Design Principles for Self Improvement (Part I)

Is it me, or have other people noticed the trend of applying design principles to personal growth? As a visual person I am intrigued by the possibilities of exposing these ideas to more people. Why? Because we live in a society that is increasingly visually based and are inundated by millions of images on a daily basis. Why not understand these principles and use them to our benefit?

The first time I encountered this idea of design as a means of self-improvement was in Lucia Capacchione's book, Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams. Capacchione's background is in design and art therapy and she blends her experience in both to inspire readers to create vision colleges to help them attain their dream life.

Her 10 design steps for visioning are:

1. Make a wish

2. Search for images and words

3. Focus on the vision

4. Compose the design

5. Explore and find order in creative chaos

6. Create the collage

7. Articulate the vision

8. Reinforce the dream

9. Embrace the reality

10. Celebrate the dream come true

• Now, create your own collage.
  

Bean Mosaic

Spring is finally here, or so the calendar says. After a long winter, this time of the year is a good time to refresh our creativity and maybe explore some of the ideas that have been germinating during those long cold months.

Here is a fun project I did while volunteering at an elementary school's Cultural Arts Day. It's a flower mosaic created with, well beans and other assorted dried foods, including rice and pasta glued onto cardboard.

• Unleash your inner artist and play like a child using finger paints, chalk, or beans!

Think You Are Funny?

Cleveland-based American Greetings wants you to prove it then. Simply provide a caption for one of 3 images on their website, and if they like it you could be a $1000 richer. Plus, they might print and sell your winning card too.

• Enter here.