Client Brief

Being able to talk to a client brings a whole new perspective to a project. It is definitely interesting to hear their viewpoints and what they envision in a space, compared to what I as a designer see in a space. One thing I learned was the importance to design around what your client wants. You are certainly able to add elements to the design that you like or think would be appropriate, but the design usually falls back to what the client needs. I am worried in the future of getting a client that has no room for compromise, or would absolutely love something in a space that does not work. One thing I can do to improve my interview notes would be to find a better way to organize them. Perhaps different section heads or labels would be the easiest way to organize them into smaller categories.

Ride , Don't Walk

Some designs seen in this environment do and do not work for people with special needs. For example, placing a door switch on a ramp is very difficult to use when in a wheelchair on said ramp. Also, some ramps are way too steep and very scary to go down in a wheelchair. The designed environment should be accessible to everyone, regardless of cost. Not everyone has special needs, but there are circumstances that would require someone to be in a wheelchair for a period of time, or walk with a walker. Making places accessible for everyone should be very important to all designers. If the designed environment is not accessible to everyone, only a fraction of the population would be able to enjoy those spaces and the remainder would be alienated from this population. Designing environments to be accessible for everyone creates no barriers and enables people to interact with each other on a level field.