So my masters course started last week and they threw us completly into the deep end. If anyone has ever said to you that design work is easy it's just a bunch of drawings, ask them who made their clothes, their furniture, the transport they use, the technology they communicate with, the wedge that holds their kitchen door open, and the appliances that help them make dinner every day of the week.

Who made your bed? Why is your house the shape it is? What patterns do you like best? Who thought of escalators? Why are there hundreds of different kinds of car?

Because somebody thought about it, that's why. For every man made object you admire or hate, someone spent a considerable amount of time determining it's original concept, coming up with multiples of multiples of ideas (most of which never become fully formed) and selecting the best ones to do the job. Colours, materials, ergonomics, functions, presentation, financial backing, production, sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, retailers, point of sale, product endoresment, advertising... a good designer must know how to understand and follow every one of these aspects and more besides.

Half of this stuff was sub-conscious knowledge. I knew it was a part of design, but I'd never actually thought about it! Nor had I considered how important reseach can be, or economics and 'business speak' with regard to my world.

It's interesting, exhausting, exciting, tedious, fascinating and boring - but all together it's what I know and it's what I want to be a part of. God has opened my mind to all of these things, and in general I am doing my best to keep up and stick to schedule. Long may this continue!

This is grasshopper, signing out.

;)