After working for fourteen years as an interior designer. I have decided to study again as I still face challenges with the industry.
July is when I received my acceptance letter to the Masters course, Managing in the Creative Economy. I am taking two of the modules this year. One is called Mapping the Creative Economy and the other one is called Design Thinking.
It is September and I am so excited to quench my thirst for knowledge. So, I put on my trench coat and my trainers and head to Kingston University, attempting to look 10 years younger than I am so that I can blend in with the students.
Two weeks through and I am already rethinking my work process and whether I should be spending my nights studying and my breaks meeting my team to work on the course project, when I am swamped with work deadlines.
It is Christmas time and I signed a new project in Spain! The client has requested my services to help him with a design dilemma. He specifically asked me to involve him in the process and mentioned that he wants to take a non-traditional route that would help him learn more about his newfound passion for design.
An unusual request requires an unconventional approach. I have been writing contracts since 2011 and it has always been the same template. Something different needed to be done this time.
I decided to apply the method of mind mapping, from the book “Creative Confidence”. It is a form of brainstorming and a tool that helps you think divergently. This lead me to create a new design proposal that catered to my client’s requirements without jeopardising the design or compromising the value of my time. It worked like magic!
GHALIA EDREES 