Design that happens in Mind!

by ketaki gujar

Role of Experience and Memory in Design & List of Mental

Associations
Picture your favorite room. What do you love about it? The art on the walls? The way the
light filters in through the windows? The view beyond the curtains? A small little lamp next
to the book shelf? or is it a cozy bed with a fresh bed-sheet?
What I did just now? I just started picturing my favourite room in my house while I was
actually asking it to you! Sitting here in the classroom while students are working in front of
me, i am just picturing my room; you know what; I guess I am supper sleepy right now. And
the best part of it is; while imagining it I have started writing this article. Weird association,
isn't it?
What is this mental association? what are the different types? How do we associate with
something that has even no relation to it sometimes.
Associations/ Associationism: (Ref: Oxford dictionary)
A theory in philosophy or psychology which regards the simple association or cooccurrence of ideas or sensations as the primary basis of meaning, thought, or learning.
Associationism is the theory that the mind is composed of elements usually referred to as
sensations and ideas which are organized by means of various associations.
Things or events that occur close to each other in space or time tend to get linked together
in the mind. If you think of a cup, you may think of a saucer; if you think of making coffee,
you may then think of drinking that coffee..... contiguity
The more often two things or events are linked, the more powerful will be that association.
If you have an eclair with your coffee every day, and have done so for the last twenty years,
the association will be strong indeed..frequency
If two things are similar, the thought of one will tend to trigger the thought of the other. If
you think of one twin, it is hard not to think of the other. If you recollect one birthday, you
may find yourself thinking about others as well.....similarity
On the other hand, seeing or recalling something may also trigger the recollection of
something completely opposite. If you think of the tallest person you know, you may

suddenly recall the shortest one as well. If you are thinking about birthdays, the one that
was totally different from all the rest is quite likely to come up..... contrast
(Ref: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/psychbeginnings.html)
Lets imagine and associate: SMELL
What all comes to your mind? Let me list down what all comes to my mind... Hot Jalebi,
freshly baked bread, wet ground after the first rains, purplle davidoff cool, new books,
Petrol, coffee, vanilla, Leather, wine and so on!
Lets imagine and associate: MUSIC/AUDIO
Here again I am listing down right now what all is coming to my mind... the bell in the
temple, textile mills, copper vessel makers, some favourite hindi songs of 90's.
Lets imagine and associate: TOUCH
You know what I just remembered? The most shy plant, touch me not (Chuimui in Hindi
and Urdu, and Lajalu in Marathi), Home made Butter, Bed-sheet, turtle, flowers and many
more can be added to this list. I am sure you are also imagining and adding few more
words to this list in your own mind.
Well, while we were imagining just now we were also picturing all of these with other
particular sensory association. Most common association that happens is with the help of
the vision; as that is how we have been associating things since our childhood.
It's no surprise to psychologists that our surroundings influence our moods, thoughts and
behaviors. Wherever we go, sensory elements such as light, color, texture and scent mingle
with our cultural associations and personal beliefs, allowing us to make sense of our
surroundings.
Vice-versa; as we can also imagine certain particular things too, when we say "McDonald's"
we we may imagine the Mascot, the 'M' logo etc, when we say "Temple" we imagine the
colours, smells, touch, light etc elements peculiar to the temple. When one talks about hillstations; one may imagine a particular hill-station, one may imagine a particular food you
get at that place, the atmosphere at the place, snow, chilly wind, clouds setting on hills, the
peculiar styled houses of the area.
Now again, why are we discussing all this while the title of the article is "Design that

happens in mind"; I am just creating a little background here for that.

Now, lets say we have to design a bed room! The two important things i wanted to
consider here are,
It has to be peaceful
Where all I find peace?

I guess this is the place where I would get peace! how do I bring this into my design? I can
take colours, the shades and the tints as they are going to play a huge role. I could also
provide a small water channel which flowing through the whole house making nice
pleasant sound. The pillows or the bedsheets that have some design of pebbles on it could
be painted, could be embroidered, who knows.... everybody's look out to it could be
different.
Inspirations for designing could be anything as in anything in the world. Lets take example
of Architect Frank O Gehry. How do you think he must have arrived at the concept
for Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao? A water body on one side and the city on the
other. A series of elongated volumes simulating a fish form the great gallery.

Its a funny version of simpsons though, but that could have been the inspiration for the
famous building at Bilbao. Gehry used a rich repertory of materials and languages,
alternating stone, glass and metal in a studied composition that produces different
sensations from the place you se
see it.

The design of Architecture and Interior of the Parliament Library building, New Delhi is
inspired from the designs of Mandala, Various Yantrass based on the plans of the Yagyas
from the Vedic era.

The inspiration is the flexibility in the dance form.

Mario Botta here has taken inspiration from the Gothic recessed doorways, various arches
while designing this building. Keeping the context, region and rich history of the place;
makes the building of its own characteristic.
We, in life have seen,
n, learnt, traveled, experienced, written, drawn and it keeps coming
back, history repeats itself! Experiences from childhood plays huge role to give one the
creative ideas for the future designs. Its a human tendency, it brings back all old memories,
we start
tart associating things in varied fashion and its all very much useful for the creativity!
Long Live Right Brain!