Process in Nature and Culture
Process surrounds us. In the natural world we see the results of consistent action on the earth. Process can supply a structure against which the artist can push further and build higher, or can create a standard, brand-worthy product. Process supplies consistency of product, sequence or discipline. Process is powerful and when tapped can have an enormous impact.
Grand Canyon
This is a result of the forces of erosion and uplift applied over the course of 6-17 million years.
Krispy Kreme
The factory store assembly line creates consistent, branded doughnuts. Part of the allure of a Krispy Kreme shop is the revelation of process.
Jackson Pollock
Pollock (1912-1956) also had a process. This he developed on his own through trial and error and refinement. This process allowed him to create an astonishing body of work in a short period of time.
How do you define process? Is it a discipline, a ritual, a safety belt? Is it a limitation or an amplifier? Is it about consistency or freedom or something else entirely?
Is process something you can borrow from others? Is a tailor-made process necessary? Is there one true ideal process to be used for all tasks, or does the process change to meet the problem to be solved?
Does having an intentional and recognized process make you a better designer? How and why (or not)?
Process seems to be an aspect of life that is rarely thought about but is eternally existent. This blog entry raises some interesting questions about process and how it affects design but I think the true question is whether or not it is possible to function without process. Every once in a while a designer will claim that his product or creation was made unintentionally or it randomly came about without much thought. Is that true? Can creation really be random? Or maybe the truth is that the designer chose a process that called on them excepting the course of nature. In that sense there outcome was no more random than the example of the Grand Canyon shown above. A process did exist. It was just a passive process in comparison to the direction that designers and inventors often make.
As far as whether or not intention makes you a better designer, I think you have to look at things on a case by case basis. Intention, Creativity, Acceptance, etc. are all important parts of a process but I think to be truly successful you have to try not to rely on just one aspect but must be willing and flexible to be affected by all aspects of life.
Posted by Donald Christopher Brenton on September 06, 2008 at 02:30 PM EDT #
In design, process can either be the change required to come to a conclusion, idea, or form, or the advancement of ideas to better a project or plan. The first type of process requires ideas which are eventually turned into steps that help the designer reach their goal. While process does not need to be outlined and given a priority list, the path used to reach the final product does have structure.
For example: No matter how abstract the Pollock painting is, or how much time was spent splashing paint on the canvas, the fact remains that there was a process needed to achieve the overall effect that the painter wanted to portray.
In the scientific world, laboratory processes are recorded and repeated so that they may be proven or used for further instigation; whereas, in design, a certain process can be recreated but the pieces are still subject to human error and chance, which I think, gives art a special quality.
Posted by Erin Cheney on September 07, 2008 at 11:12 PM EDT #
Process is all of the above mention things. It is a discipline, a ritual, and a safety belt. It sets limitations and amplifies. The problem with a process is when it becomes too much of one thing. Essentially, it can make or break a person in the design world. When somebody becomes comfortable with a way of doing things, two things happen. Their art will most likely improve in some manner, having taken all things into consideration this time around through the trial and error stages to define the process, and also, their style becomes stagnant. When a person knows how to achieve that certain look they?re going for, that eliminates the possibility of creative error, and also creative liberty, almost like a cookie-cutter art kit. You do things this way, with these materials, and in this amount of time.
To fully utilize the establishment of a process, one has to liberate themselves enough from it to recognize its presence. When a process is not recognized, that is when the style quits developing, but if a designer realizes that they have figured out a way to do things, and then embraces that notion for the better, the possibilities are endless. You may have done things one way, and you know that it will work, but instead, you take the road less travelled, and maybe discover something new. Though all of this is not to say that a person cannot develop out of a style, it is merely implying that a conscious choice can be made to deviate from process if that process is recognized.
Posted by Nic Callahan on September 08, 2008 at 08:42 PM EDT #
A process, whether it is mathematical, of the natural world, cultural or design related, holds the concept of progressive change. As basic as this may sound, any change that occurs results from a process, otherwise there would be no change. The importance of process is obvious, but the way in which a process should be executed is debatable. Personally, I believe that a process is case specific and should not rely on precedents to determine how a problem should be resolved. Don?t get me wrong, a process should be looked back on to understand how the issue was assessed, but you cannot apply a standard process to every situation. Because of the nature of design, there can be multiple right answers for a problem statement, thus meaning that a certain process to be followed is not necessary or appropriate.
Process is the mechanism by which a solution is found. During the process, even if digression occurs, it provides insight into how important it is to be open and not to be restricted to how a problem was solved previously. Process is all about being free and accepting what occurs during the course as a way to learn. If you are given a problem statement numerous times under the same conditions, then the way that you go about finding the solution should change. If you continue to address the same problem in the same manner as before, you are clearly not learning from the previous attempts.
