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Permalink Reply by Aaron Crosman on 9th mo. 18, 2009 at 11:33am

If Friends are interested I've posted the second essay in this series to the Peace Minute blog. If anyone has thoughts or feedback, I really would love to hear it.

Aaron

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Permalink Reply by Larry Matthews on 11th mo. 8, 2009 at 5:11am

A few years ago when I was teaching graphic design I had to set the students a very 'academic' type exam using the little exam paper/booklets as was required by the university exam regulations. I had previously taught at design schools where exams were not required, but, instead a final portfolio of some kind. Anyway I had to figure out a way to 'test' the students ability to design something 'on the spot' using some of the various design methods and creative thinking/problem solving exercises and outline the process where the idea came from. So, when it came to the 'design brief' I kept it very simple. The question was set out to document the various stages of the creative process and then to use the various design methods and document where the idea evolved and at what stage it occurred then to draw or discuss the design concept. The test was on the ability to pinpoint and remember the stages...whether the design was 'good' or not appropriate was beside the point.

I was also thinking about the welfare of the students who had been busy all year and stressed and thought what kind of 'design' project can be given right now to fufill the task of the above exam.

So, I simply came up with the design brief "Package Peace". The student had to think about what it is to 'package' peace....and I must say the answers were astonishingly beautiful. I've often thought about opening this up as a further design project or 'competition' worldwide to see the various results...because I was impressed with how the students considered their responses.

In general most students were able to remember and follow the stages of the creative process and utilise the various design methods in developing their concept for "Package Peace". Some of the outcomes that I am reminded of are:

1) one student began contemplating various ways peace is contained in vessels and started to 'daydream' during the exam and visualised herself on a mountain top meditating. At that moment she realised that she can herself be a 'package' of 'peace'.....

2) one student imagined a fleet of airplanes that were painted to look like doves that would infiltrate the air and allow 'messages' of joy and peace to scattered to those below as messages of hope

3) one student imagined peace packaged as 'dove meat' wrapped in plastic along with lamb, beef, pork....(a bit ironic...but nonetheless it was a way to 'package' what we have grown to recognize as a symbol of peace 'dove' but, of course it changes our concept.

4) quite a few students responded with packaging peace as 'children' who are innocent and not tainted with concepts of anything other than peace....

......I am lost remembering them all now....at times I was moved to tears of joy realising some of the deep sincerity in answering the 'question' and following through with it....at times a student put a little note in the margin saying 'thank you' for the question

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