Yesterday we had a lecture about sound art. I’m actually interested on installations, but I didn’t know that much about what you can do with music and sounds, so for me it was a pleasure to listen to Natasha talking about her experience.

I think her exhibition about sounds not connected to reality was a very interesting idea.
I believe that’s the only way for people to concentrate on sounds.
Nowadays we all usually use more the view than all the other senses. In her exhibition this is not possible because the environment is completely dark and in this way you can really focus on music. You are able to forget about all the rest and probably to live a new experience, you are not used to. Perhaps we will always try in our mind to figure out what we are listening at, but I think we should just relax and stop to remind to reality. I’m probably going there today. I’m really curious to try it!

Last week we had a very interesting lecture with Christian Tollestrup an associate professor PHD from Denmark. He taught us how from an idea you can arrive to a concept
Usually when I come up with a new idea I don’t follow a method. I think a lot, I research, I try to understand what users want, I try to visualize something that is not there yet, to imagine the future. This is our work.
He created an innovative method to do it. On the top of the pyramid there is the value mission, which means that you have to explain in words what you want to do. Under that there is the interaction vision, where you have to create a story to show the values you want to convey with the product. Then there is the concept and then the solution, which is the final object you will create. The interaction vision is the bridge between what you say you want and the transformation in a concept. Moreover it is very important to use metaphor. When you have a concept you need something to remind it. For example: I want to create “a bicycle fast as the wind”.
It was particularly exciting to try this process! I think we came out with very good ideas for a new bicycle for Simon!! :-)

Some weeks ago we had two lectures with Eva Brandt. She taught us how games can be important in the research phase, to understand better who our customers are, and to imagine future scenarios and visions.

I think the best part of the experience we had with her, was when we had to create a game.
It was actually quite challenging, I never did it before, but it turned out to be fun and useful at the same time. The purpose of the game was to encourage people to come out with new ideas based on the inspiration cards they received during the game. According to me the game was valuable because the cards (they were pictures of objects, materials, colours or settings taken from magazines) gave to people so much inspiration to come out with something completely new, they probably could never imagine without that kind of stimulation.

Last Tuesday we have been visiting an photography exhibition called Absence, by Mikkel McAlinden. I have really enjoyed it..but the best part was to have the photographer there..He has been answering to all our questions and with that background I saw the pictures from another point of view!
He took pictures of ordinary places, like his own kitchen, or some houses during night, or skyscrapers from the top.. but he transformed these spaces in something special.. especially in the picture with the skyscrapers! They are not simply buildings..they are a composition…something that put all together gives an emotion..that picture is amazing.. I love the perspective and the strong tension that brings you to watch towards the bottom..but at the same time there is so much going on all around... It is like if you would like to watch all the points of the picture at the same moment…and at the same time this piece of art has quite big dimensions.. so you can’t do that..
I liked a lot also those two pictures with light effects.. At first sight you think it is something so abstract.. a composition, but then on the extreme side of the picture you recognize something familiar..some books.. and this brings you back to reality..to something that you know.. I like this contrasting emotions..

While I was looking at the exhibition anyway some questions poped up in my mind.. When (or how) you decide that a pictures is so perfect ( or maybe imperfect! ) to be exhibited somewhere? What makes a picture great and another one just mediocre and ordinary?? Let’s take two pics and lets say the both of them are technically perfect..how do you chose which one is the best? is it because of the emotions they can give you? I think so.. I would do that..

Thinking...searching...googling ... and something caught my attention..a explaination about creativity:
"because creativity is based on a deep knowledge of rules to exceed, a person, to be creative needs some specifical characteristics: curiousity, need of order and success (not economic), indipendence, critical, not satisfied, to have self-discipline."
I actually felt my self beeing so similar to this description.. which I think is a good start for this course!

I think that as designer we have to be very creative.. but it is not something artistic..to be a designer means to find the right balance between been craziness and rules in some way..

Today first lecture of a course called Exploring Creativity.. from the name sounds very cool... and actually it is!

My studying experience in Norway is more and more interesting.. I feel like it's opening my mind so much! And...I feel that I really need a course like this.. I consider myself a creative person..but still too analytical sometimes...and also still too afraid to be wrong!! Actually...I want to be wrong! Be strong, be wrong! I'm sure this course will help me!

For now I was thinking to explore the different approaches to creativity in different cultures..like the Italian and the Norwegian.. Still I'm not sure..but I would like to realte these two coutries, which I love for different reasons and see them from a creative point of view!

Thinking...