Research Team
Background and expectations:
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
Although Canada is now my home, I am originally from Romania and have lived in Germany as well. Because of my international childhood, I have an interest in foreign languages and countries and their cultures. The ItaliaDesign field school has allowed me to indulge in this interest.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
Prior to taking part in the ItaliaDesign field school, I was a 5th year student in the SIAT program at SFU Surrey. I spent two years in the New Media Environments stream prior to focusing my effort on the Interaction Design stream. This combination of streams has helped me develop my skills as a designer and provoked my interest in the ItaliaDesign field school.
WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR ITALIADESIGN?
Over the years, several of my friends have taken part in the field school. They recommended the experience to me as being vital towards broadening my knowledge of design, as well as growing as a person. I wanted to understand the innovative qualities of Italian design and learn from the Italian way of life. I applied with these things in mind, and the desire to contribute something back to the program and its future students.
Experiences In-field:
WHAT DID YOU LEARN:
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About design process?
A great thing that I learned about design process came about in the interview with designer and architect Paolo Rizzatto. His underlying point was that we shouldn't always strive for instant gratification, but instead have patience when working with ideas. Writing down or sketching ideas and concepts, then building a prototype when materials become available (or their price becomes more reasonable). These ideas may not be marketable or a viable solution to a current problem, however by keeping the ideas in mind with changes in technology and materials, you can eventually realize the product and ensure it is successful. Sometimes the waiting time for an idea to come to fruition can be months, years, or even decades. The point is that this waiting time should not discourage one from developing the concept during this time, so that when the materials are available, you can make your dreams come true.
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About cities?
Our course work in Italy involved studying the various aspects and details of which cities are comprised, the underlying systems that sustain the city, and the patterns of living. After these studies, the way in which I look at cities and their various spaces and architecture has changed dramatically: the methodologies we used have become part of my understanding of a space.
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What new perspective did you come home with?
I came home with a different perspective on approaches towards reaching academic, professional, and personal goals. For example, understanding how an Italian design company functions has given me insights into how to start my own business: what kind of resources would be required, what kind of contacts are crucial to making it work, and so on. I also came back with a different way of looking at things and the desire to learn from everything that is around me - especially things in daily life that I used to look over and take for granted.
FAVOURITE MOMENTS OR INTERACTIONS:
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In daily life?
I must say that I really enjoyed cooking with the group. It brought about a great feeling of companionship and working together to achieve the same goal, in a way mirroring (in fact supporting) our academic teamwork throughout the trip.
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During course work?
Those moments when one person has an epiphany and is able to share their new-found understanding with the rest of the group are my favourite in terms of course work. This is a good exercise for the person who is explaining the idea, as it becomes reinforced in their mind as they are explaining it, while the entire team also benefits.
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In an interview?
For our interview with Stefano Giovannoni, we had a long list of questions prepared for him. In preparation for the interview, however, we thought it was best to focus on only a few questions for which we could obtain solid responses. To my surprise, Giovannoni gave us very detailed responses that answered many of the questions we hadn't even asked. It felt really great knowing that the questions we had prepared were exactly the things that Giovannoni took pleasure in talking about. It was also very confidence building to see that we were right on track with our research.
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With the group?
In Florence, we all rented bikes. Cycling through Florence, whether alone or with the entire group, or just being able to meet members of the group anywhere in Florence randomly, was one of my favourite interactions. The chance to spend quality time with your friends on bikes in the Renaissance city was eye-opening, and something somewhat harder to do in the cities where we did not have bicycles. It also helped that the city was packed with points of interest and experiences around every corner.
FAVOURITE PLACE OR SPACE:
Cycling through the streets of Florence gave me a certain sense of freedom and, at the same time, of being at home. Perhaps it was just the particular set of streets that I chose to cycle through, but it was an extraordinary experience that has me longing to return.
AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE THAT YOU OVERCAME DURING THE FIELD SCHOOL:
I overcame the challenge of integrating myself within the group, some of which I had not known too well prior to the field school. It was the challenge of communicating my ideas and working to the same level of standards as everyone else: leading when I needed to lead, following when I needed to follow. I learned to work with everyone in a whole new way than back at home, as conflicts would have to be resolved on the spot or else bring the risk of damaging group dynamics and the project work itself.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE VALUE OF THE FULL SEMESTER OF CONTEXTUAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORICAL STUDIES PRIOR TO IN-FIELD WORK?
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About Italian history?
Studying Italian history before the trip gave me a deeper appreciation for the food, the drinks, the way of life, and the local geography of the towns and cities that we encountered. Not only did I feel comfortable in the Italian atmosphere, but I also felt very excited to discover pieces of the history, such as aqueducts, gates, and walls - spaces that have long since been re-purposed but still retain traces of their historical past.
Reflecting:
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE FIELD SCHOOL HAD ON YOU?
The field school has allowed me to solidify a direction towards which I now head both academically and professionally. I gained interest in industrial design and architecture, whereas before my scope was more limited to graphic and urban design. In a way it allowed me to see the bigger picture and broaden my knowledge-base. Personally, from learning about the Italian way of life, I am undergoing a change of lifestyle with a higher focus on personal health, a higher enjoyment of daily life, and interest in methods of stress reduction.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIADESIGN STUDENTS?
If there is any advice that I can give to upcoming ItaliaDesign students, it is that they should not take the fact that they are going to Italy, to live and study with a group of people, for granted. While one has personal goals and desires, it is crucial that their respect is always maintained for the other group members. This will ensure healthy team dynamics, a fun and interesting learning environment, and a lasting network of people after the field school. This is something that I was briefed upon prior to departure, but I did not come to see the significance of it until I was in-field and could instantly see the outcome of my every action upon the group. I will always hold the "gruppo" in high regard for all their contributions towards allowing me to achieve my goals in Italy. If everybody is getting pizza and you want spaghetti, don't make a conflict out of it, just go along with what the group is doing to make things easier; rest assured, you will have a chance to eat spaghetti later. It is not that particular scenario that I am trying to get across, but rather that way of handling situations, because in the end it will serve to reduce stress and make for better group interactions. Lastly, work smart, keep quality and excellence in mind, get the work done early, manage your time, and absolutely do not forget to have fun!