What sort of designer do I want to become?

 Reflection on what sort of designer do I want to become?

I do not feel that I have been answering this question so far in my blog posts.

It crystallises how to approach designing something and what values/ethics, ideas, resonances drive it when you have to design something.

I thought of my top three drivers or influences as follows:-

1)  To be contextual (this includes looking at what exists already eg types of materials, types of architecture, demographics, transport network, need for change or continuity of provision or service, green spaces and environmental factor, other local factors, budget).  Although being contextual, more of the same is not necessarily then a given requirement.  It may be as in the ethos of Monty Python, "Time for something completely different."

2) To be relevant (people and nature are already existing in the landscape, they have interests that need to be respected and conflicts mitigated).   "If you build it (quote) people will come", but tell that to empty High St shopping centres.  If you build something relevant that fulfills the needs of humans and respects nature, then people will come. Animals, insects, eco systems continue along side the human footprint to achieve a balance and a healthy environment.

3) To work with and promote nature.  Fortunately, laws are now in place to protect wildlife and to give back to the environment eg biodiversity net gain. It has been recognised that hedgehogs need help to reestablish in Britain and other creatures such as urban foxes are here to stay.  Global warming may affect certain plants and planting schemes may therefore need to be adjusted to provide shade at the natural times and food at natural times.

The above 1) to 3) are not a hierarchy, each is important but to me the logical flow is as above. Each need springs to mind and then flows seamlessly into the next one.  Seamlessly as they form a whole that makes sense as a starting point.

The other desire for any designer that comes up (but I believe after the above) is not to be boring. As a novice to design I do not feel that I have to reinvent the wheel.  There must be designers who are new, who are still quirky and innovative and want to put their mark on their subject.  However, for me I do not feel I have enough knowledge and expertise so the most I aim to do is to create something of beauty but within a known, tried and trusted framework.

Creating anything of beauty and hopefully relevance is exciting.  Writing a book, designing a garden or building, creating and following choreography, dancing, crafting, playing an instrument.  When it all comes together it is a most fulfilling experience.

There is a challenge to the creative person in the sense that the idea may be complex to bring to fruition or can be met with obstacles in form of budget or others not being on board or placing limits/distortions on the concept.  Too many limits/distortions can detract from the original idea which can make a designer feel it is not worth following through.  If it is in danger of not being the concept that took the interest of the designer it can lead to friction and perhaps withdrawal.  For us as students we do not get the same blocks on our ideas, as the architect on the Golden Valley project told us, "when you are students you can explore your ideas (paraphrasing), if you want tree houses have them, this is your time to experiment, as when you get into practice, then it is looking into the rules and regulations of whether it is possible to have tree houses." We can of course have personal blocks to delivering on a project if not very good at information technology or modelling.  That does concern me that I need to overcome this aspect.