going green

I would like to dedicate this blog to mother nature, because she is an ever changing wonder that no designer can redesign, no matter how clever or how skilled.

these drawings are recycled thick styrofoam padded posters that were headed for the dumpster. I used the back as a new clean surface and with sharpie and tape created a border and image.

When we think about the ethics of design, as my Design 001 teacher, Housefield, at UC Davis mentioned in class last week, it should always be about reconnecting with the true idea of beauty and "creation" which is nature. We should use nature, the universal idea of beauty, and incorporate what nature does with its creations. Recycling, for example, is not a man made innovation, the earth has been recycling since it started. Nutrients and minerals change from soil in the ground to food in the plant to flowers on the stem and back down to the soil once it falls off.
Design should be about creating an ecosystem of art, where we can create and use every thing by finding different purposes and usefulness in our design pieces.
One way I recycle in design is I take old broken jewelry that people would rather throw away that fix, I take it apart, and by combining different beads and pieces from old jewelry I create something new and beautiful. The same goes for clothes, when I don't like the way a shirt fits, I cut it up and make it new, or turn it into a purse or  pillow or anything. Design can be changing things, not just "starting anew."

The wonderful part about being a designer is that we can taylor things to our liking, things that already exist, and therefore help preserve the world around us. My goal with design is to link it to everything else in our world, which right now many believe to be a global crisis of the loss of natural habitat and important resources.

Use design as a tool, not just as an art. Use design as a way to show your effort, not just to show your skill. Use design to help the world be and stay more beautiful, not to destroy it.

Comparing and Contrasting

Tree Art displays along the San Diego Harbor

Two dimensions versus three dimensions. How are they different and how are they similar?

Picture a window that opens up a lovely vineyard with big purple grapes and curly green vines stretching out for miles and hills in the distance. What is the difference in experience if you were to take a photograph of a place like this versus sitting at a real window looking out? The mind can be tricked, so it cannot be the visual aspect. A photograph captures perfectly every detail, every shadow and every line. What it cannot provide is a different point of view, a new angle or a new perspective. Two dimensions will always give you the same image and the same structure no matter how you look at it. If you sit perfectly still, sitting at the window will give you the same experience, but when you move, you might see farther to the right or farther to the left.
If we think about the difference in design, why would a design in a two dimensional space be different than a three dimensional space? René Magritte explains  very well how we might think of the differences between what we often look at on paper versus a sculpture or a crafted object. In The Treason of Images (1928-1929), Magritte writes in his caption "this is not a pipe" though the drawing is of a pipe. He seeks to emphasize the difference between the "idea" of something, its representation and Jean Piaget's theory of object permanence, which is the idea that we know something exists even when we don't see it. Magritte might point out that often we do the opposite of object permanence, we think something exists when it is in fact not a "thing" at all, but another form of that thing.

So, though it is not the visual aspect of a two dimensional design versus the three dimensional design that is different, because ultimately they can be almost the same and therefore infer a similar experience, it is the idea and the mental knowledge of knowing that the design is portraying while the three dimensional design is. 

Design as Conversation

There are many ways in which the human being can communicate, just as there are many languages that exist in our world. Who's to say that design is not a form of communication, because everyday in our modern world design is becoming more important at sending specific messages when presented to an audience.
Not only is it a way to transmit information, but it allows the same subject, the same topic, or the same design piece to invoke an infinite amount of ideas, debates, and conversations. Just as a linguist would point out, there are an infinite number of possible sentences to be created, and if in a language that we understand, we can decipher the sentence even if we have never heard it before. "I cook frozen branches on sundays because thats when the bird sits on my windowsill" is a sentence you have never heard before and yet you still understand it.
 Design is the same way.
Design provides us with an endless source of information that can always, in one form or another, be understood and interpreted. The difference between design and languages, is that we use our senses as our communication tools instead of our mouth and tongue. Sign language is the closest "language" in its formal definition that bridges the "language of design" to the "speaking languages." When we experience design, we internalize it and make judgments and inferences about what we see, touch, smell, feel, and hear. Toys"R"Us is not going to have the same font design as Coach, because a children's toy store needs to imply fun, happy, and playful ideas where as a top brand design label is going to want to be sophisticated and chic.
Next time you are eating cereal, look at the box, and ask yourself what kind of a message is the design on the box sending and you might be surprised to realize that what you thought you "knew" about the cereal was not being told to you by the words on the box, but the design on the box.

