12th March
Hello!
Hope you've had a good week. I have to say this was one of my busiest work weeks this year!
During my lecture this week, one of my students asked me how they can become more creative. I had the basic knowledge on design thinking and inculcating cruiosity, which we discussed in the session and I will get back to them on more.
However, this question got me interested and I looked into it in a lot more detail. There are many books on creative and design thinking and I aim to start reading up a lot more about it. I have put an exciting and hands-on book as a recommendation this week.
Quote for the week: "It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." ~Steve Jobs
How a product works is so important! I got my first apple device as a gift around 9 years back. I was instantly hooked. I have to admit that I am a fan of Apple products. I now have a range of devices through which I can work seamlessly.
I hope more people create products with smooth functionality and looks.
Book I'm currently reading: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
The book discusses on how using a simple checklist saved lives in aviation, medicine, construction and more. As some of you know, I live by checklists. I write my daily list either the day before or on the day. Sometimes, I put things into a list months ahead. In the complex lives we live, a checklist can be a nudge to remind us of tasks we forget, and that, is the essence of the book.
Video recommendation: 3 Tools to become more creative by Balder Onarheim.
“Creativity is not just about art – it is one of the most crucial human traits. It lies at the heart of innovation, thus it is not a superficial skill but a necessity for human survival,” he says. Watch the video here.
Book recommendation: Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills, by David Sherwin
Have you ever struggled to complete a design project on time? Or felt that having a tight deadline stifled your capacity for maximum creativity? If so, then this book is for you. Within Creative Workshop, you'll find 80 creative challenges that will help you achieve a breadth of stronger design solutions, in various media, within any set time period.
A fun activity for you to try if you want to tickle your creative brain
The 30 Circles Test
Materials required:
Download this template here and print it. You will need a print copy to do this exercise.
Pen or Color Pencils
Timer or Stopwatch
Task: Set a timer for 3 minutes and convert as many circles into recognisable objects like ball, sun, smiley etc.
Be honest and stop at 3 minutes. Practice this exercise once a week and you will see yourself getting new ideas every single time!
That's all for today. Hope you have an energising and restful weekend! See you next Friday!
Anjali