What influences your design decision?
I have been thinking about this recently. There are many factors that create a complex decision making process for design…and this process happens in a flash..almost intuitively as you get more experienced.
Context (location, geography, technology, language, culture) is extremely important, so are People, suppliers, vendors the whole eco-system on which design depends, then Politics (situations, trends and imperatives that you have to live with..) so CONTEXT, PEOPLE, POLITICS influence how I take decisions and this gets rendered in a frame called past experience.
Our brain is always looking for a similar experience from our history to base our decision..even similarity. So for me Design Decisions now are Intuitive.
Can it get complicated along the way? How do you rectify it if it gets Messy?
Yes of course. It gets complicated all the time. You always take risks by not listening to that small voice in your head..coming from your heart. And it does get messy. The trick is to own up mess quickly and not to hold it to your heart. True creativity can only happen in a egoless environment. DO drop your ego, it is not very difficult to backtrack, say sorry and start again. If you haven’t messed up once in a while..u have been too safe. You are a designer and u have license to mess up. And sure sometimes you have to pay for the Mess…all a part of our indulgence.
Kids from the 60s have different upbringing and views of the world, just like how a 70?s kid would be part of the hippies era, or pop culture will brainwash the minds of the young ones born in the 80?s. Clearly, design is in the picture with other creative elements thrown in to make information easier to digress and the world more beautiful than it ever was. I wonder how is your era like?
Long question.. this one needs an essay. Eras get defined in the hindsight. When u are are growing up, you are taking in influences as they happen, without reasoning them. I was born in 60s to parents who were in Army, traveling to many places often within a year. Books brought in the only long lasting companionship, so did music. It is now replaced with technology. I own thousands of book and still buy then often, but I read more on mAcbook or iPad. When I was growing up, I think times were uncertain and there was more insecurity, war seemed more real and future seemed very harsh. Music was motivating, and biographies provided templates.
Its changed now..those biographies are outdated, not relevant, future seems peaceful and lovely. Music is more enjoyable. People laugh and talk.
Modern technologies aside, are books still the best way to attaining Knowledge?
I think it is very contextual. Knowledge is important, how it comes is not. The form of attaining knowledge is ever changing. Technology is good, but it has not reached everyone. In india we have only 8% population with access to internet, even books are not accessible to all. Oral traditions continue.
I think a mix of all will prevail, at least in our society. I see more people on mobiles in India than in Europe. I doubt if print will ever go out..though it my not remain the only temple for knowledge.
