Change
It is occurring constantly. The world around us continually changes without rest. From year to year, day to day, and even hour to hour, things are always in motion. Personally, I find the atmosphere and environment to be the most intriguing. In nature, there are never two instances that are identical. Each moment and each place has its own distinctive characteristics.
The most essential building block of all life. Its often overlooked maybe because of its constant use. We need it to sustain ourselves, to clean, et cetera. I find it to be one of the most beautiful things on earth. It must be the ambiguity of the material that makes it so tantalizing. Its nearly impossible to contain or control it; yet, it is one of the most abundant substances on earth.
Shock & Awe
I am always fascinated with discovering new points of view on a certain topic. While in high school, my chemistry teacher turned me onto a book called The Elegant Universe. In a nutshell, it is an overview of quantum physics and superstring theory. Ever since, I have been blown away by this new branch of physics. Even though I'm not interested in the mathematics of the field, the literal implications of what the theory means are staggering. It assumes that all matter at an infinitesimally scale is made up of vibrating bands of energy, strings. The frequency and amplitude at which these strings vibrate determine their physical characteristics. Essentially, all matter is made of the same material manifesting itself in different forms.
Fractals have been some interest of mine for the past few years as well. I feel as though this subject matter has extremely close parallels with quantum physics. The main similarity I find is that both of these ideas revolve around the concept that all of nature is built up of smaller, self-similar parts. The universe is one giant modular system.
Information
Where are we from? Who are we? Where are we going? Information is a tool that we use everyday to untangle and decipher the world around us. From the amount of calories in the food you eat to the global repercussions of gasoline usage, data can help change how we interact with our surroundings. The following two images, courtesy of informationisbeautiful.net, are intriguing insights into the zeitgeist of our era.
Sight
Vision is the most powerful of all our senses, and I believe it to be the most compelling of all. As a designer, I cannot imagine my life without sight. It is the one sense that I feel binds all of humanity. It is the foundation of our communication with one another. Visual symbols have played a part in human affairs for thousands of years. Seeing is believing.
People
Without life, the world would be empty. For thousands of years, the built environment has been made by humans, for humans. We sculpt our surroundings to fit our needs. Ultimately and sometimes unintentionally, we create a reflective manifestation of our collective inner desires. In today's global society, human interaction is becoming more prevalent and more necessary than ever. How can we better foster environments where humans interact? At the end of the day, everyone want to have a feeling of peace, happiness and fulfillment.
