Emily Ryan - Reading 3

Chapter 3 is about creating form. The first technique that is discussed is sprinting. This I think is going to be a great idea for me to try, because I’ve noticed many of my designs and photos have the same aesthetic. Sprinting is literally like a running sprint, where you put your ideas down very quickly and part of the idea is to take more risks.

Next the chapter goes into using alternative grids. I’m pretty familiar with a regular grid system, so this was interesting to see ones that were not so geometric.  That will be interesting to experiment with in coming projects.

The section on how to create a kit of parts was pretty straight forward and short. At least, as I interpreted it, was that you can create simple parts and schemes and use them throughout a project to keep it coherent.

A brand image is more than a logo.  It is a combination of the design itself and how the culture reacts with it, and how it can gain longevity. It is important to know the audience you intend to reach, and decide how to communicate with them.

The next section about mock-ups is something I am familiar with. I have made many mock-ups before, both formally and informally.  They are a great tool and I use them often.

The section on physical thinking was very interesting to me, because that is how I began my love of design. It all started with putting papers together. I think it is great that it is still acceptable to use that method, and not everything must be done on a computer.

Something I found really poignant in the next section was the statement, “The natural environment provides an accessible tool for generating authenticity”.  This goes along with the next section talking about using unconventional tools. I think that is a really great way to push creative boundaries.

Lastly the book discussed how to implement deconstruction and reconstruction. Basically in each method, one is breaking down something in order to recreate it in a different, new way. It is about understanding why something works, and reinventing it.