5 questions about stuff
Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by danbot
Dan: Is design everything?
K8: No, but everything is better with good design.
We would like you to think of these 5 questions. Only briefly, and answer by adding your answers in the comment section. You can remain anonymous.
[Picture of Corb, painting nude. Sourced from http://www.gravestmor.com]
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
q2. Is it what you want to do?
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
[Cutaway of the mouse, Sourced from wikipedia]
Very vague questions we know. So answer them however you want. If you need meaning for the questions to be relevant, make the meaning up.
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
i’m a lawyer. yes studied for 7 years ahha.
q2. Is it what you want to do?
no.
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
that is a difficult question…maybe my surfboard? or my favourite knife….I need them both to do the things that give me pleasure. so yes.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
I think the design process is essential…If you are the designer. Is knowing the process important to me? Not really…It helps you appreciate the design too because you see things you didn’t know were there.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
No. Definitely not.
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
y. Architecture, and still not for long enough.
q2. Is it what you want to do?
The jury is still out on that one.
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
A device that empties my pockets. No wallet, no phone, no camera, no sh&t. A week is still too long to wait for an iphone.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
Always. It helps to understand the potential of what the thing is.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
yes. I’m not impulsive.
Q1. I will be a lawyer at the end of the year
Q2. Hell no
Q3. Without a doubt my MacBook Pro…I use it for work and play
Q4. The design process is only important if it results in a beautiful and logical product. Otherwise it is unimportant
Q5. Sometimes, but generally no
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
I do public health. Yes
q2. Is it what you want to do?
No i want to tour the world with music
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
My macbook pro. Yes
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
Can’t say i consider the design process much at all
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
If i’m buying something i don’t really think about the design process. Only the end product
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
I’m a random.
q2. Is it what you want to do?
yes
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
we’re all part of a greater design. that’s very important to me. i need this design to maintain my oddity.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
who really knows the process?you can guess, analyze, presume, wonder, study, estimate, or make-up, but you can’t really know.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
No. No i don’t
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
I project manage the design and construction of holes in the ground. Bachelor Engineering.
q2. Is it what you want to do?
I want to be a photographer, artist, traveller and rock n roll star.
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
Thing. music playback device. yes.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
not important to the user who requires only functionality. if it works, does what its supposed to, good.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
process of design? not often. i bought a pair of jeans last night and my priority was do i like the style and do they fit.
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
Things I dont get paid for: breathing, sleeping, eating, discussing random thoughts on blogs…
Things I get paid a little bit of money for: Music, relief teaching (studied for the latter)
q2. Is it what you want to do?
yes (more music than teaching). There are lots of other things I like to do too, like making femo beads and wondering aimlessly. There are lots of things I dont do that I would like to do.
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
Designed thing…I appreciate many things that have been designed. Designed things assist us in our survival (eg medical devices, infrastructure etc), and they educate and entertain us (e.g. internet, tvs, i-pods). Designed things may inspire us (architecture, art/music), or provide tools for our own creative endeavours.
While I appreciate these things, I don’t need them to do what I do. I appreciate what has been created, but not as much as I appreciate the process of creating, regardless of the outcome, or what tools are or are not at my disposal. If I dont have an i-pod, I still have my thoughts. (I actually dont have an i-pod! but I wouldnt mind one)
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
In many ways yes, in some ways no. Without the journey, the end has little meaning. Experiencing the process, or having knowledge of a process gives meaning to the outcome. Having said that, objects can still function (albeit not to their best) even if the user has no knowledge of their underlying processes (e.g. me and computers). What’s more, people can attach their own meaning or ideas to objects with which they have little or no prior understanding. So can dogs. They drink out of toilets. The water is fine. But Britney really shouldn’t have babies.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
More so now than ever. Often there is no correlation between what we claim is important to us, and what we actually spend our money on. Artists starve, and diversity is lost to monoculture. Some people reward themselves with McDonalds. I use it as a punishment. When I really hate myself or the world, I purchase a big mac. Luckily I only hate myself enough about once every three years (sorry Dan, I know how you love the maccie Ds…)
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
i am a comedian (sort of - cant support myself…..yet) no i didnt study to get here, But I have taken note of whats funny and how to deliver lines over the past few years
q2. Is it what you want to do?
yes. oh god yes
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
since comedy doesnt pay much i work as a bicycle courier. so i must say that my bike is the most important thing. i didnt care about bikes when i first started but over time i have come to appreciate the perfect design for self powered transport. i work with guys who live for riding, like live for riding, its quite amazing really. I didnt get it, but now, after a year, i understand.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
to me no, its not my background - to know how things work. not interested
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it
no
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
i’m a coach, a project officer in HR and an art gallery assistant. but more and more i’m trying to do ‘life’ instead, or at least, first.
i studied a bachelor of arts in fine art and a bachelor of arts management. not sure if either helped to get me where i am, but they certainly look good on a resume.
q2. Is it what you want to do?
no, but i do like it.
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
a jumbled mess of a house in gracetown. i don’t need this thing but for a material object it provides me with the most happiness.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
the process - as opposed to the completed object? the importance of the process is minimal to me dependent on the object. i’m usually more interested in the original idea and then the completed object. the process is usually the hardest part. in painting, sculpture or architecture i like to appreciate the complexities and admire how difficult something is to create, and i would probably reflect on how it was actually constructed for a few seconds.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
clothing would be my most often purchased object that has been designed. i look at the tailoring, the stitching, the fabric and the colour, and make a decision on how it suits me. in effect, i am subtly reflecting on a process that a designer has deliberated over. in fact, just this morning i was looking at a jumper and said “think of the time it would take to knit that”. so maybe i do think of the process in some cases.
i suppose the more information i have about a process, the more i will think about it. but surely that is an obvious statement.
q1. What do you do, and did you study to get there?
Telecomms Engineer - yep! 4 yrs
q2. Is it what you want to do?
Yeah so far so good…
q3. What “designed thing” is most important to you? Do you need this thing to do what you do?
My surfboad is most improtant to me, coming close is my guitar in 2nd… I think I would be a grumpy bastard without them so yes! I’m travelling with them at the moment.
q4. Do you think design process matters? Is knowing the process important?
If you want something that is quite personal to you then its I think the design processed matters, otherwise it doesn;t matter to me at all. For example for this laptop I’m using I couldn’t care less about the design process but I couldn;t live without it. Is knowing the process important… No but I like that my surfboard was designed and shaped for me only and a lot of effort was put it to make it the way I wanted.
q5. If you were to buy something, do you think of the process before you buy it?
Rarely, only if I want to keep it for a long time and it matters to me personally. I think high quality starts with good design and I;ve taken that and the process into consideration with buying some things like q3.