My First Design Workshop @ Atlanta Technical College

A few weeks ago I was invited by a great friend of mine, who is also a professor, to conduct a design workshop at the Atlanta Technical College. The project is strategically planned to be completed by the end of the school semester. The students were split into three groups and each group was instructed to recreate an existing space that will eventually become a community center. Talk about an amazing 'real world' experience to add to their portfolios. Not to mention, to be able to drive by a building and feel so much pride in the fact that they played a major part in making this center come to life.

I was charged with a simple task, talk about fashions influence on interior design. So I created a short presentation about not only the influence of fashion, but my personal design strategy.

It was a hit! The students were so engaged and wanted to know more about my method and how it can be applied to their current project. So the lecture immediately turned into a workshop with poster boards, magazines, glue, and scissors. Almost like a 'mood board' party. I shared a concept that I picked up from a free online training that I had participated in a few months earlier. Since then I've applied this method to my design process and have gained so much clarity. So I was open to sharing this method with these students in an immersive way, in the hope that they would gain clarity in their design as well.

Final design vision board for Group2.

It's important to understand WHO your designing for, WHAT your designing, and WHY your designing it. The 'why' lays the foundation for the 'who' and the 'what'. The students were instructed to delineate three columns on the poster board, with each column under the headings 'who, what,why'. As I explained each one, they were given instructions to look through the magazines and cut and paste photos, words and/or phrases that will represent your final product in these three categories.

At the end, the students were so happy that they finally had a visual comprehension of what their designs will look like in the very near future. It lays the foundation for everything else that they will be designing.

I had such a blast! And was ask to return to critique designs and judge the final presentation. I can't wait to see what they come up with!

xoxo

Kenni