Reading - The Design Process

“I shall join the creators, the harvesters, the celebrants: I shall show them the rainbow and all the steps…”

These are the first words that are found on the first few pages of The Design Process by Karl Aspelund that Jimmy assigned. Aspelund was quoting Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None by Friedrich Nietzsche. He was able to sum the purpose of his book in a few words, Aspelund wants to join all the other people that have left their mark on graphic design and show others the steps that it takes to get from an idea to a fully developed concept. The quote by Nietzsche speaks volume about every one else that is trying to get their foot in the door in anything that they have ever wanted to accomplish, in anything that they have always dreamed about doing. I speak for my self when I say that becoming and being a graphic designer is not just something I want to do, it is something I want to be great at, successful at, and respected at.

Part of our first reading assignment was to read the very beginning of the book, you know, the pages with all the roman numerals. The beginning of the book provided me, the reader, with valuable information on how the book is organized and how to use the book. It covered everything from table of contents, preface, and acknowledgements. The preface is where most of the general information is found, Aspelund is very good at letting the reader understand the purpose of his book and the use of his book. Today’s understanding of becoming a graphic designer “requires a book that describes how to travel the path from the World of Imagination to the World of Objects and helps students sustain themselves creatively on this journey” (Aspelund). It is important to understand how to go from designing from inspiration and move to production.

“Whats next?” Reading on the following 7 stages of design:

1. Inspiration

2. Identification

3. Conceptualization

4. Exploration/Refinement

5. Definition/Modeling

6. Communication

7. Production

I’m hoping that in reading this book I come to discover some answers, and become comfortable with the idea of curiosity.