Hi All!
I joined the group late and am new to this blogging stuff, so please bear with me. I'm really enjoying Pink's book. I just read the chapter on Design and identified with quite a bit of his observations. As a child my parents took my sister and I "sample housing" on any given Saturday. We were never moving - it was just a free afternoon of voyeurism and pretend. I remember going home and sketching the interior layout of the house and rearranging the rooms and colors of paint and carpet to suit my taste. These days I find myself gawking at the incredible glass sculptures at the Borgata , over analyzing color choices for carpeting and wall paint and fretting over the aesthetic balance of my bulletin boards. I don't know if that makes me a design guru or a complete nut! Regardless, it sort of makes me a "Design Detective" according to Pink. I am learning that I am definitely more right brained than left brained, especially as it applies to design. I choose decorative objects for their visual appeal, but also because they trigger an emotion.
I enjoyed trying some of the activities at the end of the Design chapter, particularly the one that suggests focusing on an object (p. 98) Interesting. . .
It also dawned on me that the media success of the design industry, from TV shows like HGTV to Martha Stewart, really depend on the fact that folks enjoy employing their right brains!
Sue Mandia
5th grade Lower Salford
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I also found that chapter to be very interesting. I already get one of the magazines, RealSimple. I find the layout clutter-free and clean. I also enjoy all those design shows on HGTV. Another part of the chapter I found interesting was on design and stories. Ever since the Dyson vacuum has been advertised, with the inventor telling his story, I have been intrigued by it. Last week I needed a new vacuum and yes, I went out and bought a dyson. It has an interesting design and now having used it, it does work well. That goes right along with the thread on how something useful can also be beautiful. I also do quite a bit of shopping at Target! Gwyn Clark
Franconia Library.
I love the notion that design can influence the way we work and learn. Pink indicates that schools and hospitals have been slow to embrace design, and I agree that both institutions should pay much more attention to design. Not because we need lavish spaces, but because we could do a better job designing spaces that facilitate 21st century learning...
I recently got to tour the new high school, and I was very impressed by the design of the school. There seem to be windows everywhere, and to me, this just feels so much more conducive to creating a welcoming and effective learning environment. The building overall came across as so much less institutionalized than our current building. I definitely believe that design can play an important role in education.
This was an interesting chapter to me because, while I am musically artistic, I have always been somewhat spacially and artistically challenged! I have, however, been noticing different business signs as I drive, noting the "design" of their logos. I also found it interesting to note Pink's mention of classroom space and design. As I looked around my classroom, it appears I could do a better job of providing a space that is more inviting for learning!
I am responding to this from a societal perspective more than an educational one, at least intially.
I am one who appreciates design, especially in automobiles. I do think, however, that our society has gone "over the top" about design. The higher priority can easily becomes style over substance. When people become so fixated with style that substance is lost, what is reinforced is that materialism and what is seen are more important then what lies beneath. I think that many are consumed with this mindset and, as a result, we can appear very superficial and materialistic.
From the perspective of education, I think that the way schools/ classrooms are designed can certainly enhance or detract from learning, but think the more important issue is what goes into
these places, such as qualified, caring, committed, effective staff and teachers, administrators, Home and School Visitors, etc. Vision and passion cannot be substituted by "design". Guess from which hemisphere I'm speaking!!!
I am a bit behind. I, at first, poo-pooed this chapter because I am not interested in novelty and don't need a better can opener. However, I have changed my mind since I now see the effect of design on productivity. I like his checklists, also. In my day to day,I am most affected by design in architecture. I have often thought that this has a tremendous contribution to our relationships at work, our collectivity and productivity. For an award-winning design, the architecture of Oak Ridge plays favoritism among the staff. And this is a big deal. Looking forward to THurs. Will try to catch up.
wendy
I cannot seem to let go of the "Design" thing! I understand the need for schools, hospitals, government facilities and low income housing projects to be well maintained and have modern amenities. I do believe that people's lives can be enhanced by the "design" and care of the places they learn, work and live. I do not believe, however, that a "cirulean" toilet brush or a banana hammock in the kitchen is going to significantly improve one's life. I think "design" is primarily about two things...one's need for self-esteem through the possession of material things and marketers simply trying to "differentiate" their product to make money. The Design chapter talks about people's lives being made so much better through "design".
I think the "finer" things in life can certainly improve one's outlook and give a higher quality to one's life. The kinds of designs I think of in this way are art, music, literature, plays...things we can experience, not stuff we can buy!
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