12/Oct/2011

I have been thinking about what I am going to do for my final year projects all the time, day and night. I have only two projects to do, but I couldn't sleep because of it, I couldn't do anything without worrying if half a year later I still don't have a clear clue what to do. 

Generating idea is such a big deal, your project could go smooth as silk if you've done well in this part of the process, or you could find yourself in a dead end after spending a huge amount of time and money just to prove your idea was rubbish if you haven't, and to me, I simply can't afford it, not in my final year. I have to be so careful at this stage.

I have a brief from D&AD student awards, it was a competition brief from last year. Michelin were hoping for a design that could help in a motoring related emergency situation. I thought this was doable but since I first saw the brief- which was about a week and something ago- I still can not think about anything to do with it. Everything I thought about was either invented or technically impossible. Yes this is the very early stage of the project and yes as a designer, I should have an attitude of everything is possible, but saying things like this just doesn't help in any way. 

Then there is a brief from RSA, creating a workplace for tomorrow. I could chose any working environment and design anything to improve it. It reminded me of a project I have done in my first year, I still remember I had a tough time when choosing a working environment at the beginning of that one. So I already have some experience on this and I do have a few ideas for this brief, it will be either a piece of furniture or some sort of device. 

What about making a brief myself? There are a lot to consider, but I am thinking of designing something that exists, but only better. So I will have one design to create something completely new and another to possibly impress people by showing them how good their toasters could be with a better design. Designers should have the abilities to make everyday ordinary objects spectacular. 

I have a few ideas about bringing forgotten products back to life, the ones people would think are so out of date they wouldn't buy them anymore. Hopefully with some nice thoughtful touches, and a sophisticated target group, it will work.

Still, I need to figure out the other project, and more importantly, once I have decided my two briefs, I need to carefully work out which one I will do for the major and which one is the minor. 

I am so under pressure now, with just a few weeks left to make a decision on what to do. Pressure is good, it makes me work harder, think harder. On the other hand, in the end of the day, I know that a designer should be able to handle anything he was thrown at. Pick up anything and carry on with it, maybe that is what I am going to do.