Paranoid Android
The first thought that pops in your head with this title is Radiohead, correct? Well, in the pandemic I’ve been listening and re-listening to the album ‘Ok Computer’ ( although I’ve been listening to it for the past 15 years), I can resonate with it now more than ever. The purpose of this article however is to borrow from the concept of this song and its relevance in today’s scenario. As we go through yet another lockdown, here in India, working remotely has permanently become our new normal. This also means that we need to adapt to this new lifestyle.
By Design
As designers, we are told to constantly evolve, adapt and respond to the changes around us and within us. It’s like we have always been preparing for trying times, times which call for a change in how we express ourselves, how we interact with different mediums, how we respond to a challenge and imagine future possibilities. As a designer, I wouldn’t like to be typecast and placed in a box with a label. With adapting, there is a demand for new skillsets and so a designer cannot be reduced to just one thing.
Disconnected | Discontented
So how does it link back to ‘Paranoid Android’ the song? The song has a direct reference to a robot (from ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’)who is always depressed because of the infinite possibilities within his mind which are wasted on repetitive, trivial activities. Much like Today, if one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is to be resilient. In these uncertain circumstances, we have been pushed outside our comfort zones resulting into. 1)Shutting ourselves in, literally and metaphorically or 2) Pushing ourselves to the brink so that we don’t have the time to process our feelings.3) Mechanically responding to repetitive tasks. Even though as creative minds we have so much to offer, these responses may or may not have been taking a toll on our productivity or quality of work leading to mental and physical exhaustion.
How do we ensure that we don’t get too comfortable with creative blocks and living in the box? Well, for one, explore territories unfamiliar to you. The outcome can be a complete failure, but the process will be invigorating! Try again and fail again and when you finally accomplish, even the slightest milestone, celebrate it!
Digital Dilemma
My journey from Architecture to working in the field of social impact seemed like a gradual shift as I apply the same core design principles introduced to me in Architecture School. But the shifts in trajectories were a response to the need at the time. The transition from the constant field visits of the past to the present situation that involves me to sit, glued to the computer screen, has propelled me to respond to the newfound constraints. Being pressed to shift to a digital space completely, has made me gauge the range of my professional and personal capabilities. If I am a designer — I can be molded into any shape and form, not confining myself to the predefined boundaries of my capabilities much like the robot from ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the galaxy’), constantly learning and expanding my knowledge. My recent exploration is to expand myself in understanding user experience(in the digital space) and user interface design and learning Figma in the process. The illustrated screen below was made on Figma. Hoping that with each attempt, I get better and try something new again!
In times that call for action and change, let’s listen, adapt and respond.
Note: By ‘Designers’, I’m referring to everyone with a creative mindset
