Reflective Writing

On Monday we were introduced to one of our new modules; Designing Innovative Research and it was Professor Richard Harper that introduced it. He led us into thinking about how to change humans. It's a big question to ask, but looking back it seems simple, well in the way that he put it.

We had a discussion first of all on how designers think and how that differs to how others think, like scientists. We show ourselves in the way of our portfolio a nice clean pretty package with finished objects photographed to look appealing. But we don't like to show the rough side of us, like our sketchbooks, prototypes or failings. But isn't everyone like that? Why would anyone want to show that they are bad at drawing cars or can't spell or struggle with maths, etc. It's a bit like superman telling everyone that kryptonite can kill him, it's giving away his biggest secret and why would we do that? But that's what makes us human, our little flaws, our mistakes, our failings and people sympathise with that. I suppose you can tell that I'm British because apparently we like to tell people what we are bad at.

It is knowing all this that makes people like Richard Harper able to do what he does. Getting inside people's head and figuring out what they like and what makes them happy. The bottom line is that sharing makes people happy. Taking pictures and showing them to people, being told a joke and passing it on to friends, finding a link to something that someone would be interested in and passing it on. I found myself asking, Why do we buy things if we aren't going to show people? The coolest phone, you want people to see it. The best song you've ever heard you want people to hear it. People like to share.