Glocal.

It’s interesting to see everything blend together.  It’s when we are on point, always available even while sleeping, usually under some sort of time restraint or deadline, constantly writing emails, and checking social media updates, always in a state of … distraction… to be connected – when standardization derails variation and floods our attempts to connect, worldwide.  Designing and acting on a local level is the first step to extending ideas further, on a global level.  Ideation, trends, and innovative processes are often subject to local acceptance before a translation into deeper waters.  But is this possible?  Is it possible for design globalization to exist in a realistic manner? 

Culturally, our lives operate on a certain evolutionary tradition.  There are a handful of countries, including the U.S. and Japan that is pushing for globalization (positively & negatively) in attempts to monopolize economies.  However, in a number of third world countries, mass-production is just a day job or non-existent, and under the laws of a weak economy.  In these societies, when a mass produced product is purchased, it is what it is, and often times poorly built, or little resources to improve the functionality.  Perhaps, allowing for globalization with product decreases a cultures identity, resulting in generations lost to manufacturing.  The way we dissect our ways of living must be understood by others in order to extend a safer, more functionally stable proposition in this translation.  For instance, the facelift in Europe’s currency has had a huge impact on social learning, and questioning of who you are, who I am, who the person across the street (or, ocean) is.  Utilizing as many resources at ones fingertips is key to evolution, is key to connection with the world without sacrificing our diversity and individual contributions. 

What we must realize is that good design is functional first and simplicity in function is a basic need of humanity, “good is a known quality, forget about good,” says Bruce Mau, an influential Environmental Graphic Designer.  Alexander Popov was the inventor of the portable radio, a device that can be used for the same purpose from Los Angeles to Toronto, from Amsterdam to Sydney; it has successfully proved itself as a globalized product.  And there are definitely international standards of design, and we know that we operate on a “creature of habit” basis, so instead of attempting to “re-educate” the world on why this/that should be standard, why not instead focus on local language.  Why not combine global and local?  Throw out the worry’s and keep working towards what our species does best… evolution.

I'll confess, reality bites.

So, my television is off, and I do not mind, is that strange?  I’m staring out of my living room window wishing I were outside.  I would rather be outside running up a sweat right now, but my wonderful computer demands my attention; a deadline is a deadline is a deadline, and I can pretend that key strokes are therapeutic, right?  Here’s the thing, I would rather be outside, I would rather attend to deadlines, because the last thing I want to do is look at the power button on the television remote control. Once I do, it ZAPP’s me in! Poof!  Consequently disappointing my deadline, all reality is shot, and I have soaked up hours of mostly rubbish. 

I started thinking about reality versus REALITY.  If you are in front of a television, or can spot one in viewing range, take a look at what channel/show/commercial is being aired.  Determinism plays a role in guessing that the information and ideas being digested are half news and sports, and the other half media portrayals of reality banter and “do-it-yourself.”  Take the “do-it-yourself” broadcastings for instance, some are mediocre, some are intriguing, and the rest have shattered the reality of a number of professions—oh, one of them is design.  Acquiring complete creative control as entertainment is one thing, but calling yourself a professional designer and giving poor advice has led to disastrous road of the average American concluding: “This is all it takes? A trip to Home Depot?”  And, look, not everything is a misconception (in fact, Home Depot is one of the top five largest growing companies in the US), but when you are a person, such as myself or a licensed designer, watching channels make a mockery of a process that require education, research, licensing, and practicality, I would rather keep my television off rather than to gasp at mistake after mistake.  I understand, why America wants and craves the “do-it-yourself projects,” and a variety of what channels like HGTV puts out is stating purely:  this is an option, you want this, this is affordable, your neighbors have this, this is “green”(is it really?).  What the channel and Home Depot should do, is take it down a notch, and refuse to broadcast/sponsor projects that insult design professionals, instead hire a few more… a truck load more.

Perfection is arbitrary, and aside from entertainment, perfection is quite possibly one of the foundations that reality television attempts to accomplish.  When we decide to start taking things at face value and minimalize our wants versus our needs, maybe I’ll (and others) will be more inclined to turn on the television to discover the “good out there.”

