Milton Tan Dreambook
Dreams: a dynamic realm of possibility and the nonsensical, fleetingly masquerading as reality. It is no wonder why Dr. Tan always kept a notebook by his bedside to write or sketch the ideas that would visit through dreams. Taking after its namesake and purpose, this blog shares our ideas, observations and experiences with design and creativity with the hopes that you, in turn, will share yours.
The Wooden Elephant Story
A traveller comes across a local craftsman carving ornate elephants out of wood. Fascinated by the craftsman’s skill and the beauty of each and every wooden elephant, the traveller asks the craftsman, “How do you make such beautiful elephants?”. The craftsman responds, “First, I take my block of wood. Then, I take my trusty carving knife. And I carve away everything that is not an elephant.”
Vexillology as a Case for Design Thinking & Awareness
“My mission is to get people to engage with the design that they care about so they begin to pay attention to all forms of design… When you decode the world with design intent in mind, the world becomes kind of magical.” - Roman Mars
Old Man Blade: A Tribute to Simplicity
Any razor promises a clean shave but the old man blade’s design appears to have tactically considered its value to its target user, superseding its primary function.
‘Offside’ Rules Stifle Creativity
This ‘rule’ is becoming increasingly ridiculous in our multi-disciplinary world where creativity is best found in intersections of disciplines.
Another Example of Visual Thinking
There are many exciting possibilities of being able to think visually. They are divergent, exploratory and do not attempt to be ‘correct’
Visual Thinking in Practice
Many know about visual thinking or “visual literacy” but consider it unreliable and ‘fuzzy’. It’s not.
Simplicity Shanghai
A photo essay on simplicity from a typical day in old Shanghai (September 2008).