Continuous Journey Through Design

I love how many options there are in the world of design. When I was little, I thought design simply meant you make something pretty ergo you have designed. And due to my belief at that time that clothes were some of the few truly pretty things out there in the world, I thought Design=Fashion=Me. Isn't it strange how you grow up and see more of the world, your eyes are opened, and suddenly there before you feet are options!

I first noticed that there was more to design in the world than just clothing when I was in, I believe it was, my Aunt's home in Oklahoma and I realized I was so happy just sitting in her living room and looking at the way she arranged her furniture, and the furniture itself; how the wood on the bottom of the sofa was slightly arched in such an attractive way. And the beautiful vintage fainting sofa with the rich green upholstery. Her entire sitting room was like a work of art; beautifully put together, in color, arrangement and furniture form, as well as effectively creating an atmosphere of calm and peaceful grace simply by the choice of furniture and how she placed it about the room. My view of design was expanding.

While in high school, creating poster boards and visual aids for my various book projects and other assignments became a great joy. I quickly realized this was because this was something I was good at. I always received praise for my creative layouts and how my poster was different, not simply for the effort put into it, but because it was so artfully put together. Around this same time I understood that I enjoyed flipping through some magazines more than others (for example, Vogue and the Anthropology catalogue are much more intriguing to look at than, say, OK! Magazine). The way in which these articles and images were placed together on a page was esthetically pleasing in a way that other magazines were not. Design was much, much more than just clothing!

Now that I am starting in the design program at UC Davis, I am understanding even more that design is found everywhere, not just a shoe, or a chair, or a magazine spread, design is all around us.