My First Encounter of Design

                                            A picture of Barbie from Google images.

   

 

                We all encounter design day in and day out. But, how do you define your first encounters of design? Is it something that inspires, or triggers your sight for creativity? Or, is it something discreet, that you didn’t notice, but made an impact on you later on in life?

                My first encounter of design was actually, my childhood doll, a Barbie. She was so perfect. She was a reflection of every girls dream. She was beautiful, perfect at everything, had a big house, a car, and tons of clothes. She was designed to have the perfect features. She had long beautiful hair, she was tall, and proportioned in a way that was what everyone perceived as perfect. She could be and do anything. The designer that created Barbie, was someone who definitely wanted every girl to have a desire to be like Barbie. She was an icon and a role model. She was designed to be appealing to girls, which is why she is mostly pink, or her things were. She is  a simple doll that is safe, and just embodies perfection, and the perfect doll.

                                                      Images from Google images
                 I loved to dress her up. When I received her, she had a couple of outfits, but not a whole lot. I loved putting together outfits for her for any occasion. Because she was beautiful and perfect, her outfits had to be, too.  Funny thing is, when I didn’t feel like dressing her up in the clothes I already owned for her; I would make outfits out of tissue and tape. Later on, Instead of using tissue, I started looking for small pieces of fabric around the house, and I would cut the fabric and use tape to make more outfits. Doing this made me happy; it was my own personal design just for her. Then, my sister actually taught me how to hand sew, for craft activities. So, being taught how to sew, I used that ability with my Barbie, and started to sew my first outfits for her. I was really proud of myself; I made a jacket, top, and jeans. Of course when I was young, I didn’t understand what I was doing, and how it would impact me later on, but looking back, it was an important part of my life that reflects me now.

                Being able to see my Barbie wear something that I made myself, it was an amazing feeling. Sewing, making sure it’s cut right so it can fit her correctly; it was all about precision. My Barbie was my reflection of creativity. She was a canvas, and I was the artist.

Little did I know, this hobby of mines became more than just something I did for fun, it became my passion. I grew more interested in art and fashion. I taught myself how to sketch designs, and every day I improved. It became something I started to think about for my future. I dreamt of having a career in the fashion industry, and better yet, to own my own clothing line. So now I have come to the point where I’m making a decision on my future, to study design. I will become a fashion designer, because it’s my passion, it’s in my heart to do it.

                The impact from your first encounter of design has, or slowly changed, your perception on design. So whatever your first encounters of design are, it is always something that opens your mind to another world, a world of imagination and creation. Whether it’s a doll, your first drawing, or your favorite cartoon; it has an impact on you, or even your future.