"Quote of the week"

“I wont miss a design philosophy that lives and dies strictly by the sword of data.”
Stop Design Stops Google by Douglas Bowman www.stopdesign.com

I love this quote. I always used to think that paper research was essential in any design process and don’t get me wrong I still do believe it has quite a large part to play but I also believe that experience speaks for a lot when it comes to design ! Especially when it is user focused.

In a world where inclusive design is such a buzz word I would love to know how many people physically put themselves in the position of their users and experience what they do everyday. Its all good and well reading about it but it’s a completely different situation if you experience it !!

Making a postive out of a negative......

I have found another video again from the lovely BBC and Richard Hammond looking at the publics reactions to elderly people. Richard dresses up as an elderly person and tries to recreate his experiences and feelings he experienced while wearing the Mobilistrictor suit.

www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/ageing-attitudes-to-the-elderly/6032.html

I think an interesting thing to rememebr is that you can talk to your user group as much as you want and immerse yourself in their situation but there is only so much they will tell you. Sometimes there are aspects of their life that people are too embarrassed to talk about. For example no one would openly discuss their problems using the bathroom !

Although feel free to comment if you feel differently =) It'd be nice to hear some other views on this one.

Making a positive out of a negative.......

When you have a near death experience I think your eyes are opened properly. So many things rush through your head everything from regrets from things you may never be able to do to things you wished you had resolved or never said to someone. Fears that this may be it for you, have you made enough of a mark on this world for people to notice when you are gone? Will you ever be able to say I love you again to your husband and family ?

I am making a plea that from now on to take chances, say what i think and never have any regrets, you have no clue when your life may stop. Live everyday to the full you can not predetermine what happens to you and god I tell you must work in some very weird ways but maybe I am supposed to learn from this.

It helps you see clearly what is important in your life. There are so many things you think are, which when it comes down to it just aren’t ! Memories and thoughts fly through your head every day they are individual to you. Maybe its not about what you do in your life but the QUALITY of the life you live.

A persons experience and knowledge is what makes them them so on the same principle of walking in someone else’s shoes before you choose to judge or criticise try and understand others experiences and how that has made them who they are. No matter how we try we have prejudices and dont recognise them until we experiance it from the other side. This relates to Barthes theory of Ordinary things where sometimes it is the smallest things in life that we treasure the most and have the largest effect who we are and how we live.

making a positive out of a negative situation.......

I think one of the faults for design especially inclusive design is that many designers don’t physically put themselves in the position of the user as much as they should. For example I believe if you are going to design products for the elderly you should do similar to Richard Hammond in his documentary and wear and old persons suit for a week - the phrase

“ you should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before passing judgment “

Comes to mind. Many designs which are inclusive are based on book research or prejudices but a lot can be said for first hand experience and living your design process. !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/ageing-mobility/6030.html

Above is a clip of Richard Hammond in the Mobilitrictor suit that I was talking about earlier it very interesting to see how he reacts to this sudden ageing. Remember here he is only 65 try putting yourself in the position of someone who is 85 ! You can see from his reaction that there is no way he would have fully understood the lifestyle of someone more elderly as well if he hadn’t worn the suit !!

I think the only conclusion that you can draw from this is that personal experiance is one of the best ways of learning and understanding.

making a positve out of a negative.....

So we are here again starting another year at university although its different this year as this year is 4th year. This year we are actually expected to do something of worth. To start making our mark on the world.

There is always that battle in your mind of wanting to do something worth while in your life, to make a difference to achieve something in your life ! I think that is one of the things im most scared of in life is not making and impression to not be indispensable.

So where have you been all this summer then ? Well I can answer that in one word…..hospital. I was unfortunate enough to be involved in a severe car crash at the start of the summer needless to say beware people towing things who then think it’s a great idea to block both lanes of a dual carriageway. This resulted in myself lying in hospital staring at a roof with a broken back - not exactly my idea of a great summer. Although i amused myself by counting things on the roof so for example my deaf friends there are 2448 little squares in the lights above my hospital bed in ARI.

However I am determined to make a positive out of this negative experiance. I am now forced to live a life in a back brace and crutches until around Christmas. I find the design of the back brace is incredibly dated and contsrained let alone unpractical. It is certainly designed for function not form which is good in many ways however when I turned to people in a similar situation to myself for suggestions about coping with life in a back brace there are a few phrases which are continually being said

“wearing a back brace is like a 24/7 sentence”

“ After a few months you can get off with not wearing it for an evening so you can go out”

These phrases really scared me as the whole point of a brace is to give you some form of life and freedom when you have a broken back but everyone who wears one see’s it as a limiter and an inconvenience. Being a brace wearer myself I have found there have been so many limitations to my lifestyle not only in personal care but generally living. Now alot of this cant be helped for example the inability to carry anything is due to your broken back not your brace but there bust be better solutions than there already is......or ones that would be feasible for the NHS to put into manufacture !

Mindapple

Iv had really good feedback about the what shape are you challenge and thanks to a good friend who is spreading the word. I know i found it really helpful. I have just come across a concept called mindapples (again from my dojbuddy, you can see her blog below). She explains it a bit better but its basically to make you stop and think about a place that you find positive to yourself hers is a train or bus etc where she can sit and daydream, mine is anywhere away from a city centre (but the further the better) early in the morning, i find it really refreshing to sit and let the new day wash over me feeling the fresh air and listing to all the subtle sounds of just generally being outside really clears my mind and helps it to focus. So yeh please go on to her blog and comment about where your mindapple is

http://oddthings-and-me.blogspot.com/

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.