Last semester, I got to take an “Intro to Engineering Design”
class, in which we covered a whole range of topics regarding design: from
initial brainstorming to the final presentation of the design complete with
things like manufacturing specifications, measurement tolerances, and 3D
models.
I won’t say that it was my favorite class, but I thoroughly
enjoyed it. See, until this last year or so, the only type of design I’ve been
a part of is purely creative. The designing of a novel doesn’t need a lot of
technical elements: an outline is usually the farthest it goes.
In engineering, however, the design starts in the creative areas and then slowly morphs into more
technical areas.
I’ve come to appreciate both in a way that I could not have
without having experienced first the wholly creative design process, and then
the mixed design.
The Importance of Design
Stories aren’t made by mistake. No one “accidentally” writes
a story. It takes a conscious effort to sit down and write something. Even if you don’t know for sure what’s going to happen in the story at any given part,
you’re fully aware that you’re writing it.
Design is the conscious
effort behind creation. It’s laying down conscious decisions about what you’re
creating. In writing, that can be anything from “I have this idea…” to “I have
these four outlines and seven notebooks full of worldbuilding and character development
for this idea…”. In engineering, the design is – often enough – itself the
creation.
Design is a process.
It’s the development of your idea from start to finish, whether it’s a short
story, a novel, a chemical process for the creation of preservatives, or a new
design for an internal combustion engine.
Why does design matter?
Without design, do our
creations really mean anything? If we create things without conscious effort,
what is their worth?
This isn’t supposed to be a philosophy post, so I won’t make
it one, but I will say this: without
design, our creations have far less meaning and worth. They’re accidents,
made unintentionally in the subconscious of our minds.
That, to me, doesn’t speak to what creativity is. Design is one of the integral parts of
anything we create.
Fluid Design
You, of course, probably aren’t super interested in the
stiff form of an engineering design. It’s probably not overly interesting to
read about abstracts and design papers and research papers and 3D rendering and
process detailing.
Probably.
Instead of structured
design, conventional artists (those who design the fine arts) tend to
follow a more fluid design pattern.
They create things, but they’re not in any particular order, with any
particular amount of formal thesis writing or problem stating, and they’re
often wild and unpredictable.
Which is better?
Neither.
When it comes to design, you must avoid the comparison trap. Don’t take your design methods and
compare them to others. Everyone has a different way of designing things.
Even in engineering, where design is much more structured and pre-formatted,
each engineer will design things differently in their initial stages. It’s not
until they have to present it that they’ll conform it to standards outside of
their own.
Let your design form the way you need to form it.
Let it be fluid.
Your Design Process
So… what is your
design process?
For me, I have two different design processes: my fluid
design and my structured design. The latter is what I use when I’m doing
technical art, like engineering design and math and science. The former design
process I use when I create fine art, like writing.
My fluid design is probably more structured than many,
because I’ve also got that part of my brain that wants to structure it. When I design a writing project, it
progresses in almost the exact same order from book to book. I start with a
basic plot or character idea, expound upon it and then develop characters. Then
comes worldbuilding and plot arcs, followed by a rough outline on my wall and
then a detailed outline in a notebook. This process can take me anywhere from
three weeks (for instance, Barnslow Died
and Asher’s Song) to eighteen months
(Agram Awakens, and my newest project
I’m about to start).
For you, I’m sure it’s different. You might start in a
different place, create less outlines, develop your world more or less, or any
number of different things.
You know what?
That’s okay.
Design isn’t about “the best way” to make something. It’s putting real effort into creating
something.
Design, in and of itself, is an art. The art of making art. I think that’s beautiful.
So.
What does your art of
making art look like?
(Meanwhile, I’m sitting in my college’s library and I just
spotted a book titled “Nihilism” and
I feel the need to skim this book so I’m going to end here… don’t mind me.)
Hi this is PPP I like design and I liked this post.
ReplyDelete-I am too interested in abstracts and design papers and 3d rendering.
-Nihilism is fascinating I hope you enjoyed that book.
-My art of making art usually consists of pulling out a rulebook and laboring over a plethora of alphabetical lists and scribbles and such, then basically ignoring them as I produce a horribly rough project. then I revise it to look more like the original outlines.
Hey, sorry I just now saw this! Blogger did something funky and didn't let me see that you'd commented.
Delete-Nice! 3-D Rendering is such a cool concept and I love being able to work with it. What programs have you used?
-It was interesting, but I didn't have much time to spend on it.
-That sounds about right. ;)
Nah, you're fine.
Delete--Hrm I think I used KeyShot at one point, but mostly Blender (although idk if that's quite the same thing?)
--xp Well that makes sense.
--Yup yup.
Ah, nice. I've never used KeyShot (heard of it, though), and I've only done a bit with Blender. I've mostly done stuff with SolidWorks and AutoCAD (which are more engineering focused, so I guess that makes sense).
Delete