HW 0
Reading Response #1 to Artful Design • Chapter 1: “Design Is ______” Derek Chung | 2019.9.28 Music 256A / CS476a, Stanford University Fall 2019-2020 Reading Response: Design is Intentionally Exceeding Methodology From this week's reading, I'd like to respond to Artful Design Principle 1.8, which states:
Design begins when we have an intended outcome without knowing how to achieve it, or if it's even possible as envisioned. The idea that we don't know how to achieve something can already feel somewhat foreign to us. With the internet providing us with answers to almost any questions we can ask, there doesn't seem to be much that we don't know. When I first start learning a new piano piece, I try to figure out not just the notes, but how I want to play it. I know I want the piece to be engaging, mature, etc., but I'm not familiar with the piece itself. So I go on YouTube and listen to recordings. I hear various dynamics, accents, articulations, and try to incorporate what I like into my own performance. As I become more familiar with the piece, I add new details and continue improving on what I've done. I had a methodology I use to learn a new piece, but it doesn't tell me how to play the piece well. If I want to add more details to my piece, I need to listen to the recordings. Yet, because I'm not familiar with the piece, I don't know where/when these details happen. In this situation, I would view design as how one listens to music, which details they heard, and why they choose to implement some of them into their own performance. Furthermore, people have different ways of performing, and have their own unique ideas about musicality before they start learning a new piece. Each piece has it's own unique style, and there's no 'playbook' that allows you to perform every piece well. I think even if you know how to approach a problem, there is still potential for us to innovate. The textbook mentions that design 'entails the search for some yet unkown way of how the pieces fit together'. On a macro-perspective, we need to create our own system based on the situation if we don't know how to create our own outcome. But I wanted to focus on the micro-perspective; even when we have a plan, design can still be present in the small choices we make. There's multiple ways to achieve a desired outcome, and I feel like design can play a part in which way one chooses. Design Etude: Taking Notice Thing #1: Laptop My laptop is my connection to the modern worlds in many different ways. One would think most of these are purposeful. It's ability to connect to the internet and access sites such as ccrma and canvas allows me to complete my assignments for 256a - without having to leave my room. I don't have to waste time commuting to ccrma to use their computers. One of the valuable functions of a personal computer is accessibility, which as I stated above, can save people valuable time. This attribute can also be a positive aesthetic tribute. I've always like owning my own things and not having to rely on others. The fact that I have full control over my computer gives me a sense of stability, a value I apply to multiple areas of my life. Thing #2: Bookshelf The beauty of a bookshelf is its organization. As someone who likes everything in order, I love how you can arrange a multitude of items and put it out for display. I feel comfortable letting people into my room knowing that everything is clean, and what better piece of furniture is there to show off than a bookshelf? My piano books are stacked in one area, my folders in another. I can organize it anyway I want. And the best thing is that it looks good and I can find items efficiently. If you know where everything is, then you can find it easily. Thing #3: The Quad The Stanford Quad was the first part of the school to be built, and it was built for a specific purpose. Classrooms were constructed to teach students, the church was constructed for worship, and the building are close together to save people time. The different parts of the quad helps the university achieve specific goals, making the quad functional in nature.
Design Etude: Guerrilla Design I put all my electronics that I charge on the top of a single drawer. My setup reminds me of the way Silicon Valley is a center of technology in America. I thought it was amusing that I have a mini Silicon Valley in my room. ChucK Program https://ccrma.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/user/dchung22/hw0.ck |