I’ve been stumbling upon some quotes I like lately and I felt like putting them together where i can find them later:
It’s up to you
From Nick Artcade a blog about what it’s like to be at Art Center, one of the most reputable art schools in the country, especially on the west coast:
“So how much work is there?”
“How good do you want to be?”
I think that’s a really good answer. Cause really, workload is not actually something that people dish out. Obviously you don’t have a whole lot of control over the assignments and tasks you are given. But it’s up to you to decide how bad you want to be good. A good reminder to myself while I stress out and stay up late over this quarter’s projects.
Metaphors
From Folklore a site with stories from the early days of the mac. This particular quote is from Alan Kay, from 1982:
“Find a central metaphor that’s so good that everything aligns to it. Design meetings are no longer necessary, it designs itself. The metaphor should be crisp and fun.”
That’s the second reference to metaphors I’ve come across in the past few days, and I’m realizing it’s a really useful way to think about design problems. Some of my favorite pieces (of mine and others) are the ones where there is a strong metaphor holding it all together. And I’m also realizing that all that talk in highschool english classes about metaphors and symbolisim is actually pretty useful.
Solitude
From Psychology Today: The Call of Solitude
“The question is, are we routinely using the computer and television to find alonetime without really realizing our unfulfilled alone need? Or are we becoming incapable of living in the moment except in technological time-outs like the computer?”
“The natural creativity in all of us—the sudden and slow insights, bursts and gentle bubbles of imagination—is found as a result of alonetime. Passion evolves in aloneness. Both creativity and curiosity are bred through contemplation.”
I stumbled upon this one at a particularly relevant time. While it’s not really new information at all it sort of serves as a good reminder to myself. Since the quarter has started again I think I’m re-centered, despite the fact that I was feeling socially awkward during the first few days of transitioning back into being social. As weird as it may seem, by the end of winter break I was ready to get back to school.
While I spent a lot of fulfilling time doing what ever it was I wanted to do for 3 weeks, but I did things in spurts and in relative isolation from other people, so it wasn’t really balanced. I was inconsiderate of the fact that some people had less free time than me. In my quest to fulfill my need for interaction I overlooked their needs for personal time. I’ve realized the ideal set up is time for myself, working on ingaging creative projects, in the context of other people. Even if I’m in my own zone doing my thing, I like having people around to interact with if I want.
Interaction Design
Also, this is not really related to the stuff above, but I think this Dutch Circus Musem site is really well done. This is one of the few times I think the element of sound actually adds to the experience, as opposed to many where the sound is just annoying. I think the key is in moderation. I also like how subtle the “paper” texture is. And the little navigation spotlight on the right side is cool. And I like old timey circus posters.