Why?

I thought it would be a good idea to tell you a bit more about why I have applied for this course:


Please give your reasons for applying to your chosen course

I have been thinking back to times and activities where I felt totally happy and immersed in a moment, they all related to the learning process, creativity, innovation and development of myself, a product or a process. I am a very empathetic person, and I want to use design to push real changes for societies around the world, I feel this course will help me achieve my goals.

Although I have pursued creativity academically and recreationally, the lack of it for the most part in my work life has led to a feeling of constant unrest and dissatisfaction. I know that if I can unblock my imagination, stimulate my mind, I can develop what inspires me and feel empowered.

The journey itself through a course like this – especially considering the mix of students – will help me investigate my own culture further and help me find a sense of self and belonging, that will be essential to developing my design strategies.

The structure and ethos of this course is exactly what I have been looking for, allowing for the growth and development of each individual and the group as a whole. There are a variety of topics/fields that interest me, but the thought of coming to something completely new or different for my final project is very exciting. I want to make changes in myself to give me the skills to allow me to make changes in the world: social change, eco awareness and innovation are what currently drive me.

There are a number of areas currently where I would like to develop my thinking further, and they are as varied as my thoughts on most things!

• I am very interested in cultures and sense of culture, genetics versus surroundings, the sense of belonging people can have in places.
• I have also always had a real interest in racism and equality, how it affects our society and developments and advances we have made as well as the areas where there are still blocks.
• Inspiring and engaging communities and especially young people is also another interest of mine. I especially liked the way Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art involved a local group of young people in helping to publicise their Gerhard Richter, Modern Times exhibition.
• Another area that really interests me are the mental barriers we put in place of our own development and creativity, and the way we amplify negativity in comparison to positive feedback and encouragement.
• I am also very interested in the developments with augmented reality being used in current advertising and the arts, like Chris O’Shea’s Hand from Above. I think there could be some wonderfully exciting uses for it, I thought the Lego Digital Box was amazing, a really creative way to differentiate themselves at the point of sale.
• I have a special curiosity about mental illness, genius, insanity, science and the arts. Last year exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, Madness and Modernity had a profound effect on me. It led me to think about how creativity is used in relation to mental illness, as well as our understanding and reaction to those with mental illness. I am yet to visit the Museum of Everything, which is said to be a public space for creators and artists living outside conventional modern society.
• Another exhibition I found inspiring this year was the Telling Tales, Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design at the V&A, it was wonderful to see where really innovative product design could go, after having studied Engineering Product Design as my first degree I had lost touch with what amazing things people in that sector were doing, it allowed me to re-engage with it, and added an extra impetus to continue my design studies.

I have matured and developed, since I first studied Engineering Product Design and with hindsight it’s easy to see opportunities missed and not fully embraced. I now have a real interest humanitarian design, which I hope I can develop in my projects on this course. I would love to work for a humanitarian design firm improving the lives of those in need, creating an awareness in my own society to really ensure people engage with the key issues.