Pink and powerful

This blog is all about "design in society" in every way shape and form. Just today, as I was searching my mind for something to blog about, I took a bite of cereal and looked down at my spoon because I simply had nothing better to do.  The back of my spoon said "Designed by Simon Legno" and I thought "oh boy! its design in society! Its design in my room!" And it reminded me of why I had kept this pink spoon.


As I'm sure many of you are, Yogurtland is one of many frozen yogurt places to pop up all over town and allow you to indulge in your favorite flavors with a variety of yummy toppings. And because it is so good, I want to go as many times as my wallet can afford. The only problem I have consciously about eating frozen yogurt often besides the spending aspect is the idea of waste. When I buy ice cream, I can buy a cone and all I throw away is a little paper that wraps around. But with frozen yogurt, there are only bowls which require spoons. Legno designed a spoon that is not only colorful and cute with different characters sitting at the top, but a pink plastic spoon that is biodegradable. When I first read the back of the spoon while enjoying my frozen yogurt, I was so impressed that a frozen yogurt place had bothered to make a eco-friendly spoon. For me, Legno designed not just for Yogurtland, but he also took in to consideration his eco-conscious customers who could indulge in a bite of yogurt and have one less guilty thought in mind.

Design from Without

A design for a friend who lived on the fifth floor of her dorms

"Think outside the box" is a common saying that generally means "think differently and in a way that no one has thought before." How, you may ask, is this possible?

I say do the opposite, by thinking inside a little tiny insy-wincy mini box.

You say I'm crazy.
Let me explain.

When people say, "draw me something, anything" we always go with our strongest animation, be it a stick figure or a heart or a dog that you have doodled on your page a million times. Having little restrictions means that you get to stick with what ever you normally do and what you are comfortable with. So how can a person get inspiration from elsewhere if they don't need to look anywhere to get what they need?
By putting a restriction, the tightest boundaries on a project, it becomes necessity to forget that buffer and search all possibilities around for inspiration. I find that my creativity expands and is tested because I must step out of my comfort zone and use my surroundings to guide me in the right direction. Try this exercise that I had in an art class one year. Trace your hand in pen and make a picture that integrates the outline of your hand but is something realistic. No, the turkey is not an option, but its a good example of how you can still distinctly tell its a hand and a turkey at the same time.

...don't be shy, you might have to look around you and "without" for ideas and inspiration...

Stone Soup

The tale of Stone Soup is told in different ways with the same message, two heads are better than one, or in this case, many heads are better than one. It might even explain why and how communities thrive, by relying on each other, using a collective grouping of resources to accomplish a common goal.

In my Design class at UC Davis, we took the stone soup "method" and applied it to design itself to create a stone soup of art. The picture shows our creation in its final stage, but it is the process that I would like to share with you in more detail because creating something, as we all know, is not just about the end product, but about the process which provides substance to any creation.

Our design was not meant to have a deep symbolic importance, but rather just a project that we, as a collective group, could enjoy and experience. We only had a short amount of brainstorming before we went right to it, on our hands and knees trying this piece of twine here and stacking this box there. It was as much fun as it was frustrating, since without a real plan, stability was always an issue, and when something didn't work, we turned around and tried something new by getting a new piece to steady something, to alter it with tape or wire, or simply to throw the idea out and grab something new.

To say the least, it was not what I had expected, because when you work with others, you must always remember that others will have different and often better ideas, and never the less, it is important to always work together, be it in a stone soup project with things you find in your desk drawer, or when remodeling a living room for a customer, or building a new city hall, because what we create, we create within a setting. It is all about design in society.

Space 4 Art

This summer I had an opportunity to see the power of art, design, and culture, and how they can spread positive energy and motivate people. Space 4 Art is a live/work space for local artist living in San Diego who receive the opportunity to have not only a space to design freely, but to be surrounded by supportive people in a community that is realizing the importance of design.

