Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog

Good poitns, DT. Mental preparation is essential.

But now you have me curious…How do you balance your approach to ‘constant design readiness’ with your observation that designers (or other creatives) are only on the ball 20 minutes out of each hour?

http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/09/10-tips-for-guaranteed-concept-development-success/
“…not many people realise but creativity and inspiration comes in waves. It’s about 20 minutes or so intervals within an hour. It is within this time that you are the most productive, and your ideas are really fresh and good. The moment you pass that 20 minute mark, the quality of work starts to go down hill….”

CHALLENGE!!!!

I think the 20 minutes that DT said in the http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/09/10-tips-for-guaranteed-concept-development-success/ is just an example of how long your Design Readiness state is. Each person have different duration in their state, just like this DT’s lecturer taught.

To make the state constant or even to increase the duration is the real challenge for every designer. I don’t know how you measure the duration of your Design Readiness state (because when we were in the state, I don’t think we can divert our attention), but I estimates that my Design Readiness state appears only at a blink of an eye. I’m still too green for the industry, but I like to dwell with it.

Since you (DT) also wrote that “Or if you are flipping through a magazine of surfing the myriad of design aggregators out there and you discover a wonderful material or detail, visualise how it would look like as a product.”, then I have an idea to make a design based on what I found, does this considered as plagiarism?

Thank you for the tips.

Hi guys,

Sorry for the late reply. I have been very busy with work.

@Drew, firewalker has hit it on nail right on the head. Readiness is all about getting into the zone. Once in the zone it operates in cycles of 20 mins at a time. You mind is like a warm car engine, you can’t expect it to operate flat out all the time.

@firewalker, plagiarism is reproducing work in exactly the same manner or form as another. The way to avoid it, which is what I think you are trying to get at, is to treat it as an inspiration but then sufficiently develop it with your own design input. To be safe it is always good practice to cite your source or inspiration.

Some have said there is no such thing as an original design, just inspirations of other things before it.

yeah that makes sense. just keeping you on your toes man. i actually agree with your 20 minute assessment quite well…though my interval is more like every other hour instead of 20 minute spurts. when i’m on i’m on, when i’m not i’m not. there’s no denying it. though i think being design ready is an art each person has to learn and it comes naturally.

…though i wonder if self-awareness of this fact has intensified it…like, I look at the clock and say “well, it’s been an hour so i think i’ll check my e-mail, file some papers, and make some phone calls instead of designing anymore.” thanks. >: ( ha. i’m nuts.

back on topic: this visualization method you suggest is something that I think I do, but it’s not structured…it’s just my natural brainstorming. I’m going to try mroe focused imaginings and see where it takes me.