Ngan Truong's profile

Design Methods and Curiosity

Reflection 
The assignment requires to photograph things that might be not at first notice and observe it genuinely to come up with benefits and issues. I applied active observation when observing by participating with the chosen object. Active observation means to see things actively by engaging and looking at the relationships around them. There is another smart way to observe things that are capturing photos or videos to document the details or information if I miss something (Design Council, n.d.). I realise that curiosity is an essential skill, and I activated my curiosity by starting to observe slowly to find unnoticed information. For example, when I observe the television, I sit in that area for a while to look around and find more information. Then, I saw that the television area does not provide any accessories using alongside and rules to be more organising. Additionally, I did not generate new ways of seeing, but I observe in different perspectives. It means that I observe the familiar things in new angles (Smith, 2008). By looking with different views, I started to see my living environment differently with numerous modern facilities and systemic problems behind it. In the back of my mind, I feel very confident when trying to observe the environment around me. Furthermore, I also take the photo numerous times to have the final nine images. The reason is that I recognise that some previous pictures have low quality, use the wrong type of shot or the subject is blurred. Hence, after realising these problems, I need to photograph again and again for the final image. Considering I had lived in this accommodation for one year, I just assumed that I know all the facilities. By contrast, I only have a better understanding of my home environment after doing this exercise. It can be concluded that both active observation and curiosity are the significant skill in the design process. In term of curiosity, it helps our “work more creative and rewarding” without the sense of banal (Interface, 2015). I also realise the vital role of the image caption because it lets the author have control over interpretation (Berger, 2009). I tried to write the caption in an effective way to show why I choose the objects concerning the entertainment system. To enhance my work prospect, I decided to practice observation and a sense of curiosity in any projects to understand profoundly. If I feel I cannot do a task because of the observation process does not precise yet, I now have the insightfulness to know that I can start to work by (i) observing slowly, (ii) asking questions to be more engaged with the object, (iii) looking at the relations around it using curiosity.
References
Berger, J. (2009). Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin Classics
Design Council. (n.d.). Design methods step 1: Discover. https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/design-methods-step-1-discover
Interface. (2015, May 27). Why design should care about curiosity. https://blog.interface.com/en-au/why-design-should-care-about-curiosity/
Smith, K. (Ed.). (2008). How to be an explorer of the world. Portable life museum, Penguin Group, New York, 18-19
Design Methods and Curiosity
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Design Methods and Curiosity

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