Research Team


Background and expectations:

PERSONAL BACKGROUND:

I have a lot of creativity and have always wanted to do something with it. I was born in December of 1985. I weighed about eight pounds. Now, I weigh more than that. I also play guitar better than when I was born. Probably because my fingers were so small.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Fifth year SIAT student dabbling in both New Media Environments and Interaction Design.

WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR ITALIADESIGN?

I applied for the opportunity to do research in an environment overflowing with innovation. I had heard from many past participants just how valuable the field school is in terms of how much it has influenced them, both as a designer and a person. That aspect of personal development intrigued me. And I also wanted to experience European culture first hand.

Experiences In-field:

WHAT DID YOU LEARN:

  • Generally?

    I learned that it can be good to step outside my comfort zone more often. It will make me a better designer and researcher and open me up to new experiences. I also learned how to produce a single tear upon request.

  • About design?

    Good design comes from good design process.

  • About innovation?

    Some of the research prior to the field school was reinforced, specifically the importance of cultural context in design. The Italian design industry is so innovative because their products aren't just functional: they mean something to the people who purchase and use them. The designer's connection to the consumer through this context enables them to make thought-provoking, often quirky designs that don't become kitschy.

  • About design process?

    A lot of Italian designers take influence from everyday objects. The one designer that stands out the most in this aspect is Achille Castiglioni. We had to opportunity to visit his studio and his daughter showed us the objects that led to many of his designs. I found it really fascinating to see a starting point of innovation.

  • About cities?

    I really enjoyed observing how people moved throughout the city, and each city or town that we went to was different. In Rome, there was this great slowness amongst the chaos that really fascinated me. The Milanese also have an interesting speed with which they move. "I know where I have to go, but I can take my time getting there." Slow, yet purposeful.

  • About living away from home?

    I spent four days in Frankfurt by myself before the field school began. I had never traveled by myself, let alone in Europe, and I really enjoyed the independence. I learned that I take certain things for granted at home, such as drinkable tap water and internet access. I also learned that it takes much longer to cook for 14 people.

  • About group dynamics?

    We were a really good group. We bonded really well from the very beginning back in our pre-tip course. We each established ourselves as serious researchers and we made sure that we wouldn't let each other down. I've never lived with roommates, so having 13 of them was a bit of a shock. There were times where I wanted to be on my own, but I really enjoyed the moments shared with the group. I went back to Rome after the field school was over and it just wasn't the same without the rest of the group.

  • What new perspective did you come home with?

    I feel that I understand European culture quite a bit better. I can see how simple activities, such as driving or eating at a restaurant, are different from those back in Canada. I am trying to implement parts of Italian culture into my life back home. Siestas aren't working out.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS OR INTERACTIONS:

  • In daily life?

    • "Morgan and Brad's Great Pizza & Wine Adventure" on our first night in Italy.

    • Acquiring a ticket to see Da Vinci's "Last Supper" after they were already sold out.

    • A really genuine, entirely Italian conversation with a stationery store owner in Milano.

    • Every time I walked through the gates into Piazza del Popolo.

  • During course work?

    • Watching our in-field slideshows and videos on the last day in Milano.

    • Kiks, Azmina and I were invited into a gentleman's home in Pitigliano. He showed us his art studio, answered some questions, and gave us some aranciata.

  • In an interview?

    • Bialetti Tour & Interview.

    • Stefano Giovannoni taking us to see his awesome apartment.

  • With the group?

    • Filming "Deathbus" on the way from Florence to Milano.

    • Dinners in Moonflower, our apartment in Rome.

    • Frisbee in Circo Massimo.

    • Rainy walk to Campidoglio.

    • Ultimate water polo in Dolciano.

    • Sunset after the humungous steak dinner in Montepulciano.

    • Bike ride to the Park of the Aqueducts in Rome.

FAVOURITE PLACE OR SPACE:

  • At Andrea del Sarto's "Last Supper" by myself.

  • Orsanmichele in Florence.

  • Campidoglio..

  • Moonflower.

  • Piazza del Popolo.

