Design Process cover-xviii

Reading a book for an art class is still something that most art students don't enjoy.  You can ask 10 art students, and probably more than half would agree.  How much can you really learn from reading a book about art?  Isn't art self-expression?  There's no right or wrong answer in art.  Right?

Well, unfortunately there are still guidelines and procedures that one must follow in order to reach one's full potential.  I'm reading The Design Process by Karl Aspelund.  The title says it all.  After reading the table of contents and preface, I noticed that the book was divided into 7 sections referred to as "Stages."  Each stage has a title and individual color which helps the reader identify any specific topics quickly.  The author mentions that his purpose was to set the book up so that it follows a process, hence the title of the book.  He also points out that a staged process helps capture a designer's progress and keep a team focused.  By following these stages, the artist/designer can find it easier to accomplish goals even when ideas are lost.

I'm excited to dive into this new book we will be reading for class.  I know I will learn something new and eventually incorporate it into my arsenal of tools.

Here is the list of stages:

Stage 1: Inspiration

Stage 2: Identification

Stage 3: Conceptualization

Stage 4: Exploration/Refinement

Stage 5: Definition/Modeling

Stage 6: Communication

Stage 7: Production