This week’s podcast was quite enjoyable to listen to. I tuned in on my way home from school on Monday. I found myself laughing and really getting into what Jessica Helfand and Michael Bierut were discussing on this podcast, Episode 59: Signatures and Circles, on The Observatory from the Design Observer. I found it very interesting that they were talking about such specific topics.
Listening to these types of conversations will make me a better designer because it points out the small details in our world that most people do not consciously notice. Details such as the design of an email signature or the fact that twitter tried to be different by using a circle instead of a square for their icon. It may seem trivial to talk about these things, but it was hilarious and thought-provoking.
I think it is awesome that designers can be brought together to talk about these small things and still have an hour’s worth of conversation. This is part of what makes the design community unique: a common consideration and appreciation for usually unobserved design problems and solutions. Listening to this podcast made me realize that I do consciously observe design solutions on a daily basis. I aim to look at the world around with the eyes of a designer, not just as a passer-by.
The above image is a process image. I am practicing this method of design observation through photography.