by Mary Tate
In October, we held the Design Community Revitalization Academy. I had the opportunity to present the first session and had asked our participants to bring an item or image that helped to personify what design meant to them. One individual brought a series of images for a façade improvement project, another brought a photograph of a high-style building from their home country; someone else brought a description and image of a ceramic mug designed for functionality, and another person’s image showed the reuse of a bank into a beautiful loft. I mentioned wallpaper and the use of color and patterns.
The examples above are just a sampling of the numerous interpretations that exist for the term “design”. When participants were asked, “what does design mean to you?”, the responses varied from concrete things such as landscapes, buildings, clothing, and transportation to intangible things such as emotions and memories. I asked my children this same question and their responses were as follows: creating, shoes and cars, and going to school and talking about what design means; again, varied responses ranging from the physical act of designing to the abstract concept of design.
Our experiences and interactions characterize our personal definition of design. Where we have lived and visited, what we have read and studied all contribute to our personal design philosophy and ethic.
As we move toward this year’s conference with the theme of design, I challenge each of you to be open minded as you work through the projects in your own communities. Consider the opinions that differ from your own as they are the product of someone else’s experiences. We often hear that design should be for all. In a way that is true and what we strive for, but we also must recognize that sometimes that just isn’t possible. What works for one person doesn’t always work or appeal to another. When we allow ourselves to view other perspectives, we acknowledge someone else’s opinion and oftentimes, that simple act of acknowledgement holds more value in the long run.