Design Challenge

Being a designer is to think like both an artist and an engineer. For me, being a designer is about creating a physical product or experience—like furniture, architecture, or a TV show. There are a million kinds of designers who design everything from cities to the internet, from video games to forks.

Everything on the planet has been designed—either by nature or humans—and we will always need to design new things. More importantly, we will always need to be able to design things better. For example, humans have been making glass for 5,000 years and the material continues to be redesigned to be more economical, safer, and more sustainable.

The place to start when you want to design something is to cultivate a maker mentality. When I need something—whether it’s a bookshelf or a dress—my first thought is: How can I make it myself with the supplies and tools that I already have? It may be easier to buy something readymade, and sometimes it’s unavoidable, but when I make something myself, it’s exactly what I want, costs less, is one-of-a-kind, and I learn something in the process.

Designing something makes me feel powerful. Learning the design process and cultivating technical skills is like unlocking how the world works. You learn that everything is connected and interdependent. For example, when we design a building in a city, it has to tie into the city’s infrastructure, it has to be approved by the neighborhood, and it has to be an integrated part of the local financial and environmental ecosystem.

Design Tool #1: SENSES

Design Tool #2: IMAGINATION

Design Tool #3: HANDS

Attempt 3: I like where this is headed!

Inspired to design something?

Here is my design challenge for you:

1

Gather inspiration using all of your senses. Document your observations in a collage.

2

Imagine a place inspired by your collage. Using a sheet of paper, answer the following questions through drawing:

• What shapes and colors appear on your collage?
• Do you want to be in a place that’s enclosed or open to the outdoors?
• Is your place just for you or for several people? Who specifically?
• What activity do you do in the space?
• Is your place loud or quiet?
• Is your place big or small?

3

Create a base for your model that’s no larger than a typical sheet of paper (8 ½ inches x 11 inches).
I cut a base from a cardboard shipping box.

6

Using your scissors and X-Acto, bring your 2D drawing to life. Make sure it’s big enough for your scale figure to explore.

7

Iterate, iterate, iterate. Building the thing is the ultimate test and in that process the design continues to evolve.

8

Repeat step 7 until you’re satisfied… or just completely exhausted.

Tips:

• Architects and designers rarely work alone. Ask for advice from your family, chat with a friend about your project, or talk it through with your hamster when you struggle. (I had no less than three people review this article!) You can choose to take advice or not—no hard feelings. YOU are ultimately the project architect.
• Try not to judge your drawings or models as “good” or “bad,” and know that they don’t need to look anything like mine.
• Remember, perfection is boring.

Mary Claire Matucheski is an architectural and set designer who is passionate about getting tools into the hands of women and girls.