Space 4 Art opened my eyes to the idea that art and design are more than beauty and more than the creation process, but essentially the context in which it is in. They value the freedom to express yourself through any and every art form. But what I liked most about Space 4 Art was their constant awareness that the poeple around, those who lived down the block or those who came in to the space, were important and should benefit from the space. It was them reacting to the community that makes it more appealing than a plain old museum, becuase art and design is nothing without the reactions and interactions that people have with it. I am not trying to downplay museums, I think they are great and everyone should try to find some that spark their interest, be it a museum of art or of science or natural history. But what I found is that when they reached out to the community by offering workshops of street art for high school students or classes for anyone interested in the everyday fun of photography, I knew that art and design are essential to our communities and societies, to let people be creative and explore their imagination the same way that schools push students to learn.

I wish there were more outlets for people to interact, communicate, and experience art and design the way that Space 4 Art does for the community of San Diego.

what is design

Discussing the meaning of a word is a wonderful conversation and a never ending debate precisely because  people can never truly be right or wrong. Design is a subjective analysis that needs an individual perception to first take place.

Some could argue that because design has no clear definition it maintains a lower reputation in the critical world and should receive less respect because of its lack of objectivity. I would argue the contrary. Why? Because most of the things we experience in our world are from a completely biased perspective, not to say that is good or bad, but looking at design is most like looking at the real world. When everyones ideas about design are what make design, does that not give the individual, be he/she a world renowned designer or not, equal opportunity to shape what design is now and what it will be tomorrow?

If design is the experience of our senses in relation to something that someone has made, wouldn't the way I interpret it be right according to me and the way you interpret it be right for you? If you feel happy when you see a neon pink chair, then why should that design not be a "happy design" is that is how you react?

Design to me, is the combination of the functionality of a thing and its effective attractiveness, be it the color, size, shape, texture, or quality. It is impossible to avoid design, the room you sit in, the street you drive on, etc, and designers constantly re-evaluate areas to create a better more positive experience that better solves a problem and often serves it function by communicating with people. If I want more young people to come to my city, I will design the city with more playgrounds so families feel its a family friendsly neihgborhood, or with a nice down town and good bars and restaurants to attract the young adult.

In the simplest terms, you can think of a world without design like a world without senses. A world withought senses  gives no opportunity for intelectual growth. Humans are unique in their ability to look at something and be able to analyze it. People can contrast one object with something that is in juxtaposition, or relate it to something more abstract, like a memory. Design explores the power of the human mind and emphasizes the difference between the human thought process and all other living things. Why does a pink chair make you feel happy? Why not a navy blue chair?
When we talk about design, design is the nail and our mind is the hammer, and everyone will hit the nail in, but never in the exact same way.

Humans not only have the ability to use tools, but are capable of making them, to make them better, to make them more effective in every way shape and form. The everlasting argument about what design is parallels designs endless possibilities.

So what is design?

Its a great conversation starter.

design in disguise

The word “design” brings to mind forms, like objects such as chairs, children’s toys, pens, and cars, but it is the space that design can create which makes it especially unique. The inside of a building can have four ninety degree walls, but if in one room the ceiling is thirty feet high and the other is only ten, the element of space is powerful and will change the experience of the design.

Thinking about my first positive memory associated with design, I bypass the traditional objects such as the Barbie doll and remember a space that has a lasting impression on my idea of what design is. 

My side porch in the house I grew up in created an interesting pathway. Because my house sits on a hill, the ground beneath the porch is slanted, leaving enough space for an adventurous child to crawl on hands and knees and explore the unknown. The experience of the space makes a lasting memory because it was very much unlike the top of the porch, the intended pathway. Beneath was dirty, narrow, full of bugs, and left enough cobwebs in my hair to decorate the house for Halloween. 

Combining the sense of rebelling against clean clothes and tknowing that no parents would or could manage to go down there, made it isolated and and my own secret garden away from chores, rules, and authority. 

 While this, I'm sure, wasn't an intended design element, it was present none the less. 

Design often has that effect, the unintended effect. If the designer of the porch had added extra support beams running perpendicular to the long passageway, it would be a different design, create a different space, and would have disallowed me to experience the space beneath my porch. Thinking about this possibility, it reminds me not to see the obvious functional effects that design is created for, but to think and explore the possibilities of the ways in which a desing, especially through space, can create unpredictable experiences.