Research Team

Background and expectations:

PERSONAL BACKGROUND:

After graduating from North Delta Senior Secondary, I enrolled in SFU's TechOne program, at which point I thought I was going to go into Animation. Little did I know I wasn't very good at animating. That's when I found my real passion, Interaction Design. After taking a class in my second year with Russell Taylor, I became strongly interested in the work that my classmates and myself were doing and have headed down that road ever since.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Soon to be a SIAT graduate studying under the New Media Environments stream and dabbling in a few Interaction Design courses.

WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR ITALIADESIGN?

Along with the chance to meet and learn from some of Italy's finest designers and architects, the primary reason why I applied for this program was the chance to grow. To grow not just as a designer from learning from such maestri as Andrea Branzi, but as a person. I was seeing past students of this program, some of them close friends of mine, coming home with a new aura about them: more confident, more mindful. This is what I was looking to get out of this field school - to be able to use this experience in my education and future career.

Experiences In-field:

WHAT DID YOU LEARN:

• Generally?

  That every once in a while you need to put yourself outside of your comfort zone in order to grow.

• About design?

  One of the things about design that I learned in Italy was that new possibilities in design come out of technology. With developing technology, new opportunities are brought about that can be used in your design. New materials, smaller, more powerful batteries, smaller computer parts, etc. all contribute to the possibilities of design. And then, by applying old, used concepts to new technology, you can still create something new, something interesting. The example of a chair comes to mind. There is only so much you can do with the design of a chair, but when you can apply new technology to it, you can start to make it lighter and stronger with new materials, and then new forms can emerge from this stronger, lighter material.

• About innovation?

  That innovation comes from the application of new technology to quality ideas that fulfill a need and that this innovation can provide a stimulant to the economy of that city or country. It is especially important within places that are in a state of crisis, where a need for innovation can help bring them out of an economic slump.

• About design process?

  Ideally the design process should be kept open for as long as it is possible. The longer it can be acceptable to change, the more refined the product can be to the needs and requirements of the project.

• About cities?

  The life of a city heavily depends on the interactions between its citizens, and those interactions are dependent on the spaces that are provided within the cities. It is these spaces and interactions that distinguish not only one city from another, but the neighbourhoods within a city.

• About living away from home?

  The field school gave me a taste, and I want more. I've always been confident that I would be able to take care of myself if I didn't have my parents to rely on, and on this trip I got a chance to prove that I could handle the responsibility.

• About group dynamics?

  Living with 13 other students for seven weeks is definitely an experience on its own, and with the addition of the projects that we were working on in-field and the occasional stress of traveling and being in a foreign country, relations between individuals were stretched on a few occasions. But all in all, things were settled in a mature way, and it's hard to think of what it would have been like not only with another group, but even down to having one different person within the group.

WHAT NEW PERSPECTIVE DID YOU COME HOME WITH?

Having lived in Greater Vancouver all my life and never really getting the opportunity to live elsewhere for an extended period of time, I really gained a new outlook on my home town and how it functions as a city. Within the first few weeks of being home, there were definitely things that I missed from my daily life in Italy. The thing that I miss most about life in Italy was the multitude of public spaces around the cities that allowed for sitting and enjoying the day. Not to mention the mid-day Siesta. Oh how I miss those afternoon naps.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS OR INTERACTIONS:

• In daily life?

  • Grabbing a cappuccino and brioche at the bar down the street.

  • Siesta!

• With the group?

  • Frisbee in the Circo Massimo.

  • Campidoglio midnight walk in the rain.

  • Sunset in Montepulciano.

  • Evening stroll around the Naviglia in Milano.

FAVOURITE PLACE OR SPACE:

• Campidoglio at midnight.

• Campanile at sunset.

• Luceplan lighting showroom.

MY TRANSCENDENT MOMENT

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME:

The big difference with studying abroad is that it is a lot harder to keep focused on the job. However the plus side is that instead of reading a book about Raphael's "School of Athens" or a website about Siena's Torre del Mangia, you can study first hand, see it and feel the aura of the painting or the space. By using all of your senses, a much more emotional reaction results.

AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE THAT YOU OVERCAME DURING THE FIELD SCHOOL:

Concentrating on work. I had an idea going into the field knowing that it was going to be a challenge but it was unexpected for me how just how difficult it was going to be to focus, particularly in Rome. There was so much that I wanted to see, and even though we were there for three weeks, it still wasn't enough time.

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

• About language?

  I think the language class that we all took prior to the trip was essential. It opened up so many doors for us, and gave us an opportunity to experience the country on a much more intimate level.

• About Italian history?

  Knowing all about the art and architecture before seeing it face-to-face makes it so much more meaningful. To know the context that a building was built in and why it still stands today makes it so much more significant when you see it; otherwise it's just another building, another painting. It's hard for me to explain some of the experiences that I've had with friends and family because I'd have to spend half an hour explaining why that place was so important.

Reflecting:

CAREER GOALS, ASPIRATIONS, AND INTERESTS POST-FIELD SCHOOL?

This is actually something I have been thinking about since I've returned from Italy and as of yet I haven't come up with a definite answer. At this moment I think my strategy is to try out different things that strike me as an interesting projects and see where it takes me.

DID YOU MEET YOUR PRE-TRIP GOALS?

One of the things I was looking to do was to break out of my shell a little bit, to open up and take a risk. I was able to do that through using the language, interviewing complete strangers, and going out on my own around the city relying only on myself.

WHAT IMPACT HAS THE FIELD SCHOOL HAD ON YOU?

The experienced gained from this trip can only be rivaled by those from the previous four years of this program. It has not only given me unique learning experiences, but also a strong network of talented, smart designers that I had the good fortune of sharing the trip with.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIADESIGN STUDENTS?

It took me a few years to decide if this was really something that was right for me, and I nearly missed out on a huge opportunity at a life changing experience. The biggest thing that was holding me back was the money, or lack of it. If you are absolutely serious about this program, don't miss out on it just because you may not have to resources to fund the trip. It's worth it. The money is out there, you just have to find it. You will most likely never get the opportunity to work with such a hard working, devoted and determined group ever again.