Research Team
WHY DID YOU APPLY TO THE ITALIADESIGN FIELD SCHOOL PROGRAM?
I applied to the Italia Design Field Study because I wanted to experience true design. When opportunities like this come your way, you have to go, you need to go. I love learning new things and expanding my knowledge about the ones that I am passionate about, and learning from a different place always presents something new.
WHAT I LEARNED
Generally?
Tons! However, the most important lesson that I have learned is, the only person that can hinder you from pursuing your goals is yourself. If you want to make things happen, you need to believe in yourself and with that comes great passion, perseverance, knowledge (keep learning and then share them), and constant awareness of what is going on around you.
About design?
Design is not only the tangible object that you see. It is about the process that leads to creating something that is meaningful.
About innovation?
Innovation occurs when you create something out of a need.
About design process?
There are 3 keys to a design process, you need to have a great idea, an idea that addresses a need; and time - it ensures quality because remember that a design process is not linear, you go back-and-forth to certain areas (you have to) as you discover and learn from mistakes or challenges that you come across; and knowledge about the materials you are using in order to produce something that is efficient and sustainable. In addition, collaboration plays a big role in the Italia Design process, it is a tradition. I think this is a very important concept because when ideas are shared, they evolve into even greater outcomes.
About cities?
The life of cities depends on the people, the structure of the space the openness and tightness of it, and how it was designed through architecture. However, it is not enough that you have all of these present; the emphasis is on how they work together in harmony. That way, you get those 'peeks' or visual surprises of great architectural spaces. Furthermore, these cities are more than just what you see; they are also about what you don't. Rome for example, is layers and layers of history a palimpsest. A question one might ask having presented with this kind of condition is, 'how can that be dealt with in order for the layers not to be buried, destroyed and become irrelevant to people's lives?' The answer is through intelligent intervention establishing interaction, a connection with time (past, present, and future), with people, and with the urban space around it.
What new perspective do you/did you come home with?
I experienced that learning is when the knowledge that you have comes to life through application. It is about exercising your mind to formulate ideas by analyzing the situation while being in the context of what the problem is about. In addition, what changed my life about this trip is knowing that I have grown, the fact that I have changed. Living away from what I have been used to for the most part of my life, I learned to trust myself more. You realize that you can make intelligent decisions for yourself, and if you make mistakes they only make you a better person because they make you stronger and you learn from them.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME
Studying abroad is akin to seeing things with fresh eyes. You see things with a whole new perspective and thus you approach them differently; you expand your ideas. There's always something new outside the world one is usually confined in, and the more you explore and go out of your way, the more you learn, and the more you learn, the more you grow not only intellectually, but also as a person. It changes your life. The trip was also about sharing those moments with your friends. You have fun together and you learn from each other.
FAVOURITE MOMENTS
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Being at Pons Fabricius.
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Hanging out at the beach in Rome.
Having great meals.
Walking, lots and lots of it.
Taking the underground metro in Rome (and the graffiti on the train cars were awesome).
Having espresso at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everywhere in between
MY TRANSCENDENT MOMENT
"It was then when I truly felt that I was part of the city. Not only was I immersed by the surroundings, the interactions that I had with the people around me came so naturally, as if I was not a stranger at all."
Download this and the rest of my Florence moments here
MOST MEMORABLE INTERVIEW MOMENT/QUOTE
"Know what you are searching for even if you don't know what you will find." - Carlotta de Bevilacqua
FAVORITE PLACE/SPACE
My favorite place is Rome, the Trastevere area, where Isola Tiberina is, the two favorite bridges of mine: Pons Fabricius and Pons Aemilius or Ponte Rotto, and that place that we call 'the beach'.
MY FAVORITE MEAL(S)
ROME
Every meal that we had at the Palatino was memorable, especially the night when I was finally able to have my zabaglione. Also, the night when the whole group ate out by the street while watching cars on manual transmission being parallel parked on really tight spaces.
The nutella and trail mix from the sandwich place on the street where we lived was a favorite for sure.
FLORENCE
Trattoria Pallottino The insalata caprese on a fried dough, incredible!
MY CAPTURED MOMENTS
ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIA DESIGN STUDENTS
Walk if you can.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
4th Year BSc Interactive Arts and Technology, concentration on Interaction Design, Simon Fraser University
CAREER GOALS AND INTERESTS
Currently, I am really interested in Industrial Design, ideating, prototyping and development; turning ideas into meaningful manifestations. Architecture, on the other hand, have always been a goal that I see in my horizon. After finishing my degree here at SFU, I will perhaps work for a year, then most probably pursue the path towards becoming an architect.
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
I am 23 years old, I live to learn, I live now, I love.