When designing we must consider performance, historical accuracy, story, budget and place. With so much for the designer to consider it is easy to forget to leave space for the audience to do their work. The work we ask of the audience is to imagine and to create. A strong design allows space for this to happen. Space for the viewer to build from the image of a few elements to imagine a whole world.
The simplest example I can give is the monster movie. Monsters are far scarier before we actually see them on screen. Absence of the monster early in a film is immediately filled with the audiences visions of how horrible it must be. Often the real thing can never live up to that imagination. A designers job then is this: To inspire an audience to imagine and create through every frame of the film. Knowing what to leave in and what space to leave open is key to a successful design.
I like to think this way toward all my work. When bringing concepts forward through conversations or made things I try to leave a little bit of space. Space for my collaborators to create. This allows the work to grow far beyond my own creativity. Most people think design is about making rooms for people. This is not true. Design is about making rooms for the imagination.
Hey Mr.
ReplyDeleteNailed it. Easy to lose sight of as pressure mounts, and fingers start pointing responsibility around the room. Best kept in the foremind while the reactive desire to control and micromanage sets in. Where is the real value in what we create? Usually not in the thing itself, but in the effect on those who come into contact with it. Without building in launchpads for the creativity of others, even great ideas are static and lifeless.
Agreed :)
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