A recognizable process is important because it allows you to look back on a project and clearly follow your progress, no matter what avenue you took along the way. I believe that by having an intentional process as a designer you only limit yourself and prevent the freedom of design to occur.
Posted by Drew Brisley on September 09, 2008 at 01:46 AM EDT #
Process is the steps one takes to get something done. Processes are different for each task, as well as for each person. What works well for one thing or person may not work well for another. However, each designer, for instance, may have similar processes for their thinking and production, but may fine-tune it to the task at hand. They may take similar ideas of what has worked in the past and apply it to other things they are working on. Past experiences are important in process because it makes developing the current process a lot easier. However, it could also cause you to get stuck in one set of thinking and prevent you from discovering a process that could work better for you. Over the years, your process would hopefully improve and change with new modernization that would make things easier or quicker. A designer with a set process may often times have similar results in their work. For example, Jackson Pollock had a set process and his works, while each with their own style, would have similar end results because of how it was accomplished. And when canyons are formed, like the Grand Canyon for one, they all have similar forms but, of course, each has its own qualities. A designer that does not have a recognized process could, in a sense, be more creative with their work and each work would be individual in style, which may appeal more to certain people.
Posted by Wendy Cernel on September 09, 2008 at 11:37 AM EDT #
The definition of process of course changes according to the field of study. Process, to me, refers to a set of guidelines that either you have set up or guidelines that you are following that an outside source has laid out for you. Processes, whether one notices or not, are going on everyday in everyones mind. Some people like having the laid out processes while others find spontaneous ways to accomplish the same thing. I feel that in Design processes are necessary to some extent, however, the real ideas and creations I believe come spontaneously. It is easy to get lost in your ideas and imagination so processes can be helpful in organizing ones thoughts, however; these processes can also hold people back from reaching their full potential. It is easy to follow processes, however, it is the few amount of brave people who step outside of the normal process and create an innovative masterpiece.
Posted by Henry Brian Cheek on September 09, 2008 at 12:49 PM EDT #
The importance of process is derived from its necessity. Since the beginning of time process has been a prerequisite of anything created or conceived of. Everything in nature requires a process to come into existence: the stars were created by the big bang, the grand canyon by the processes of uplift and erosion and trees by the process of photosynthesis. More abstract products are still not immune to the necessity of process. Any thought ever formulated was pieced together by a series of firing neurons and was influenced by the creator's past experiences; even time progresses through a process, labeled by humans as the passing hours, minutes and seconds.
Although process's necessity makes it a common trait between all things in existence, no two processes are alike despite the fact that some are similar. The same forces that created the Grand Canyon would never create a doughnut. The process defines the product. Jackson Pollock respected this balance between process and final work - he desired his process (which he undertook by transferring his emotions figuratively to the canvas) to be analyzed and critiqued, rather than the painting as a whole, who's narrative value was negligible.
Process is at the heart of design. The variety of styles is what differentiates different forms of design from one another, and an artist from his colleagues. Some designers' goal is to replicate other processes (processes of their fellow designers, those found in nature, etc.); however, its impossible to ever truly replicate process and it becomes the imperfections, flaws and improvements on the original style that comes to define this designer.
Posted by David Hawkins Benson on September 10, 2008 at 09:47 PM EDT #
I believe process is more of a ritual that serves as a "safe" passage to one's desired product. As a designer, using a process is creative in the sense that it is a creative thought to render output over and over again; however, it loses creativity after each use, because that intelligent, ingenious "spark" that started the process is being used over and over again. If a designer is to use a process a balance must be reached between ritualistic manners and unplanned, accidental actions, so that "freshness" can be maintained. Techniques for a designer are okay, but to stress one technique gets old, and eventually played out, overall becoming detrimental.
Posted by Jamico Chapman on September 11, 2008 at 09:21 PM EDT #
There are an infinite amount of processes. The process could be an hour long or 17 million years long, monotonous or unpredictable, natural or mechanical. When a person is using a process to complete a piece of work, it can often help him focus on the objective of the project, and it doesn't allow him to get distracted. Sometimes people use processes unintentionally as they are working towards a goal, for example if someone is making a sketch and they keep erasing and redrawing their pencil marks until they draw the picture they desire, they are using a trial-and-error process to get the sketch they want. Sometimes people are required to do a process when they don't want to; in english class when students are assigned deadlines for their thesis statement, intro paragraph, first draft, second draft etc. they are using a process stretched out over a few weeks that guides them to the final copy of their paper.
Process is a restraint in that it restrains you from being distracted from the goal. However a process allows you to run wild within the guidelines of a project. There is no one correct process for all tasks. Not only does process change in order to meet the problem to be solved, but process also changes when different people are confronted with the same problem. Everyone has different ways of approaching and thinking about problems. That is why there is an infinite number of different processes.
Posted by Suzanne Cash on September 11, 2008 at 11:10 PM EDT #