Research Team

WHY DID YOU APPLY TO THE ITALIADESIGN FIELD SCHOOL PROGRAM?

I wanted to mature as a designer by exploring European culture and Italian design ideals. Being immersed in a rich foreign culture with a great group of intelligent peers was highly exciting to me. Design is all about understanding and forging different disciplines, experiences, and knowledges together. The Italia Design Field School was also about finding out what design meant to me. My main goal on the trip was simply to define what design was to myself while having an unforgettable time with a great group of friends.

WHAT I LEARNED

I found my definition of design! I had intended to learn a lot about Italian history, culture, and design through the field school and I certainty did. But what I also value was learning a lot about myself. When you're essentially living on your own in a foreign country for two months there are many moments that really test what kind of person you are. When reflecting back on many moments on the trip I feel that it has undoubtedly made me a stronger person.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME

The world. While it is great to work and process in a room at school all night on an epic project, there is nothing compared to working on an architectural project in a place like Rome. And not only to do that, but to work on the project right beside the proposed site, and then refine the idea later with my team at Piazza del Campidoglio. Just thinking about it right now makes my skin tingle. Studying on the field school also allows you to experience the great architecture in Rome, art in Florence, space in Tuscany, and contemporary design in Milan. There is no doubt that this breadth of experience makes you a better designer and more cultured individual as it forces you to look at things from another perspective and then bring it into your everyday life and work.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS

Too many to list them all here. Some highlights though include biking through and discovering Florence on my own. Wandering the streets of Rome at night. Meeting and learning from great designers in Milan. Pulling off my interview with Alberto Meda.

The list goes on, but the most important moments of my trip were definitely the many bonding moments with the rest of the Italia Design crew on the trip and its something that we will share forever.

MY TRANSCENDENT MOMENT

"As I joined in the clapping, for a split second, I felt part of this special community."

Download this and the rest of my Florence moments here

MOST MEMORABLE INTERVIEW MOMENT/QUOTE

Isao Hosoe was my most memorable interview. Most importantly, he clearly stated to me that design is a way of thinking and we can apply design to any aspect in life. It was clear to me how I could apply aspects of design such as being critical, empathetic, and "neomadic", a word I learned from Hosoe, to different aspects in life. The term is a contemporary approach to looking at culture which involves systems of inter-relationships involving knowledge accumulation and processes that cultivate the idea of work and play. Although Hosoe himself stated that he was not quote-unquote a "designer", he uses ideologies of design in his process and understanding of life and he clearly explained what they were to us which I really appreciated. My favorite moment in the interview was when Hosoe talked about how even a single plastic cup has our ancestors inside (literally), so what we do and how we treat things must be done with delicacy and care. At first this might sound confusing, but what this means is that human beings are like water. Everything that we do not only contributes a "ripple effect", but is part of a greater ripple and affects the future as new ripples are created. With this it can easily be seen why Hosoe's designs have such delicacy, poetry, and care embedded and that a simple object such as a cup is not so simple after all, it is a part of our everyday, our space, and a part of human life.

FAVORITE PLACE/SPACE

Piazza del Campidoglio was a very memorable space to me. I spent two full days there while working on the Rome project and have countless memories jumping around the piazza, playing hackie sack, and sitting in the shade people watching. At night, the space is completely different and transforms from a perfect public area to a breathtakingly serene and quiet place. My memories of Piazza del Campidoglio make it one of my favorite spaces in Italy. The architecture by Michelangelo is not bad either :).

MY FAVORITE ITALIAN

Franco Dominici because of a wide array of reasons, one being him showing us his car collection.

MY CAPTURED MOMENTS

ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIA DESIGN STUDENTS

We had a saying in Italy because everything that could go wrong probably does and did. The family friendly version of that saying is "stuff happens, roll with it". But you know what, you are probably on the greatest trip of your entire life and there are so many incredible experiences to look forward to. Don't get caught up in something small and enjoy the moment!

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Senior level Interaction Design student studying at Simon Fraser University Surrey.

CAREER GOALS AND INTERESTS

The great thing about being in the field of design is that it is completely organic and the role of designers in the world adapt to many changes. Design is about understanding and meeting different disciplines to then create new things. I hope to work on important projects that are constantly challenging and contribute to my knowledge in life.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

I am interested in social issues, innovative design, critiquing bad design, and when i get cut I bleed Canucks blue. My portfolio can be found at www.charleslawportfolio.com