YaY!
design… design… design~~the feeling of designing
for the past years i have been working in a small company as a designer.. … working with YDSNers from different years.and other wonderful members….
i didn’t think very hard about what is design. i would say i LIVE and breathe design everyday.. its very intangible .. it is .. really the process of thinking together.. being crazy.. .. sharing the same passion.. feeling defeated sometimes by discouraging clients…. but keep on trying…. keep on thinking how to help make things better… I remember feeling so stressed.. but never feeling insecure about our abilities… i also remember the joy the screams..with my team members when we persuaded a client about one idea out of 1000.. design.. is a way of life…way of growing up.and. becoming me.. …becoz of design… it changes my way of seeing the world, ..being “rebellious”, critical.. yet compassionate and optimistic .. …
I love my work ,! I love the struggles..
i dont know whatever i said here can help..
design is certainly not a career .. not some strategies …a designer is not a position that can be defined by the tasks.. or kind of work he/she does..everyone that keeps thinking possibilities.. that helps facilitate others to open their mind.. to share.. to enable more creative thinking is doing design
Looking back..
As usual, I have been working pretty late these months.. Evan and I did a second review to our fellow designers..
And for some reason, I really wanted to record some of my thoughts .. and.. kind of reflect upon the past year at Caneast.. or Corby..
Interestingly. I just came to realize I actually had an old post unpublished and it was about ” one month at corby studios..” Too bad that I didn’t write much. I wished I had written more during this intensive year.
So much had happened.. thought and felt.. It is a year that makes me feel so proud of myself.. During today’s reviews, my younger YSDNers made me think a lot about myself.. and being a designer..One of the biggest insight is the importance of being appreciative and “proactively humble”.. This probably happened to most designers when they were fresh.. I remember I had this stage too, when you called a lot of things ” lame” ” bad design” ” they don’t know design..” “gay”..
The meaning, definition of “design” was very fresh from school.. very..”designie”.. haaa I use this term to describe those really non-conventional designs that almost only be admired by designers and artists. ..
Entering the “real” world.. where there are very few “designie” clients.. fresh designers often feel pissed when their ideas get banned or rudely criticized…. because they think clients don’t understand “design” at all. And this was how I felt when I started.. But this “designie” attitude won’t get me any further.. there are good reasons / useful comments when you change your attitude and be open to what they said.. Drop that “designie” hat.. and put on other people’s hat..
Like an actor.. act and think like the clients.. or anybody else. There are a lot of knowledge.. that I had undermined or stereotyped as “lame”..
When talking to one of my designers.. she has a lot of potentials, but I can see how she had this “designie” ego with her when she 1st started.. ..I was worried that would have blocked her from seeing and learning more..
I was very happy when she said she is becoming more appreciative to a lot of the work we do.. possibly she has witnessed many of the hardship of dealing with clients..
It’s not that easy to make changes.. and it’s very hard to change people’s mind.. as designers.. I think we need to be patient and persistent… even though if we cannot make that change right now because of client’s resistance to change.. even though what we are doing now seems “lame”.. that does not mean you are not a good designer at heart.. you would be a bad designer if you think you are giving in ..
We need to keep that creative “fire”.. no matter how stubborn the client is.. because ultimately what you want to do is more than just pleasing the clients.. but to design something appropriate and to go to the direction that all your design sense is telling you to go..
Today .. I am not just a designer .. I am a manager and it really marks a new stage of my career.. and personal growth..
It is not just about myself anymore.. it’s really about others.. I can make myself very productive.. but can i make others.. the whole team to be productive and happy.. It is not easy..
How to be friendly, true and supportive.. giving positive pressure but not stress .. how to communicate so that they won’t feel bad yet getting the message across?.. There are .. in fact a lot of skills.. and close observations .
When Corban.. BTW my boss, haaa he is a chubby and funny “big bro”.. questioned me are they good to the company.. I always think about.. is it because of me, not managing good enough.. so that their potentials weren’t showing enough.. Creativity needs room, did I give them the room? Did I brief them poorly on projects..?..
There is a certain “manager” image that I would like myself to be one day… which is.. not a bad ass, control freak, just bluff but never do anything solid.. .. I want to be one of those very truthful, down to earth.. considerate, supportive , high spirit person.. that can tie people’s heart to the company.. and maintain that excitement and fun design team should have.. very forgiving.. that can make his/her designers feel bad on their own when they did something wrong without directly confronting them.. .. a happy team… a fun team..
I feel blessed to be in here.. being with people i can work with .. and play with.. Evan, my co-worker.. hahaa. he is well worth to be mentioned in my blog. he worked here longer than I do.. he is the 1st designer in the company.. he is my best friend , my best support and we work very well together. We can talk about.. basically anything.. from projects to nonsense trash talking.. just to keep our ears occupied during work. HAAA!
Most of all, we have been through the ups and downs together.. our worries.. frustration.. at work..lot of funny moments.. It is hard to find people that can work together nicely.. with chemistry in the design environment.. that you have no reserve.,. no need to act polite.. no need to fashion your words..
i m happy of where I am at right now. it’s late.. I have to sleep~~~`.. i have to save the 2nd half of this for the next time!
bye. Thanks for reading !
1 month at Corby studio
It’s almost a month now working at Corby studio.. well, I worked there as intern for quite a bit of time before thanks to Vicky.
I would say, my life after grad is finally coming back together.. I have a regular time schedule.. I have an aim , a purpose , something to make good use of my day..
Latest interest: screen printing
It’s certainly nice to get my hands dirty again and get away from the computer once in a while
Designer?… what is it..
What is a designer.. I always wonder. When I look up the word designer on the web, a designer seems to be a person with great style, who can make pretty illustrations. But is it? Some say a designer is a problem solver, but somehow I am not quite satisfied with this either. I think the designer is more than a problem solver, and definitely more than a stylist. Being a designer for me is being a creative social worker and also a proactive philosopher. I am a firm believer in research-based design and I believe research is inseparable from design because it gives content and keeps us in conscious for whom we design and why.
Like a social worker, I believe designers should be concerned and highly aware of the changes in society, open their ears to the people on the street and observe with compassion. Although user-centre design does not provide the “answer”, this process of inquiry and application of life experiences creates real opportunities. I have always trusted in this process to give me design directions that work intuitively with users.
Designers should also think like philosophers, who question the nature of things and dissect normality including the designer’s own assumptions. Being self-critical is the first step to open myself and to appreciate diversity and its complexity. While it is important to ask “why”, it is equally important to ask “why not” because designers should always think about the alternatives.