What is
the design process
to me?
These postcards have been curated from the work I created for the Design Process Resilience coursework under the guidance of Professor Cindy Atman at the University of Washington.
Each week, we were tasked with illustrating our interpretation of the design process, drawing inspiration from our daily lives, and sharing our reflections during class discussions.
Here, I present my top 8 favorite postcards that I created, along with the thoughts and meanings that shaped them.
Postcard 1
This postcard views the process as a journey from chaos to clarity. It illustrates how initial ideas and thoughts, which may seem chaotic and jumbled, transform into distinct and organized concepts when engaged in a structured process. Each idea emerges with its own unique identity, represented by a "color of its own."
Postcard 2
This postcard views process as a tool to transform chaos into organization. It highlights the importance of identifying the key themes that need to be addressed within a process. Equally significant is the idea of eliminating unnecessary tasks, ensuring that only the most important targets remain in focus and one doesn't burnout.
Postcard 3
This postcard evaluates how somebody carries multiple processes in a span of time. We engage in multiple processes and we are at different stage of each process. We might be kick-starting a process while we might be in the evaluation stage of another. We are constantly engaged in different processes and being cognizant of what stage of a particular process can help you approach it more thoughtfully.
Postcard 4
This postcard evaluates the idea of change as something that is inevitable. Only when you strive to change is you engage in a process that transforms you as a person. And it sees the idea of change as something that makes you more resilient as a designer who engages in a process.
Postcard 5
This postcard, rather abstract, is focused on the idea that every decision has an outcome and sometimes we may not be able to witness the outcome, but it still exists. So every decision that we take in the design process affects individuals when they are using the product that you have crafted. Therefore, being aware of the process that you engage and the outcome you are striving for is important.
Postcard 6
This postcard is rather a personal view into my individual process of how motivation and demotivation can be balanced while engaging in the process. Sometimes inspiring oneself is important to push through and get towards your goal. Discouragement is inevitable but inculcating in yourself the strength to keep going is important and is a skill that needs to be learned to not only engage in a process efficiently but to push through to achieve the result.
Postcard 7
This postcard does not think only about the process, but us being a part of a bigger group. When we are engaging in a process, oftentimes we have to collaborate with multiple individuals. Each individual has their own story and we may find similarities and differences, but acknowledging that every person is unique is important to be cognizant of when carrying a process in a collective group.
Postcard 8
The final postcard is a collection of what process means to me and how it changes me as a designer. Initially, something that is messy is where we try to find meaning. Once we find the meaning, something that was once messy has now a language, a meaning of its own, like resonance. The key idea here is that when I am engaging in a process, I am not only changing or producing the outcome or the output, but the process is also changing me as a person.