MY TRANSCENDENT MOMENTopen link

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME:

At home, I had internet access. In-field, we didn't for most of the time. For example, if I wanted to know the opening hours for the Pantheon, I couldn't just hop on my computer and Google it. You don't have the convenience of immediate information when studying abroad. However, the best part of that is that you get to climb aboard the bus, ride past the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, walk through Piazza Navona and come upon the Pantheon in person to check the opening hours. Being able to experience all the places and spaces we studied beforehand was a great feeling. Ben said it well last year: "it's like seeing an old friend."

AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE THAT YOU OVERCAME DURING THE FIELD SCHOOL:

During our neighbourhood studies in Rome, I was pretty nervous about approaching strangers and starting a conversation with them in Italian. I felt comfortable that I could ask them a question in Italian, but would I be able to interpret their answer and then build upon that? I ended up tagging along with Azmina, who was really good at conducting these interviews, and was able to understand a lot of her conversations with the Italians. That gave me confidence to go off and have those conversations myself.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE VALUE OF THE FULL SEMESTER OF CONTEXTUAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORICAL STUDIES PRIOR TO IN-FIELD WORK?

  • About language?

    Learning Italian before going to Italy was so valuable! We would often speak Italian amongst ourselves in our apartments; it almost became second nature. We were able to immerse ourselves within the Italian culture better and prove that we weren't just tourists, but cultural researchers.

  • About Italian history?

    I mentioned above that it's like seeing an old friend. I have a special connection with all of the subjects I studied before going over to Italy. And when we actually go visit some of these places, everything comes back. It felt like I had been there before simply because I was so familiar with it through the research done in the months prior to the field study.

  • About Design History?

    Being familiar with the works of the various generations of Italian designers made the interviews and the museums much more meaningful. In researching Italian Radical Design, it became really clear to me just how important "context" is during the design process. Many of our interviewees confirmed that.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE LEGACY PROJECT OF THE ITALIADESIGN FIELD SCHOOL?

The legacy of this project is extremely valuable. The amount of research that has been done in the past five years is outstanding, and having an archive of it for future groups is so important. There were points during the pre-trip research where it felt like the previous groups had already covered the topics well. But then you'd search a keyword in their research that would lead you down a new path of information which could be built upon. The legacy ensures that the next group will take the research further.

Reflecting:

Career goals, aspirations, and interests post-field school?

I am looking towards a career in interaction design, specifically in the area of human-computer interaction. After gaining work experience, I wouldn't mind starting my own company or perhaps teaching.

Did you meet your pre-trip goals?

I didn't really have specific goals, but I feel that my expectations of the field school were met and exceeded. I feel that is has allowed me to develop into a more mature student, researcher, designer, and person.

WHAT IMPACT HAS THE FIELD SCHOOL HAD ON YOU?

  • Academically?

    I really appreciate the opportunity to do quality research as an undergrad student. Whenever I tell people about what we did in Italy, they're always curious about the SIAT program and it makes me realize how lucky I am to have been able to learn in an environment so rich in history and culture.

  • Professionally?

    I feel that I better understand design and the importance of the design process. I can take my experiences and the knowledge gained from the pre-trip research and the interviews with the Italian designers and actually apply concepts from these to my professional life.

  • Personally?

    I've come to realize through observing Italians how important it is to enjoy life.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIADESIGN STUDENTS?

Take advantage of the time you have over there. You'll hit points where you're tired and want to take a day off, and that's fine. But for me, I regret not pushing myself a little more to make better use of those days. There are a few of your "must see" locations that you might miss. Sure, you can come back to Italy in the future, but it most likely won't be with the same group of people. Enjoy the time spent with your group. It is a rare bond and something you may not experience for a while afterwards. And for those of you on the video team: take lots of video and charge your batteries every night! I'm serious about this! The cameras may get heavy at times and you may think to yourself "oh, I'll just come back later and film it again" but you may not. And that moment won't be captured on film. You definitely won't regret filming it when you get back home and have all those memories recorded. Also make sure you have clean socks.