Is it all worth it ?

When you believe about something passionatly and others around you dont it can often be a long slog and you can face a lot of criticism over this. To me as a person you should be able to respect others views whether you agree with them or not and especially if you are an ifluential person in their life encorage them to develope thier passion further. Just because it is not your passion doesnt mean it cant be thiers.

Its like in a relationship, you will never agree on everything its just not humanly possible there will always be some form of tolerance and compromise but that is why we are human. Iv had an amazing and very rewarding week which has given my confidence a huge boost, iv had amazing advice from friends and family which i am currently trying out to try and evolve my style although i did hit a slight brick wall when it came to asking others what they thought my style was as there answer......'well your isla' !

So from this statemnet the next challenge is to make it tangible not exactly the smallest of tasks i can assure you but i shall keep you posted. I have started a fun game which i do once of twice a week with a group of frineds which is very revealing about their personalities so give it a try. So this week was what geometric shape would you be. My answer to this is a star because i have more than one passion in my life and more than one influence too which to me are represented by the 5 points like 5 paths in and out of the heart/centre, although i can be sharp if i dont get to where i want to go like the points on the end. So what geometric shape would you be and why, dont think about it too much thought otherwise you will cater your answer to what you want it to be ?

What makes you, you ?

I think this has a large influence on a persons confidence. If you dont know who you are or what makes you special from others it can be hard to believe in yourself and your abilities.

As a design student you are told that your life should be design and art, continually following every step and every event. However what if you have other interests, other desires which you want to follow ? A good friend said to me that there is more to me and my life than just design, is this a good thing or a bad thing ? To succeed do we have to be focused on just on area or can we explore all our other ambitions and follow our curiosity ? I have more than one passion in my life is this a bad thing or is it purely what makes me me ?

To find a style is a hard thing to do as its a reflection of yourself and your attitudes, so if you dont know what makes you special how can you find your style ? Maybe sometimes we cant see our own style and need someone else to tell us.




So this is me, I am a blank canvas. I am a mouldable person someone with more than one passion and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. This is me.

What makes confidence !?

My confidence has taken quite a battering as of late so this post comes from another post by a close friend and a beautifully worded email to which im extreamly greatful and will reply soon =)

So the task - what makes confidence ? Is it doing well at something - beating your goals ? Is it getting recognition for what you have done ? Can it be as simple and finding others in the same position as yourself - knowing that its not just you ? Or is it beating someone else, knowing that you have done better than your contemporaries (i know this sounds a horrible thing but you all know its true that there is nothing better than succeeding over others its our natural competative streak)

For the next few weeks im going to keep a note of what makes me feel confidant and takes that away.

First off others believeing in me gives me huge strength and when i take a knock from a person and they speak out either in my defence or as a matter of support later it lets me know that even if at that time i dont have confidence in myself that they do and believe in me. Its like a little safety net i suppose that when you fall if you have true friends they are always there to catch you and put you back on your feet.

So for today:

Confidence is knowing that even if you dont believe in yourself that others do. Its like a support net , if you fall if you have true friends they are always there to catch you and help you back on your feet.

When is it all worth it when is your effort rewarded?

Firstly i would like to say a big congrats to my friend stephanie for her placemnet in London i know you will be amazing and if you need any tips etc you know where i am.

It can be frustrating when you put your heart ans soul into something and feeling your not getting the recognition for it but i spose that is the way life goes and you have to learn to pic yourself up from it and move on.

http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/1-13-2005-64166.asp

This is one of the most interesting websites i have found in a long time.

It gives general meaning to all colour choices and usage - which most people know when it comes to using their common sense however what is more fascinating about it is it then goes into details about what different colours mean in different cultures.

For example where we see green as very positive and ecologically minded in China if a man wears a green hat it means his wife is cheating on him and so can be associated with many negative issues. Whereas red which we see as a negative colour associating it with danger they associate with luck and prosperity. In many ways these developing courties are almost opposites to western coutries.

More interestingly blue is considered a very positive colour and is widely known as the safest colour choice for many. In countries such as China blue is known as immortatlity and all things future forward. As a result of this that is why my focus for my final product is about blue and water.

Also the caption of green by stealth should almost be changed to blue by stealth !

what technology?

advancments in RDIF could be a consideration however it was really interesting to see this article. I wanted to develope something which could be done in the near future, and this certainly makes it seem like it could be possible.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7997961.stm

understand who you are selling to

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_47/b3960003.htm

This article shows quite how hard it can be to understand the young chinese market. Sony's approach seems logical and well thought through, maybe this is a better approach to take and build a consumer profile? It also emphasises thier want for product that are designed for them and thier needs over something which has been done in the west and sent over. It also becomes obviouse that their have a very high view of design and see this as a method of developing your competitivness as a company.

360 degrees

Having met up with geoff yesterday i fear i have taken the wrong track. Where as before i had taken the route of simplicity is best i had forgotten about the high technology drive in many of these developing countries and so simplicity could be seen as too simple. As a result im doing a 360 on the principle of my sketches and instead looking at highly techniqual but still with a plug in and go mentality. From this i have looked at what technology trends are most popular in these countries for example China and mobile phones maybe the concxept could be some form of visual phone application ?

energy challenge results so far

Feedback has been good so far. The oldest of the test groups has brought some interesting results with referance to inclusive design. For example the guide would need to be visable from above as one of the males who participated struggles to bend down to turn the plugs off. So the function of turning off the switch could maybe also do with revision - ergonomics and inclusive design. Another issue riased was the success of the chart acting as a reminder, so maybe something which sparks an emotion or memory to give the consumer some form of an emotional attatchment to the energy they use would be more beneficial.

Design is a social Language !

What else can i say about this title. In many ways i think it summarises everything i want this self directed project to be and how i want my sollution to work.