Back when a lot of money did not determine living a rich, full life, every day was an adventure, a discovery of something new which I’d write or sketch in a journal. Art school – Emily Carr College of Art as it was known then, opened me up to a new way of seeing my world. Now grateful I took the art school route before before entering academia to study art and architecture history at UBC. The university experience was a different learning experience. Learning to write papers was a good skill and learning how to memorize chapters in one’s textbooks and notes from class in order to ace the exam became a learned skill. However, the best thing I got with a BA was learning how little I knew. So between these two houses of learning, I’ve learned to use my curiosity as GPS to learn more. A couple of years after university graduation, I took a three year graphic design program in Ontario to fulfill a need for a marketable skill. The culmination of the art school and university education provided the rich textured knowledge base to feed the design process.
I’m now a graphic designer and am passionate about what I do. The word “synthesis” comes to mind to describe why I love this work:
synthesis (from the ancient Greek σύνθεσις, σύν “with” and θέσις “placing”) refers to a combination of two or more entities that together form something new.
There’s a process of coming up with riveting solutions to a design issue. It starts with a need – for a logo, a website, a rebrand, etc… then quickly unravels into an unknown place led by the designer’s creative process once all the needs and parameters are understood. Here’s an overview of the five steps involved in the design process:
Five Steps in the Design Process.
To continue that last conversation about the coffee shop as a point of inspiration – Steven Johnson’s TED Talks delves into the history of innovation. It’s my current read and I can’t put the book down. His TED talk link below will let you decide if it’s a rabbit hole you want to spend some time in:
Where Good Ideas Come From: A History of Innovation
Stay open to the possible. Then stay open and enjoy what comes up.
Laurie Kingdon | CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Outside the Box Graphics | T: 778.839.3755 | www.outsidetheboxgraphics.net
Great blog! I actually found it when I was Googling images to find an idea for the cover of a book I am writing called Spark Innovation. I’m so glad I stumbled on even better answers to my questions. Thanks!
Thanks for the follow! I’ve been busy in my bunker designing websites so your comment is a great reminder to get back to my blog! Stay tuned! Keep me posted when your book is written – I’ll write about it here!