DESIGN THINKING FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX

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We’ve all heard that term “Thinking from outside the box” before, but what does it exactly mean?   To me it is challenging myself to reach outside of the norm and outside of my personal comfort zone.  I am the happiest as a designer when I discover a new approach and idea for resolving an issue or creating something new.

I would describe myself as a curious designer, always on the look for new products, new ways of using old products and materials. It is very important to me to be creative and unique in my design, implement something unexpected, unique and customized specifically to each client.

Creativity is all about generating new ideas in any setting. Generating fresh ideas can be very challenging because most of us find it difficult to get beyond obvious solutions.

We are all naturally creative and, like every other skill, some people have more natural talent than others. However, everyone can increase his or her creativity with training and practice.

I want to gain greater access to my creativity and take it to another level and I love to challenge myself by giving myself tough problems to solve and trying to stretch my problem-solving capacities.

Recently an opportunity for this presented itself   in the form of Annual Paper Fashion Show.

Paper Fashion Show presented by Denver’s Art Directors Club is the largest paper fashion show in the nation.  Designers create fashions from paper donated by xpedx®. These fashions are showcased at our grand runway show, and voted on by a panel of judges.

Our team of 3 created this “Mad Max Mermaid” inspired outfit solely made out of paper.

This was so out of my comfort zone. I am not a fashion designer, and creating anything out of paper is difficult, but this was a great opportunity to challenge myself.

Team: Heidi Mendoza, Karen Pellegrin, Dana Smith

Paper by xpdex -   Curios Collection / Astrobrights/ Springhill/ Mohawk

Everything started with a single idea that then formed into a sketch, then started the testing of the paper and various methods.  Sometimes an idea did not work and we had to go back on a drafting board. The brainstorming was amazing; somebody threw an idea on the table, another person threw in her two cents…..like the idea of using water color to paint a plain , not so exiting paper, turned into an idea of then sprinkle grains of coarse salt  into moist paint to produce small, snowflake like imperfections in the color.

Often  great ideas get lost just because we don't have the habit of capturing them.  I have a little notepad and pen in my purse and next to my bed , so no excuses is my iPhone runs out of power