The architecture of light: architectural lighting design concepts and techniques. A textbook of procedures and practices for the architect, interior designer and lighting designer pdfdrive com

Part I The Fundamentals of Light

Chapter 1 The Design Mentality

“By our very nature, we are all designers”
Before we go on to discuss how to apply light in the designed environment, we must look at how we consider design and how we come up with ideas. We must solidify our creative process. As designers, we are idea people. That is our nature; it is what people expect of us and what our clients ask of us. We are in the business of generating ideas. This task seems easy enough as humans are naturally blessed with creative spirit. There is an unfortunate tendency, however, for that spirit to be stifled in some people and nurtured in others. At some point, often childhood, a person is told that perhaps he/she is “just not artistic” or “not a creative person.” In all cases, this claim is false. Creativity is human nature.
When we call ourselves designers, we are telling the world that we have decided
to nurture creativity and dedicate ourselves to the cultivation of ideas.
There are two procedures that are invaluable to anyone pursuing the creative capabilities of his/her mind: the common “brainstorm” and the process of reverse engineering design.
THE BRAINSTORM
Brainstorming is one of the most valuable processes in which an “idea person” can engage. It is the simple process of writing down any and all ideas that come to mind when thinking on a specific topic or challenge. There is one and only one fundamental rule to a brainstorm: there are no wrong answers in a brainstorm. This simple rule translates well to creativity and design because there are no wrong answers in design, simply ideas and possibilities that are more appropriate than others. The designer cannot afford to become too attached to one seemingly good idea. In the process of design, ideas are shot down for a number of reasons, and the designer must possess a head full of other ideas waiting to be expressed.
For a designer, the brainstorm is the freedom to conjure and cultivate any
and all ideas that come to mind regarding a specific design challenge. These
ideas are a product of that particular designer’s background, education, past experiences, values, sources of inspiration, and beliefs about design. These ideas are as individual as the designer, and it is this uniqueness that compels people to seek out designers for ideas and solutions.
The necessary first step of the brainstorm is the process of writing all of these ideas down. Creating a list or diagram of ideas gets them out of one’s head and onto paper. Emptying the head creates room for more ideas to germinate and keeps the same ideas from circulating and cluttering the mind. Jotting down these ideas also results in a permanent record of them, so that none will be lost in the dark corridors of the brain.