The world is not flat it is round, or is it? I’ll let you know, I’m going for a run. 

The forever & infinite seduction (of the black line).

Stop what you are doing.  Right where you are, stop all cognitive activity and flood your mind with silence (this is almost impossible, but give it a good try).  Once you have done this, stand up, slowly turn around in a circle, and observe in detail what surrounds you.  Look up, look down, look side to side, look to the horizon line, and to the edge of what surrounds you.  Pay close attention to what captures your eye first, and then identify what it is that draws you in.  Why you, why it, why this with that, why do we associate a loyalty to a favorite chair, what does favorite mean, what does the automatic response to proximity say about experience, why does the light shining through tree branches get over looked?  The world at large is strengthened by its subconscious abilities; we are attracted to positive experiences of coherent idioms.   

A week ago, I attended an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) hosted event, accompanied by IIDA (International Interior Designers Association) representation.  Its purpose was to gather interior design, contractor, architect, and field supportive professionals to acknowledge regulation of interior design in not only the state of Florida, but in the eyes of the general public.  Among the crowd of professionals stood an eager yet hesitant group of interior design students, and as one of those student’s, let’s just say there is something to be said about the power  and strength behind this group of people.  A line was drawn when Interior Design as a profession was (and still is being) put to question, and it has recently been made apparent that the general public overlooks many of the very elements that interior, textile, industrial, graphic, and urban designers are responsible for while transforming chaos to order, and the way we live our day-to-days.  From the way we turn to get out of bed in the morning, to the reach of our toothbrush, to the flooring beneath our feet, to the voltage of a light bulb, to the thickness of a glass window separating us from the rain outdoors, to the street sign suggesting “Yield,” and I could go on and on, but all of these things require a diverse collective of professionals to accurately design the way of your every day. 

A year ago, I purchased a framed poster from a garage sale, published in 1990 stating, “the internet is a fad,” and I thought it was a perfect example of how a revolution began and a very simple idea to “connect all” transpired.  When I started this blog, I immediately thought of that quote, because DESIGN is a necessary way-finding revolution.  A (design) profession must be willing to connect itself to the community of believers and opposition, because we are all inter-connected.  We are connected by a goal, one goal:  to live, observantly.  It is our nature to consciously and subconsciously observe, or if you will, snoop around to see what’s goin’ on out there.  “The good out there,” on the right side of my blog site is dedicated to other blogs and websites that I have observed and watched for some time now.  The list is very eclectic, including all of the professions listed above, and will continue to grow and serve as the platform for an infectious understanding of design, and the underlying line that connects us all. 

So, stop what you are doing, this blog entry is over.  Go to the scroll bar, scroll up, click on a link, and support the snooping.

Ps, ___________________________________ now, that’s seductive.

Pay it forward.

Today, I woke up, took a vitamin with a shot of V8, did the get-ready routine, shuffled myself into my car, buckled my seat-belt (remember, “click-it, or ticket!”), turned on the air conditioning, turned off the radio, pulled out of my driveway, and then it began.  My mind began scrolling through the daily list of things I needed to accomplish, by order of priority and detail.  First thing on my list, seriously... GET STARTED, ALREADY! 

Other than the normal annoyances of driving from point A to point B, I like driving, it gives me time to be with myself, and dwell on subjects as they come to mind, or just try and figure out what my dinner plans are.  But, this time was different.  I thought about my significant role, as an Interior Design student, and the impact those two words have had on me.  I thought about my journey to get where I am today in my personal life, education, and where I might go with these two words.  My next thought was about what I initially portrayed Interior Design to be (I dare not speak of certain television channels), and what my current opinions are of my profession, efforts, struggles and opportunities.  When asked what Interior Design is, how can I best define the scope of knowledge I practice day in and day out to the average Joe?  First I laughed, because my past responses have typically revolved around a formal response, “to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public…”  But, the average person, to no fault of their own, only selectively sees/hears what the media projects; moreover, word to the wise, those who wish to turn a corner should turn on a blinker beforehand… this deters both accidents and misconceptions. 

