ID History

Only overwhelming silence reigned in the room. Everybody fixed eyes on me with a stern look, saying nothing.
“You shall do it if you are so anxious to. But I am still quite uneasy about you.” Father broke the taciturnity after a spell and mother was looking toward me wearing a worried look.
“Thank you, dad. I’ll do it well.” It was the only reply I could say. In the family council on a night early in 2006, I got consent to study industrial design abroad.

After receiving master degree in chemical engineering, I worked for global companies in their research labs. Developing various new materials like high performance plastics and metals was my job. Special materials and products invented for solar panels, nuclear power plants, flat panel displays and military are still in use worldwide besides the flame retardant materials being supplied in subways in New Zealand, Canada and commuter rail in Boston. However the new technology had limitations in applications despite of excellent features and innovative functions. Popularization or propagation of the inventions was rather impudent because even the existence of them was known to very few professionals only. How can I utilize the novelties to spread the benefits for more people? It was the threshold of my journey.

Smoke alarm, satellite broadcasting, water purifier, UV-blocking sunglasses, underwire brassiere, ear thermometer and air-cushioned shoes - You are probably using some of them and can you put your finger on any commonness from the items? All of the devices are scions of the technology NASA created for the space developing projects. [1] What was the motive power moving the complex and costly science in the moon to the earth for our daily life? It was design. The marriage of design and technology has presented us convenience and pleasure, improved humankind’s quality of life and changed the world dramatically.

Study of industrial design in RISD has inspired me to combine my engineering background and design knowledge organically. Interdisciplinary culture and liberal atmosphere in the campus encouraged diverse experiments and audacious challenges. The unique curriculum also stimulated learning manipulation technique from the traditional apprentice courses as well as cultivating systematic thinking ability. The experiences were fresh spurs to me once accustomed to memorizing scientific facts without any critical process.

Especially the history class in this semester has offered very beneficial opportunities for understanding the stream of design evolution from the timelines and discovering hidden potentials from the latest trends. The weekly writing enabled me to set up goals and plans with clear gestalts by organizing and representing my ideas. It was a precious training process which accelerated my internal growth and progress in the design path.

Sir Isaac Newton said, “I seem to have been like a child playing on the sea shore, finding now and then a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay undiscovered before me.” As a designer, I am a mere toddler just finding my feet. However I believe that making endeavors and attempts to step toward the ocean of industrial design will move me closer to the truth, though the journey would never be serene and simple. Let’s walk now!

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