Imagination

You have a super power in yourself, the ability to imagine! Imagination is a magical gift of God to mankind. And the designers who have mastered this imagination are blessed with creativity. It is due to imagination that great works of design, engineering and artwork happen.

How to master imagination for use in your line of design? While 1st year class of basic design is still relevant, I am going to tell you 3 secrets of enhancing imagination..

1. Observe things - Your eyes are far superior to a digital camera and your brain has much more storage capacity than a super computer. Practice seeing existing things in details, vivid colour and have a mental appreciation or analysis of the things you see. Taking notes is not necessarily an option but observe things of your interests in a keen manner. Your mind is able to retain your observations for a life time. What you observe, see and experience forms the basic database your imagination. And thats also sets the limit to your imagination. You mind will only process what it has absorbed. Observe even when you read a book and make mental graphics of what you read.

2. Cut yourself away from noise and distraction - Even if you are in a crowded noisy place train your mind to concentrate on what you want to do without getting disturbed by surroundings. When you practice this a time comes when you and your mind s focussed on the task at hand and you cannot even get affected by noise. This makes your mind recall things and weave the information in a creative way. Dont let your mind be filled with clutter and noise, train it to be free from distractions so that ideas can find a right place to stay.

3. Be child like and play with your thoughts - Let your creative instincts at play. Imagination is minds way of throwing up images based on your observations, experiences and a creative play of collage like combinations of information. Let your mind throw various permutations and combinations of the creative weaves of imagination. Record these and do optioneering of this mental pictures created.

They never taught you this in college but you have this power within you waiting to be harnessed to its full potential.

Try it.... for example think you have to design a new entry structure to a station. Close your eyes and see what mental pictures your mind sends you. These will start coming one by one what you have seen, read and observed. Rest is to be developed through creativity as you refine the imagination process.

Satyakam Garg

Imperfections of Perfect Design

Another delayed flight at Lucknow airport and while we wait my attention goes to a toddler playing. She is unaffected by the delay of the flight, while some started cursing the airline, Indian time system etc. etc. Food stalls see a frenzy crowd around them. There are less seats in lounge than waiting passengers. Most of us are busy on our mobiles like I am now. The kid keeps playing, making joyful noises and tugging at other waiting passengers. Nobody minds that and smile back to kid who reciprocates with more laughter. No pains of past and no worries for future, just busy with present.

God sent us to this world as a living being with design so perfect, its code embedded in our DNA comprising of the minutest atomic structure. Ability to replicate, reproduce and sustain ourselves is the highest order of design code through which life happens. Looking at that kid at her start of life, I felt that God or whatever you call that almighty designer of life, did a fantastic job. Mere emergence of life as a new born brings happiness, which comes from that design. Harmony and love with others of same design is what he meant to do.

As we grow and mature with gained knowledge the ever present happiness starts diminishing. The pefectly designed creation of God starts getting dented with impact of greed, jealousy and ambitions. We start imperfecting ourselves with pressures, worries and fears.

A child has no fear. He will put his hand in fire. Once he feels pains he knows not to play with fire anymore. Thats how knowledge is built up. But to keep on thinking that fire will burn him becomes a worry and develops fear. And fear is not good. The fear becomes an enemy of our own making, only because we over thought on the knowledge.

Thats how our brain changes our emotions and behaviour. Knowledge if used in positive manner will provide happiness and if it results in a worry it gives fear.

Dont know whether my thinking is right or wrong, but penning down the thoughts may seek some answers.

Over the years I have been so abusing to myself, and never realised that my perfect design as a creation of God has been impacted so much by my own ego and reactions I make.

Sometimes, waiting and slowing down shows you the things which we ignore to observe in our fast life.