My Design Rules

Recently, I started a new design program. One of our first assignments was to create, design rules for ourselves as future designers. This seemingly simple task caused a lot of contemplation. I believe that the rules of each designer must be based on their personal beliefs as a person. It should represent what they think is important and value. I think that many times our vision is based on what we know and not on what we should want to know. Design must be a part of who we are and not just how we identify ourselves. Design is like a behavior that can be attributed to people from all professions.

As a recent graduate of architecture I found myself wanting to do more than just buildings. I have wanted to look at the world world as a design problem. This notion made life in architecture school difficult. Where one was to use context to create spaces for people, I found myself wanting to know more than just the built environment. It became hard for me to produce finished products like my classmates based on preconceived ideas of what architecture is. I found myself caught in the a spiral of research, wanting to know more about the inhabitants and the surrounding area. difficulties also arose, when our projects were based on our own program (building agenda) and the constraints were not clear. This is one of the most important ideas to me about design. That we should be able to design with constraints in mind.

During the creation of my design rules it occurred to me that design is about creating a relationship. We must have the desire to leave a part of ourselves in whatever we create and can only hope the user will appreciate. Or even better not notice it at all and live a better life for it. This is what I have found to be what motivates me as a designer. The creation of an indirect relationship with anyone who comes into contact with your design. It is about a vision of what the world could look like and our effort to bring that into reality. The hard part is that this takes all of ourselves to make this happen even in the most simplest ways. In many ways design is like an addiction for me that I can’t live without and have accepted as a part of me. In order to do this I have realize that I must also know myself. Here are my design rules or should I say design realizations for now?