As designers, we are often asked what inspires us. It is a
broad question and can render many answers. When an idea arises, it can be from
the culmination of a series of events, or even a single random experience. What
inspires us is forever changing, as it should be.
With the daily grind of drafting and modeling, sometimes the
“why” is lost. As much as routine is
comforting, do you ever have a day when something happens that shakes you out
of the expected? And even if it interrupts your flow, somehow you’re energized?
Finding inspiration in the unexpected or mundane is
something we need to be reminded of, and when we need a little boost, we return
to this video from time to time:
Not only does it give us a chuckle, the message is that even
a mistake or accident can generate a unique thought and lead us on a path we
weren’t planning to take.
At a recent AIA event in which Environ's office was one of five
downtown Long Beach firms toured, we spread the humor and challenged the
attendees to come up with a design using a sheet of paper. The time limit was
thirty seconds at which point each contestant was told to place their
creations down to be judged. Competition was fierce and prizes were categorized as “A Builder’s Dream,” “A Builder’s Nightmare,” and “Most Creative.”
 |
| More pics of the tour here. |
 |
| Related: One man's trash is another man's building. Rafael Vinoly's 432 Park Avenue Skyscraper was inspired by a 1905 trash can designed by Josef Hoffman. |
Many famous inventions happened by accident. Did you know
that a melted candy bar led to the modern-day microwave? Or how about Velcro?
This was invented after an engineer returned from walking his dog and noticed
how perfectly the cockleburs bound to the dog’s fur. Indeed, nature has often been
named as an inspiration to designers, and will forever hold clues to your next big idea.
So, as the AIA campaign slogan says, “Look up.” But why not take it a step further and look around; open your mind to being excited by the
what's around you.
Stay inspired.
Even something as seemingly mundane as a crumpled piece of paper can become a masterpiece.
* * *
 |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment