Visit to Freelon

On Wednesday we went as a class to Freelon, an architecture and design firm that completely opened my eyes to the design world! We were told about the types of projects the firm completes and how they approach their design process. So far this semester “concept” has come up quite a bit, which coincidently is something I have struggled with through my design process before. Freelon and the presentation by Paula Carr both opened my eyes that concept is important, but to not get stuck on it because ultimately worrying about your design concept can possibly break your design and can post limitations on your creativity and process.

The projects Freelon shared with us were equally interesting as well. I enjoyed how they were realistic projects but were strung together by creativity and good design, which is ultimately something I strive for as a designer. The library was a great example of narrowing down the important and less important elements in design. The fact that the library met so many needs of the client but there were still drawbacks to the design such as the copy and printing center in the middle of the library is extremely realistic and things to keep in mind when prioritizing needs and prioritizing wants.

TVS Designs was right up my alley when Paula was presenting some of her past and recent projects she was involved in. I loved the element of a group effort and how working as a team can exude intelligent design when looking at it from all angles and perspectives. One thing I really took to heart about her presentation and was more of something I like to hear is that she keeps a sketchbook and stressed the idea that she feels as though sketchbooks are such a great way to record thoughts, lists, and ideas. I like knowing that they are used even in the professional world because my sketchbook is the epitome of my design process.

I feel extremely informed about realistic problems and endeavors firms can experience with projects and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and the presentation. More of these would be great!