Making Sense of making sense: Conversations with people
27/03/2021
Ok there are a lot of questions in my mind right now but how to bring method to this madness? This is what the Miro board looks like right now:
Even with the preliminary question(s) i zeroed in on yesterday (shown above, on the right), there was still work to be done on getting a sense of direction for this project. I crowdsourced this to Instagram, and connected with my friends and insta-followers, who are predominantly artists and designers. Here are three questions that i asked.
And here’s what Mohor wrote in an earlier conversation (14/02/2021) on being a young designer and grappling with tough decisions:
I am going to back this up based on day one (and subsequent days/months/years) of starting up. I think the onus of shaking up the ‘system’ lies with individuals. It’s quite disappointing and tiring to wait for someone to change it. It’s also quite unrealistic to assume that taking a stand will be peaches, regardless of where you are in that journey. Based on how the last 15 years have panned out, I’m quite happy to report that taking a stand early in the professional journey has resulted in:
(a) missed opportunities
(b) a good night’s sleep
(c) earning the the respect of clients even if they didn’t go with you
(d) finding the right mindset match with a client/collaborator.
The onus is not on you, but you do have power over your decisions. That power can help shape your journey and sometimes even change ‘business as usual’.
I am going to back this up based on day one (and subsequent days/months/years) of starting up. I think the onus of shaking up the ‘system’ lies with individuals. It’s quite disappointing and tiring to wait for someone to change it. It’s also quite unrealistic to assume that taking a stand will be peaches, regardless of where you are in that journey. Based on how the last 15 years have panned out, I’m quite happy to report that taking a stand early in the professional journey has resulted in:
(a) missed opportunities
(b) a good night’s sleep
(c) earning the the respect of clients even if they didn’t go with you
(d) finding the right mindset match with a client/collaborator.
The onus is not on you, but you do have power over your decisions. That power can help shape your journey and sometimes even change ‘business as usual’.
Here are some other responses:
OVERARCHING THEMES
problem solving
eliciting of positive feelings
functionality
addressing systemic oppression
honesty and value
aesthetic appeal
eliciting of positive feelings
functionality
addressing systemic oppression
honesty and value
aesthetic appeal
RAMANNA SHRINIVAS
Architect, FID Student
‘What are your ethical conundrums?’
Architect, FID Student
‘What are your ethical conundrums?’
Majorly it's about money. It almost always is. It's also a sense of entitlement that is annoying.
Like this whole thing about designers having to solve problems
So one is financially speaking
Where I dislike the concept of me getting money for giving a product that solves something
(in the bamboo workshop)
I find this understanding that it is a far better system to be able to make open source designs that would allow and even possibly empower artisans and craftsmen to develop these designs either as is or further to be able to sell it themselves and develop an economic sustenance
Because the alternative, which is for me to make the designs, get someone to build it and then give them a fraction of what it sells for doesn't seem right.
While I understand that sure as a designer you've done the research and back work to be able to develop those designs and "fairly earn" the remuneration you deserve
It doesn't feel right?
Like this whole thing about designers having to solve problems
So one is financially speaking
Where I dislike the concept of me getting money for giving a product that solves something
(in the bamboo workshop)
I find this understanding that it is a far better system to be able to make open source designs that would allow and even possibly empower artisans and craftsmen to develop these designs either as is or further to be able to sell it themselves and develop an economic sustenance
Because the alternative, which is for me to make the designs, get someone to build it and then give them a fraction of what it sells for doesn't seem right.
While I understand that sure as a designer you've done the research and back work to be able to develop those designs and "fairly earn" the remuneration you deserve
It doesn't feel right?
I've figured, a lot of times, your work is 'called' good if it solves the issue for which it was initially started (not talking about art here, only design)It's called mediocre if it initially seems to solve the issue but later gives troubles. In layman terms, imagine an architect used a super fancy designerly tap for a house in Bikaner. 6 months later, the tap starts collecting scales. The family cleans it but the tap loses it's sheen. An year later the tap starts leaking. But no plumber around is able to fix it because its 'GodKnows whateverGermanTech' .
Now, do you call this good design? We'll initially the family did call it amazzzing design (when the house was just made). Some time later, it starts showing it is a misfit.
In my opinion, this js not good design. Ofc I'm still figuring out what's good and bad (if any) in design. But one thing that I've surely figured out is - good design responds to context.
Now, do you call this good design? We'll initially the family did call it amazzzing design (when the house was just made). Some time later, it starts showing it is a misfit.
In my opinion, this js not good design. Ofc I'm still figuring out what's good and bad (if any) in design. But one thing that I've surely figured out is - good design responds to context.
TAVISHA SINGH
Artist, Illustrator
‘On work and good work’
Artist, Illustrator
‘On work and good work’
humans enjoy work.
All work
Like they do something and the change is stimulation for them
It's like how babies keep on dropping the spoon
They do something and it creates a change
So works which do not allow people to process the change hence appreciate it would be bad work according to me
Like the toy makers in Chinese factory
Toy making would be extremely fun if one could see children, play with them
But the workers are mechanised they don't even get to see the final result of the toy, let alone a kid playing with it.
All work
Like they do something and the change is stimulation for them
It's like how babies keep on dropping the spoon
They do something and it creates a change
So works which do not allow people to process the change hence appreciate it would be bad work according to me
Like the toy makers in Chinese factory
Toy making would be extremely fun if one could see children, play with them
But the workers are mechanised they don't even get to see the final result of the toy, let alone a kid playing with it.
So based on the above conversations, and many other responses, here’s a basic lowdown on what could make design good. The depths of this can be explored through the course of the project.