What's on your mind? + Toolkit Research

Something that's been on my mind lately is capital. Obviously going to CalArts is a huge stress on my personal capital but also on my parents as well. I do believe that by coming here I'll be able to find a solid job and pay off my loans and lead a happy life. I hate that this is the system that so many people have been thrust into. Why should one have to "invest" in an education. Things like this should be granted to everyone. The financial burden we all feel here is unreal and frankly absurd. It's frustrating to live in a world with an ever present capitalist agenda. When people like Jeff Bezos can hoard wealth and not pay a penny in taxes. I watched American Factory recently and that made me think a lot about capitalism and its effect on all industries. In that film it felt there was meant to be an anti-China slant in the narrative. The owner of the company was portrayed in a pretty negative light, but I think this negativity was really driven by capitalism. Capitalism is a scourge.

I really liked looking through the Liberatory Design Process. I'm not sure if you're familiar with IDEO but this felt a lot like the work they are doing. I'm always intrigued by a design firm that is as focused on their process as they are on their products. I also always find it interesting how much iteration is naturally built into the process. In working on complex design problems you always find that an idea needs to be refined again and again. It's good to see that people understand this and build it into their process. I think revision and reflection are by far the most valuable portions of any good design. Whether it's a performance piece, an industrial design challenge, or a social issue, they can all benefit from further reflection