello?

This is something I’m thinking about for my thesis on interacting with the homeless.

You can look around bus stops, max stations and sidewalks and see everyone connected to something almost all the time. They might be listening to headphones, pretending to text someone on their phone, actually text someone on their phone, or tweeting about how awkward it is to sit next to this person on the bus.

To connect with people living on the street with those who are not, is it important for me to integrate some sort of “technology” to bring people together?

Phase 1: Logos

Sun, 01 May 2011 23:57:46 -0700

What do you guys think?

Only a dolla

Sun, 01 May 2011 22:53:13 -0700

Change?

Sun, 01 May 2011 22:51:00 -0700

It happens.

Sun, 01 May 2011 22:49:48 -0700