Compulsory Question 1: CTS B manifesto
As a designer, I often remind myself not to push too hard and to leave white space. These habits once seemed ordinary, almost subconscious. But during this week’s CTS-B class, I realised they were already fragments of an unwritten manifesto—values that had guided me long before I had the words to articulate them.
Before having a clear manifesto, my design thinking often drifted (Pic. 2). It felt like walking in the dark: the direction existed but was blurry; ideas appeared but slipped away. I used to believe a manifesto worked like a navigation map that told me exactly which path to follow. But while writing this reflection, I understood that a manifesto is more like a compass—guiding awareness rather than prescribing steps. This aligns with Bruce Mau’s belief that a manifesto should offer direction, not rules (Mau). It also echoes the idea that a manifesto clarifies purpose and helps designers realign their intentions when their thinking becomes uncertain (“Why Should a Designer or Architect Write a Manifesto?”).
This shift made Lupton’s statement deeply meaningful to me: “Designers must visualise thinking in order to understand it.” (Lupton 2011). When I wrote down my thoughts, organised them, and named my principles, I realised I was not creating new rules. I was finally seeing the values that had quietly shaped my decisions. Through this process, I understood that designers do more than create visuals—they design their way of thinking.
CTS-B strengthened this realisation. I learned that a manifesto is not a collection of idealistic quotes, but a designed framework of thought. It becomes a mirror that helps me reflect on why I make certain choices, and a discipline that keeps me intentional before creating. This connects to Kenya Hara’s idea that “the power of design is the power to awaken”(Hara 2007). A manifesto, therefore, becomes a mindset—a way of remaining aware as a designer. This echoes the core CTS-B principle: understand before you make. Because reflection alone is not enough—clarity begins internally, not visually.(Pic. 3)
Connecting these ideas to my other modules made them more concrete. In Studio, my Baybeats project taught me the consequences of acting too quickly before understanding. In Branding, CleanSpeech™ showed how design carries social impact. In Materiality, my Craft Zine revealed how memory, empathy, and awareness shape meaning. Writing my manifesto was not the beginning of my thinking—it was the moment I finally recognised the values I had been practicing all semester.
During our group activity, we created a collective CTS-B manifesto (Pic. 4). It was the first time I realised that a manifesto is not only about shared values but also shared discipline. Listening to my teammates present their principles helped me recognise blind spots in my own thinking—especially my tendency to jump into making before asking “why.” This echoes Sam Essenfeld’s reflection on how structured thinking and feedback help designers move beyond instinctive reactions (Essenfeld). The activity also highlighted how my personal priorities differ from the group’s focus on critique and reflection.
If I were to revise the group manifesto, I would add a principle that became essential in my Studio project: “Understand yourself before creating.” Throughout the semester, I realised that when I am unclear about my own intentions or emotional state, even strong visuals become unfocused. Only when I align with myself first can my work gain clarity and direction.
After the activity, I began drafting my own manifesto (Pic. 5), which emphasises clarity, intention, empathy, and responsibility—ideas that had been quietly forming throughout the semester. Ultimately, writing my personal manifesto felt less like creating something new and more like finally recognising the values I had already been practicing. It has become a compass for my future Studio work, branding projects, and broader design practice.
Reference List
Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site.
Lupton, Ellen. Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming. Princeton Architectural Press, 2011.
The document is a publication titled 'Designing Design' by Kenya Hara, focusing on the philosophy and practice of design. It explores variou
Hara, Kenya. Designing Design. Lars Müller Publishers, 2007.
Mau, Bruce. Advice to the Young. YouTube, uploaded by Louisiana Channel, 6 Jan. 2014,www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJiobXKuIjI.
A step by step guide for writing a design manifesto for designers and architects, helping you convey unique perspective on design.
“Why Should a Designer or Architect Write a Manifesto?”Design Manifestos, ArchAdemia,https://www.archademia.com/blog/how-to-write-a-design-manifesto. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
With many popular and standardized design principles out in the world today, how have I taken the knowledge gained from Emory’s Human…
Essenfeld, Sam. “The Keys to It All: My Design Manifesto.” Bootcamp, Medium, 1 May 2023, medium.com/design-bootcamp/the-keys-to-it-all-my-design-manifesto-dddb9f3b948f.
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