And so ends, another great design conference (and my 'fast' from social media).
Many topics were covered by the roster of talented speakers, who spent their time infusing us with insight and perspective. From the architectural wonders of Peter Busby to the romantically illustrative works of Marian Bantjes, there was an abundance of awe-inspiring work (and words) to absorb.
Design Is Feeling
The theme of Design Week 2010 was "the value of design" aka Design Currency. Much discussion was had about spec work and how we could bring value to our work. More importantly what does 'design with value' mean to each of us? How could we design value, in order for others to value design?
Dave Mason (the MC) coined it perfectly by saying the value of design is determined by whether or not you feel something because of it or even in spite of it. A great example was when a recap video of the 2010 Olympics was presented to us by Ali Gardener and Ben Hulse. A standing ovation soon followed and I don't believe there was a dry eye in the house after that.
After it was all said and done, I couldn't help but feel like I had been challenged to pull myself apart and put myself back together again in a different way; To find my niche, find my passion, differentiate, and refine myself as a designer, for the better.
Design Is Connection
I had some eye-opening dialogue with my table mates on the first day (Nancy Wu, Christina Peressini, Carol Avery, and Jen LeMercier) in which we spoke about the value of design and what it meant to us. Some buzz words like longevity, inspiration, action, change, reinvention, jealousy, motivation were passed around.
Jealousy? When the word was originally put out there we all seem to relate to seeing another designer's work and wished we had done it, or thought of it, ourselves. We noted, however, that this feeling of envy quickly transformed into motivation for us so we felt it was positive addition to our list. Without envy, maybe none of us would push the envelope?
Up until that point, I thought it was just me to have such a perspective and originally felt it was a negative feeling to have but having this dialogue made me feel human and it was nice to hear I was in the same boat as others. (Especially designers who's work I LOVE)
Design Is Passionate Risk
When it comes to the real world, it's easy to forget the passion that led us into this profession in the first place. This conference was a great reminder to keep our passion close to our hearts making sure to ask the question of whether you want to do something or whether you need to.
Quite a few of the speakers talked about the risks they had taken in their career and it all started from a place of passion. One cannot exist without the other. It left me questioning whether or not I was acting from a place of passion and whether I took enough risks in my career.
Design Is What You Make It
You would think going to such an event would leave you with all the answers but it always seems to do the opposite for me, which I feel is the best part. Nothing would be discovered if there wasn't a question to be answered or a problem to be solved. I feel challenged to now think of myself in a different way, refine myself as a designer in my own way as that is how I feel I will bring more value to my work. Because I believe the value of design is relative and it is what you make of it.
Et tu?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Disconnect to Reconnect
For the past few months I've been yearning to get outdoors more and spend more time with my mother...
Nature, that is.
Today I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon at a beautiful lake, trail blazing with a close friend. The location is somewhat remote despite the fact that it's just a 15 minute drive from civilization and the scenery is divine; Mountainous, vast amounts of trees, fast-running waterfalls, rough trails, an outdoorsy dream!
As I walk the trail and pass people along the way, I noticed the Gucci bags, the D&G sunglasses, and Lululemon yoga wear being sported and it didn't quite fit for me. It seemed so odd that we were in the thick of nature and these items still mattered to some. I even took a look at myself and even I was transformed from my natural form; my wildly colourful hair, my expensive glasses, my cell phone in tow.
Nature is raw, nature is pure, nature doesn't care, it is what it is, and yet us (as humans) always try to make life out to be more than it is. We place value on items that really have no value in nature. We care, even when there's no one around to see us. It was such a disconnect, a distance from where we were standing to the world we live in and have created for ourselves that it left me wondering what all of that "stuff" is really doing for us, and why we were willing to waste so much energy on it all?
We finished our walk with a good game of Gin on the beach in the middle of two mountains. The wind blew, the waves slowly splashed the shore. By the time we finished I was so relaxed and in such a Zen mode, I never wanted to go back to the hectic pace of life, the concrete jungle I live in.
When I got home, I deleted my Facebook account and decided to no longer Tweet, which might be a bit extreme. For now, the only form of online communication I want to concentrate on is this blog because it's a journal of my life that I've been neglecting and it's time to get back to it.
The people who really matter will keep in touch always. I don't need an application to tell me to touch base.
The time that I now have not keeping up with everyone elses life I can use to read, talk, relax, reflect.
And the energy I save not spreading it so thin on mundane tasks and people who couldn't care less, will be spent on rebuilding my soul, being more creative, and being in touch with things that actually matter.