A commitment has been made to the education I have received and pride in knowing that what I do has value, and part of that commitment is to correct any misconceptions that may enable opposition.  It is not enough to lay out a resume of skills and software that are required for accreditation to define what Interior Design entails. What the general public should know first and foremost about Interior Design is that it is a profession, not an occupation, not a hobby, and not a popularity contest to make rooms look pretty by painting one wall red, toss up framed art on another and call it a day.  That “job” is for a decorator, only.   An Interior Designer is an expert of research and functionality of interior space for the user, and surrounding environment; this means the space you occupy and the indirect atmospheres you experience through the senses (which accounts for a percentage of how a person will react when entering a new interior space).    With that said, Interior Designers are constantly striving to provide the public with a social understanding of our responsibilities. 

Our responsibilities include:  >research of survey sites  > research of cultural related demands >identifying the client/user needs  >knowledge of building/fire/ADA codes  >spatial diagramming (identifying approach to space, use of circulation and intersecting paths created by public and private areas, size of spaces by usage and orientation to surroundings, and placement of specifications for functional testing)  >conceptual proposal   >specification research (furniture, fixtures, sustainable  textiles, special equipment)  >construction documents of design  >detailed drawings and perspective area drawings  >oversee complete construction of design at the site.  An Interior Designer practices this method to ensure the users a universal ability to occupy any space with comfort and efficiency.

My last thought during my drive today was this:  I depend on this vehicle to get me where I need to be, in a safe and comfortable manner.  I rely on my car to withstand certain weathers and its durability over time.  Just because a vehicle may be a nice color, does not mean it is dependable, and functional; you have to look under the hood to see what is really goin’ on.  Interior Designers are the details.   Please pass it on.

It is 2011, the most important year of my life... so far.

My birthday is approaching, in approximately two weeks.  I am rounding the corner of my twenties, and climbing the ladder to the age of twenty-six.   The big 2-6.  While meaningless to some, I have an extraordinary admiration for time, and those who “know” me would butt-in at any given moment of this blog stating loud and clear, “she was born in the wrong era.”  Thus I am constantly a little ahead and a little behind myself, an extreme observant in the greatest abstract manner. 

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years—all of these represent time, which standardizes the measure of a lifetime.  Time is typically measured by success, failure, process, durability, and I could go on and on, but I won’t (because this is all relative, and I’d probably go on a tangent  about my love for Bob Dylan and Maya Lin, that’s for another day).  Approach to time has become this phenomenon in so many societies, and a personal struggle of my own.  At the end of 2007, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life, I doubted myself.  This is the time that my family experienced the hardship of losing a loved one.  After succeeding in to my senior year of college at The Art Institute of Tampa, and well on my way to graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, I withdrew from the college, and withdrew from my closest group of friends.  I fell in to a depression, one that my family/friends did not understand, because I did not want pity and I did not want to explain, anything.  I fell off the universe.

Within a span of 3 years, I succeeded to become a severe work horse, and sneak off to book stores to devour any design magazine I could get my hands on, preferably Wallpaper, Architectural Digest, and Contract.  I woke up every single day looking at the objectified world around me, thinking “I cannot live without design, how do I get back to the forum where I belong, I know I can do this…”  It took a series of critically traumatic events after 3 years, to finally pick up the phone in December of 2010 and say with courage, I am back.  And, I am!  I’m back, and proud (add in: also, scared out of my wits) of myself for getting back on route.  I will graduate in December of 2011, and it doesn’t stop there.

The approach I have is anything but simple.  I want to retain the education I have earned and put it towards not the world of design but the design of the world (Bruce Mau is a notable influence).  This notion is to explore my future potential as a licensed Interior Designer, Architect, Writer and/or Urban Planner.  I admire what it takes to take time and space in its most minimalist form, and apply it with a holistic standard moral code, one that includes the welfare, health, safety, functionality, and maintainable qualities.  These attributes make up the good in our world, and highlight the opportunities.  These things keep us grounded, and show us what to strive for.

Looking back to my first years of college, I remember one of the very first things I was told about my profession:  every interior space has one common characteristic:  Approach/Entry.  The time for my approach is now.  Time is now, on my side.  Yes it is.