Designing our way to the future

This excerpt stuck out to me, especially because in most of my design classes, I see my peers make their work based on what is happening in the real world today. Most of the design I'm surrounded by now has a purpose, and there is always a message behind it. Because this was written a while ago, it is super interesting to see how this has aged, and how this writer was able to predict something so accurate based on the design world we live in today.


How to not design

The title was the first thing that stuck out to me here, which made me really want to read what this author had to say. I feel like with art we are taught there are no wrong answers, and that we can freely make and create as we want. The same does not really apply when it comes to design, especially in a business setting. I found the list of rules humorous, but helpful, because a lot of this is not taught in a graphic design class. This list reminds you to not jump ahead, but to focus on the process of what you're trying to create.

No End

I really enjoyed this excerpt, but it also highlighted one of the most frustrating things about design, and it's that it never really ends. You put so much work into one thing, and once it's over you do not know what to do with yourself. Personally, when I'm really focused on a project and I finally finish, I am extremely exhausted but then the next day thinking about what I have to do next. A quote that stuck out to me was “ But there are limits to what a book can do:you really only learn and master things that you can relate to your own experience - the core design experiences that you feel and live through can not be borrowed from others. Nothing beats designing.”

What's new?

This excerpt talks about the importance of humbling yourself when it comes to designing. It challenges you by making you understand that everything you are thinking about and doing has already been done before. Just because someone was the first person to execute something does not mean they were the first person to have that idea. I also really liked this section of the book because it talks about how technology was just taking off, and they did not know what was going to happen with the power of cell phones and computers. It is cool to look back and see how much has changed in such a small amount of time.