Design, Graphic Design, and Pervasive Computing
This week I hosted a visit by 29 rural twelfth grade high school students to MAYA who were visiting companies and organizations in Pittsburgh to get a taste of the professional work environment. I was contacted a few days before by a representative of the non-profit group organizing the activity and thought it would be a great opportunity not only to reach out to kids approaching what is for most a life changing period of decision making but also a great opportunity to clarify my communication of what it is I do as a designer.
MAYA is a very unique organization, one part internal research and development and one part commercial work and I often find it difficult to summarize clearly what it is we do (which is a common phenomenon at MAYA). “We are a pervasive computing lab” is likely the most accurate answer to the question ‘what do you do’ however you might imagine this answer does not make what it is we do clear to the majority of folks, even the tech savvy, as most are unfamiliar with the concept of ubiquitous or pervasive computing. Often I will answer with “I am a designer” which is usually responded to by something along the lines of ‘oh, so you work for an advertising agency’. No, MAYA is not an advertising agency though there are MAYAns with a great deal of branding experience and we have done Web site design and trade show development for clients though it is not a large part of our practice.
A common misconception I find is the confusing of design as I practice it with graphic design and branding. Usually when I state I am a designer, the assumption is made that I design advertisements, logos and the like which is actually graphic design. As I prepared mentally for the high school students’ visit I made the decision to ensure that at least they understand the difference between design and graphic design, they are different design practices practices and that the firm they were visiting, MAYA Design, was not a graphic design company. In the end I defined design as we MAYAns apply it as the act of forming solutions to complex business and technology problems involving interface design, rapid prototyping of technology, collaborative brainstorming exercises, and user research and testing. I explained that often the most effective and exciting part of the process is working with the people effected by the problem or technology to understand their habits and practices from their perspective rather than hypothesizing about what it should be. As an example, I mentioned how if I were to design an information and entertainment system for the car of the future, I would start by understanding how these things are used today by going to car shows, talking with professionals and savvy people as well as soccer moms and people who use their car simply to go back and forth from work.
In hindsight I believe the students enjoyed their visit to MAYA, earned an understanding of the difference between design and graphic design, and learned that the work environment by no means has to be stuffy and uninspiring. For me it was great to share my passions with a group of burgeoning young thinkers and to fine-tune the way I describe the way I practice design.
You continually inspire me, J. The initial hesitancy when I lobbed over the opportunity to connect with rural America, only to have you blossom the notion and learn from the moment. Surely, you touched those students,you met AND frightened their minds as the same time.
I always learn from you…
Aud
audrey