OPEN YOUR EYES - The Art of Looking

Contemporary Design Culture: Week 2

The main focus of this week’s workshop was creativity and how while we were all born with an innate sense of creativity it has faded in most of us over the years as societal norms set in and shape our thought process, often for the worst. However throughout this workshop we were challenged to open our eyes and change our perceptions in order to delve deeper into our latent creativity.

I can only speak for myself but the highlight of the class came when, in groups of three, we had to design something nonsensical that no one needs. This kind of idea generation is called negative brainstorming, I found it to be hugely helpful by enabling me to get into a creative flow. By cycling through many random, fantastical ideas we were able to create without the limits or barriers that we have become accustomed to. Hearing everyone’s unique outlandish concepts certainly furthered my understanding of what it means to be creative.

We also participated in other creativity exercises that developed our individual understandings of the art of looking and how to activate the right(creative/abstract) side of our brains. One such exercise was to have us all draw a symmetrical face-shaped line next to a pre-drawn graphic. Obviously this exercise was designed to test us, I found myself adding facial details to both faces almost giving them their own personalities. I noticed a few people doing this and I feel that by doing this, almost, sub conscious action we were demonstrating signs of creativity. Although it wasn’t originally stated as a part of the exercise, creativity doesn’t tend to follow a set structure and often comes in random bursts. I feel as though this exercise is an excellent example of how creativity can arrive at random moments and present itself in different ways.

It is often the most mundane things that can hold the most potential for creativity. This was seen in yet another exercise where we needed to take an object that we use everyday and examine it for 5 minutes. By doing this we began to notice things we never noticed before and we gained a new found appreciation for detail. It is often the case that some of the most thought out and complex designs can be the smallest details of a product. It is the culmination of these miniscule details that make a product/object beautiful.

“If something is boring after two minutes try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that is not boring at all” – John Cage

Reflecting now on this week’s class I have once again gained new insight into the world of design and developed a new appreciation for the small details in such a world. Creativity is something we all possess, it is how we cultivate and utilise it what matters, that is what it means to be a designer.