"A creative artist works on his next composition because he was not satisfied with his previous one." - Dmitri Shostakovich
Dazzling Designs is a program that gives students an opportunity to see exhibits within the museum that showcase artifacts relevant to costumes and designing and then go create their own design for an instrument or article of clothing. While Dazzling Designs is a museum offering that is already in place, the School Programs team decided that it needed some updating. Multiple individuals pointed out the points of connection that were so simple and obvious, yet not being addressed in the current program. I had the privilege to be involved in the process of revamping this unique opportunity that is provided to students.
I went on a scavenger hunt of sorts throughout the museum with Grace, a School Programs Coordinator, to see what artifacts aligned with the vocabulary she had identified as being potential ones to add to the program content. These words included symmetry, asymmetry, symbolism, imagery, color theory, hue, mascot, palette, warm colors, cool colors, contrast, repetition, tint, tone, and shade. We saw these vocabulary words in the designs of everything imaginable in the museum. From suits to boots and guitars to cars, elements of design were apparent everywhere!
Later that same day, we had a meeting regarding the modifications that would need to be made in order to connect the program to curriculum standards in schools. Given the push from national and local government officials that is requiring schools to focus on engineering, math, and science, the idea of referencing the Design Thinking Process was brought up. Creative problem solving was also mentioned as a concept that could be emphasized with a new content focus. To apply this idea, we discussed initially giving students items that they would not traditionally associate with a costume, such as a pipe cleaner and piece of tool, and allowing them to transform it in whatever way their mind came up with.
Making parallels to the design process with artifacts in the museum that don't necessarily fit into the Dazzling Designs curriculum were thought of as a good connection for older students. It was thought that manuscripts could act as a sketch of sorts when trying to make a comparison to the design process that has a final product of a costume. There is planning that occurs for both of these processes where initial ideas do not necessarily match the outcome.
The idea of creating boards that were specific to certain content areas was brought up. It was decided that one of the boards could be engineering focused, while another could be design oriented. Both would be great visual models for students as well as sensory items. Allowing the students to feel the material gives them a sense of what the complete costume or ensemble might be like.
The final format that was decided on for the program would have four components. The first would address the question "What is Design?," discussing the process that goes into designing, how designs are made to solve problems, and how they can also tell a story. Next, the instructor would ask "Who Designs?" emphasizing that design is a part of people's jobs beyond the title of costume designer. Architects, Engineers, Musicians, and more use a design process to get their idea from start to finish. Then would come the " How do we Design" portion of the program that allows students to see that designers sketch, plan, and draft their ideas before they jump into creating their product. Information about colors, shapes, and other fundamentals will be included in this segment. Finally, the students get to be hands on with the materials provided and go through this process on their own! It is their turn to make something that is their own. It can be personal to them and express their interests or it can just be patterns and materials that they were drawn to.
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