Reading - The Design Process IDENTIFICATION

Reading on stage 2 of the design process, Identification, painted the image of what to expect when working a project. Aspelund stage 2 is about all the hurdles that one must go through in a design project and what to expect from constraints and how to come up with solutions. One of the most important jobs of a designer is to make decision that can solve the problem that we are faced with. I still remember when Jimmy said that as designers we have to think about what it is that we are solving? What is the purpose of this work? Making the correct decision is not always as simple as it seems because we won’t really know what the out come of all of our decision will be until the end. It is all about making the decisions that you feel are the best about that you should go with.

Many times when designing for some else there are many restrictions that you must follow, guidelines that the employer wants you to follow, constraints. Often, these constraints will get in the way of you being able to accomplish your goals the way you want. Recognizing these constraints early on will be beneficial in the long wrong because you will have a clear image of what you are capable of doing. Your “willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints-constraints of price, of size, of strength, of balance, of surface, of time” are the laws that we must follow. Constraints of a designer are probably the most difficult to deal with because it is all about you, the designer, and what you are able to with your time. This section of the reading opened my eyes to when it comes to dealing with all the details you must do to start and finish a project. You have to be very frugal with spending your time on other things in order to satisfy the finish goal. I try to be as organized as possible when it come to doing my homework/projects, but I can only do so much a day with out going crazy. Aspelund does suggest that “couch time” is very important in staying sane in these moments of over work and stress. I think its time for me to spend some “couch