I love making stuff. One way I really enjoy learning is through designing and building things with my hands. When building, I quickly find out: what works well, what does not, and what tools one might need. I am forced to think about what to do next and how to change my strategies as I encounter problems or unfamiliar situations.
I love the word design (especially used as a verb). I think all the meanings are awesome and deserve to be practiced regularly. Notice the similarities between scientific investigations: Purpose, Plan (Procedure), Sketch (Diagram), Funtion (Results).
Merriam-Webster Design: transitive verb (bold and italics added)
1: to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan :devise, contrive
2 a: to conceive and plan out in the mind (he designed the perfect crime)
b: to have as a purpose:intend (she designed to excel in her studies)
c: to devise for a specific function or end (a book designed primarily as a college textbook)
3 archaic: to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name
4 a: to make a drawing, pattern, or sketch of
b: to draw the plans for (design a building)
How cool! You could combine the meanings into:
Planning something distinctive in your mind, sketching it out, and creating something that functions and serve a purpose.
I hope all of you have many opportunities to really engage in designing something.
Questions:
What have you built that you really enjoyed working on? What made it fun?
What would you like to build if you had the time and materials? What makes you curious or interested in this product / subject?
December 1, 2013
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