It's time to get back to the things I enjoyed as a child, and still enjoy, so this is my first and last attempt to disconnect so I can reconnect with nature, with life...
...with myself.
Nature, that is.
Today I got the opportunity to spend the afternoon at a beautiful lake, trail blazing with a close friend. The location is somewhat remote despite the fact that it's just a 15 minute drive from civilization and the scenery is divine; Mountainous, vast amounts of trees, fast-running waterfalls, rough trails, an outdoorsy dream!
As I walk the trail and pass people along the way, I noticed the Gucci bags, the D&G sunglasses, and Lululemon yoga wear being sported and it didn't quite fit for me. It seemed so odd that we were in the thick of nature and these items still mattered to some. I even took a look at myself and even I was transformed from my natural form; my wildly colourful hair, my expensive glasses, my cell phone in tow.
Nature is raw, nature is pure, nature doesn't care, it is what it is, and yet us (as humans) always try to make life out to be more than it is. We place value on items that really have no value in nature. We care, even when there's no one around to see us. It was such a disconnect, a distance from where we were standing to the world we live in and have created for ourselves that it left me wondering what all of that "stuff" is really doing for us, and why we were willing to waste so much energy on it all?
We finished our walk with a good game of Gin on the beach in the middle of two mountains. The wind blew, the waves slowly splashed the shore. By the time we finished I was so relaxed and in such a Zen mode, I never wanted to go back to the hectic pace of life, the concrete jungle I live in.
When I got home, I deleted my Facebook account and decided to no longer Tweet, which might be a bit extreme. For now, the only form of online communication I want to concentrate on is this blog because it's a journal of my life that I've been neglecting and it's time to get back to it.
The people who really matter will keep in touch always. I don't need an application to tell me to touch base.
The time that I now have not keeping up with everyone elses life I can use to read, talk, relax, reflect.
And the energy I save not spreading it so thin on mundane tasks and people who couldn't care less, will be spent on rebuilding my soul, being more creative, and being in touch with things that actually matter.
It's time to get back to the things I enjoyed as a child, and still enjoy, so this is my first and last attempt to disconnect so I can reconnect with nature, with life...
...with myself.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Hard Work is Just Beginning
Well, it has definitely been awhile hasn't it?
It may seem like I haven't been doing much but really I've been busy settling into a new job. No sooner did I get my layoff notice at the end of February, I was getting a call for graphic design positions. Lucky for me, I saw the layoff coming and started job-hunting right after Christmas. Sneaky-me! I am now part of a fabulous, hard-working, creative, and talented marketing team doing what I love.
So...now that I've landed the position, does the hard work stop?
Nope! It's just begun.
After all, I worked so hard to get here, spent endless hours, and countless dollars becoming a strong designer that it would be an awful shame to give up now. Don't you think? Plus, design is in my veins, I don't think I could ignore it even if I tried.
That's where I think most fall off the beaten path. Being strong at anything you do in life takes continuous work. Kinda like a relationship. Nothing is ever perfect, nothing ever goes as smoothly as you think it will, and it never is as easy as you hoped it might be, although sometimes you do get lucky ;)
The key is to stick with it through thick and thin, see through the bad, cherish the good, and you'll have a wildly-exciting career on your hands.
So what's next for me?
Sign-up for another course for my 2D Design certification at Emily Carr, attend Design Week on April 28-30th, and have fun in my new job!
You?
It may seem like I haven't been doing much but really I've been busy settling into a new job. No sooner did I get my layoff notice at the end of February, I was getting a call for graphic design positions. Lucky for me, I saw the layoff coming and started job-hunting right after Christmas. Sneaky-me! I am now part of a fabulous, hard-working, creative, and talented marketing team doing what I love.
So...now that I've landed the position, does the hard work stop?
Nope! It's just begun.
After all, I worked so hard to get here, spent endless hours, and countless dollars becoming a strong designer that it would be an awful shame to give up now. Don't you think? Plus, design is in my veins, I don't think I could ignore it even if I tried.
That's where I think most fall off the beaten path. Being strong at anything you do in life takes continuous work. Kinda like a relationship. Nothing is ever perfect, nothing ever goes as smoothly as you think it will, and it never is as easy as you hoped it might be, although sometimes you do get lucky ;)
The key is to stick with it through thick and thin, see through the bad, cherish the good, and you'll have a wildly-exciting career on your hands.
So what's next for me?
Sign-up for another course for my 2D Design certification at Emily Carr, attend Design Week on April 28-30th, and have fun in my new job!
You?
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