Talk about fun and interesting! Twice a week, sixty Iowa State University students explore different strategies and solutions in a Creative Thinking and Problem Solving class. Most of the students come from the Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management majors but there are a few from diverse disciplines. One of the elements the class utilizes is guest speakers from diverse walks of life to share their strategies. Last week we shared our creative components and how they apply to our design process and business model. We discussed constraints within our design/business models, showed some of our quilts and challenged the group with a design activity.
The activity challenge: to design within constraints. Not wanting to influence their design thinking, we shared minimal information on a quilt block and showed them a traditional nine-patch (with nine patches, all equal in size, three different values). They each had a paper selection of 3 values and a white sheet. We asked them to create, by tearing the construction paper, another design. One resourceful student even had a pair of scissors in her backpack and yes, we let her use them! The constraint was that they had to have nine pieces in the final composition and glue it down to a base sheet. The time constraint was 20 minutes. The above and below designs are some that they produced.
Looks like there was some quilt influence. We relished the positive feedback. Several students said that their Grandmothers had made them a quilt. Our designs were different from the traditional, perhaps inspiring some creative process. They picked up on our comments about the importance of networking to find help and solutions!
Talk about fun and interesting...'till next Tuesday!
I sat in on this class and it was well-received by the students. They enjoy a hands-on challenge. I noticed that many of the students sitting near me seemed uncomfortable tearing the paper: they are so used to the precision of a pair of scissors. It reminded me that it's good to relax and let go from time to time.
ReplyDelete