“Each time I wake up, function in my habits and context, I perpetuate and function in the systems I am fighting for or against. Am I living my fight? In honoring what I chose as my fight, I am wondering how I can embody these systems in myself, in first person. I am in perfect capacity in making new forms of living, by living as an example. I am an agent of change”
The first week being back from winter holiday, whilst also writing my thesis draft, has sparked a lot of motivation for reflection in the projects I did in the first term, and also the interests I express this term, and after the first design studio and Future talks, I am moved to purposefully impact in my local community, and embrace the complexities. When I think of how this visually looks, I think of a systemic galaxy group functioning in various scales inside out, and outside in
What are my interests and Identity now?
The MDEF programme has offered me a platform to map my strengths and my network to make an impactful contribution to the Weak Signals I care about. Representing my ideas, identity and fight in a design space has been a profoundly introspective journey, where I found myself shifting and growing in my ideas and who I want to be as a designer.
My vision as a designer is to advocate for social justice in urban spaces using digital frameworks and decentralized web systems as a tool for research and design. I want to find my place in understanding the connections and architectures of decentralized digital systems, machine learning models, conscious use of new technologies, learning creative coding and soft robotics for design interventions to make an impact on a set community. This trimester I choose to work with artists and creatives in the digital space.
Reflection as a design Tool
Reflection is a way to make implicit knowledge explicit , a way to help us make decisions. This is based on what has been happening. Donald Schon, knowing in action is the way we deploy our action, our tacit knowledge is embedded in our actions. The conversation with the situation and the results you get, are what the situation is reflecting you. But as you change the situation, the situation also changes you. Reflection is reaching a higher level of extraction.
Asking 5 why’s
What if? What are alternative ways / wish I did differently
Reaching out to organizations and people already involved in “my fight” or with similar interests is a huge leap to understand what I am exploring and start asking the right questions. This example is from after our visit in Can Batllo and meeting with Clement from Aqui Sharing your ideas, realistically where they are, is powerful , I saw this from design dialogues. Even just sharing creates a platform to reflect, and talk to other like minded people, create networks etc Unlearn a lot what I learnt in design school ( such as comparing yourself, competitiveness) Never do anything alone ( work with others and collaborate with classmates and outside of IAAC) Document for yourself and others - be open and show your mistakes, your thoughts and weaknesses. Communicate your process Learn to redefine failure, rethink what perfect means- when you see the pictures you see the perfect. Dont let a sense of perfection hinder the development of the project. This can lead with procrastination, go with what you have. There is no failure as we are exploring possibilities. Think about the references you are using to judge yourself , they can be fading or harmful. What are my strengths? When you are exploring something new, you need to re-assess your reference point of movement, its not always good or bad. How have I learnt?
Some things to remember for Term II