While working in a studio there were chipboard and basswood models and drawings littering desks.  Under the drafting table, I had a trunk that contained my drawings supplies, various kinds of paper and pens, rulers, ink, lead and other drawing implements that aren’t used anymore.  Sketchbooks of various sizes were stacked in the corner of my desk and I had extras in my trunk.  Some were used and some not.  They were filled with moments, perspectives, ideas, and thoughts.  There were a few words, but they were mostly pen or pencil sketches.

The person who sat next to me had drawings scattered around on his desk that he would sift through on occasion to find that one detail he had developed that would tie his project together.  On the wall were bits of paper and small models that served as a source of inspiration or point of departure for a design concept.

Staying up late to talk to the other students led to productive conversations about a variety of topics and occasionally helpful advice about what to do next on a design problem.  I found that it was in being around other like-minded people with diverse backgrounds that new connections were made that can led to breakthrough ideas or novel design solutions.

Some people’s desks were neater than others, but it was out of this collection of thoughts that were captured on paper or other media that creative solutions emerged.  Design isn’t a clean process and it involves quite a bit of play—followed by rigorous analysis—to bring an idea to life.