Are you in the process of designing something for yourself, for a beloved one, for a group project, a workshop, a collection? Do you feel sometimes it’s too difficult and you are running out of ideas or inspiration? You might be ravaging magazines, reading books and articles, beating yourself up in the pursuit of inspiration.
How do you finally decide on a design?
Let yourself free
Well, let yourself free… open yourself to all the exterior sparkles you are constantly getting… observe what you are interested in and analyze it a bit better.
For example, if you wish to make a backpack… start getting the inspirational material, start trying out on your body any backpack you already have or other backpacks you can find from friends or in the market and observe what you prefer most in terms of shape, size and function. Be mindful about your design basics. Take your sketchbookA sketchbook, is a working pad with blank pages which is use... More and make some rough sketches, get some photographs, have a look on the internet for inspirational details, think just of the backpack of your dreams and define your backpack’s purpose, its mission.
It could be for example:
“This backpack aims to take me to the mountains for hiking, to the bonfire nights on the beach, to my short and precious travels around the world, and I want it to be made from scraps and to be fully upcycled ”
In every design, there are some areas that you might find helpful analyzing, in order to easily reach the development stage.
Aristotle said “that art, as well as nature, aim for a specific individual purpose each time” and that “nothing grows, arises, or is not made without a certain feasibility, without intending to fulfill a need.” Furthermore, he believed that “the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”.
Therefore, before any realisation, take your time to feel yourself, your needs, your desires. The first step is to set your targets mindfully by cultivating your awareness on how something will be ideal for you … outwardly and most importantly, inwardly. Then open-up, let yourself explore the practical sides of your creation through potential paths and solutions.
Photography Eleni Kokkorou