Dear Terry,
Thanks for your questions. [Straight back to the core of design.]
A few first reactions from my own 'information design practice'. [It
is likely to be different for other design areas.]
>Terry's first question:
>Would you make a distinction between being creative and using a method?
When I'm trying to find some sort of shape or structure to present
information, I'm just visually probing the most promising options.
These options are continuously compared with all sorts of
requirements (client, production, available time, user reactions,
...).
It is a fairly methodical search for a suitable format. [It is
precisely aimed at an nebulous goal]. During this activity, some
requirements or some parts of information might be reconsidered or
modified. This will open opportunities for other variations. That
could be classified as 'creative' although I would not use that
descriptor.
It's 'methodical' because it is continously comparing the visual to
the requirements, but it is 'creative' because it actively frisks for
unexpected options through the re-evaluation of requirements and
information contents.
So, during the process, the distinction between 'creative' and 'using
a method' does not seem to exist. An essential part of the method is
to look for unexpected options. Concluding: the answer for my
practice is no.
>For example, if you were drawing creatively would you see that as
>different from using a specific drawing method?
Personally, I don't think so. The aim is to develop 'some sort of
shape or structure to present information'. The only way to do that
is to make the most promising options visible. I don't seem to select
an 'appropriate drawing method', but use anything that is available
within my fairly poor drawing abilities. [The results are usually
visually not that interesting either: as long as I can use them to
remember what I thought, and can make a next step, I'm happy. These
drawings are only intended to visualize and store some thoughts. I
use other drawing methods for other puposes: to present, to convince,
to show overviews ... ]
Again, this might be very different for other people, or other design areas.
Kind regards,
Karel.
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