Oh, what curious conversations we have sometimes
4 MIN READ
When you think of winter, those few freezing cold months of the year, does your mind’s eye see frost cling to the ground? Snow covered mountains? Defrosting a frozen windscreen before the rush to work? Steaming hot cups of tea in front of the fireplace?
It’s a different image for everyone. For me, it’s spending as much time as possible in tiny pockets of sunshine, and collecting wood on our property for our fireplace (sometimes when I’m lucky, both at the same time).
The time spent outside in multiple layers of clothing, amused by watching clouds of air billowing from our mouths, laughing at the dog’s breath doing the same, and the repetitive bending-down-picking-up of firewood, stills my mind and makes way for thoughts to flow.
Image: Our dog loves the extra pats on wood collecting days.
At our last wood collecting session, my thoughts set square on the popularity of DIY projects. Anyone who’s spent time at a hardware store on a Saturday morning, can see Australian’s love a DIY project. I know I feel empowered by completing a task from end-to-end without the need to ask anybody else for assistance. It means I get to know the process intimately. And accomplishment ensues. All the good feels.
I started to apply this analogy, to the people I’ve worked with professionally on launching their projects in the wild. They tell me, they love the creative process of collaboration, seeing concepts come to life, providing feedback and ticking items off a list; however, they have a desire to work on certain items themselves. I understand. It’s empowering. It means they get to know the process intimately. And accomplishment ensues. All the good feels.
Image: A DIY bunting project my friends and I worked on for an event.
As well as being a bit of a dreamer, I’m also super practical and understand we’ve now got access to online applications powered by AI, that enable graphic design functionality at little to no cost. Anybody with the right set of skills and motivation can figure out how to tap into AI and can get from an idea, to an engaging social graphic, a stellar logo, or even win an award.
Image: The type of sticks better suited to a cubby, are pictured in this masterpiece (still standing after eight-years!).
Aside from some of the limitations we’re beginning to identify with the use of AI, it’s worth understanding the place design thinking has within projects.
To use a wood collecting analogy, the output of collecting firewood best suited to the outcome of a long-lasting fire to keep our home and family warm, relies upon:
The knowledge of how to identify soft ground on the property long before you’ve driven over it, to prevent the ute getting bogged;
Understanding only to collect wood fallen to the ground, which will provide dry firewood for use in the fireplace immediately, which reduces creosote and keeps air quality safe; and
Having respect and access to the right tools to get the job done quicker.
Image: The type of curious conversations we have as a family, around our fireplace.
To summarise:
Design thinking comes with the nuance of our narratives, the texture of regular practice, the reality of success and failure, and the curious conversations that happen along the way.
Email me if you’re keen to start your own conversation.