Background: Why ID is an consultant today?

A designer is someone who incorporates art and practical lifestyle into something extraordinary. Some haven't been expected.

Its all about being unique and heard by other individuals.

What happened in Malaysia?

ID is becoming someone who meet client, looking at materials catalogue and design furnitures in computer. The IDs  are done great in creating mood, what about form?

In Malaysia, the ID industry is highly influenced by both education and industry practice.

In education:

Lecturer and tutors has a strong says on student's work . Therefore, process is important. However, at the end, out come is still the most important and comparisons are made. [Reality: Everything is competition].

The comes the issue of timeframe. It is easier to process an existing outcome and improvising it into something new whereas starting from zero is simply hard. But wasn't this what design is all about, coming with new and fresh ideas from time to time.

But at the end, if this 2 student were to be compared, the one who started of with something existed were more well-done in term of the one who starts from zero.

Resulting in, TEMPLETE-ing.

In industry:

As mentioned before in the blog, SPREADing philosophy. When majority practice a specific ways, the minority have to follow. Undeniable that these formulated work ethics had made it easier for interior designer to communicates with clients and contractors. But is it the best solution in creating spatial?

What we INTERIOR DESIGNERS are holding on?

Roots affecting ID industry in Malaysia to become what it is today

Below is extraction of my dissertation outline, there are reason and reference to it, but it would be great if you could share me some article you've came about reading regarding on my issue mentioned below.

 Technology Available in Malaysia

·      Limitation of materials is one of the restricting factors in outcome production. Basic materials used in Malaysia – concrete, bricks, timber, metal and glass.

·      Insufficiency of technical workmanship in the industries where contractors has a regulated type of skills. Barely explore or learn up new skills and technique.

·      Lack of exploration towards new materials and finding. A repetition of existing materials.

Construction Procedures

·      Progress of interior designer comes after architect, which in true facts, interior and architect should work along side by side. Limitations where interior designer tend to comply the existing structure to make link with interior.

·      Everyone trying to perform well, resulting in conflict between architect and interior designer.

Stylization and Templating

·      Time limitation of designer. Skipping design process from concept, sketch, development direct to final due to time rush and profiting.

·      Creativity clot, reference made through magazines and existing work.

·      Linguistic differ. Client has a brief understanding on design ideas. Designers might find it easier to communicate with them through existing visual, which resulted in similarity.

·      Judging association such as GBI, Sustainable certification had justified the design outcomes.

 Market Demands

·      Client understanding towards the capability of interior designer and work scope.

·      Client’s prospect for final outcome, often appear to be whatever seen in existing interior design magazine.

·      Unlike other designer, interior design is about designing for the client. The challenge of incorporating self-thoughts with client’s quest.

·      The perception of ID in education is different compared to industry. In fact, it should not differ, education are program based on the profession in the industry.

"Industrial is different from Education" everyone say so?!!

Its been quite a while since my last post on this blog. As for I am focusing my dissertation on proof and referencing to enhance my writing.
This came about my mind after interviewing an architect and ID firm.
If you have been reading my brief of why ID became a consultant than an artist these days, you will notice my issue tackled the current ID industry in Malaysia.

Why "Industry is different from Education" is the concern of ID practitioner? In my personal opinion, education programs are tailored and designated for the industry, but it was rather left behind and total different set of ethics are required for industry.
According to what I have learnt and see:
1. Because everyone in the industry practice this way.
2. The "greatness" provoked in education. An extraordinary element being introduced during education had causes the a "non-practical" mentality, which resulted in total abundant during industry practice.

Despite the great idealistic part provoked, the idea of having a process from concept model to final executing plans would have resulted in a total different approach from what we can see and find in Malaysia spatial and architecture today.

The Roots of Industrialization

As looking thorough to my research, I was told to seek the roots of why ID industrialization is happening in Malaysia.
After weeks of observation, analysis and articles reading, findings are such:

1. The technology and materials available in Malaysia is one of the constriction for ID creativity in Malaysia. The quest for extraordinary enquiries results in extra costing, reluctant of contractors and worries of client.
2. Occurrence of trends such as GBI also holds back designer's creativity, people tend to preach the fame and status among the rest, where gaining the certificates is a big step towards succession. The rules and regulation to gain it had indirectly created a limitation.
3. Work ethics is also another bolded issues in Malaysian industries. Its often good to have someone to lead the group, however, its terrible when the leaders do not listen or disagree with the others. Just like architects has all says for construction where the rest listens. In this case, other ideas and opinion are prohibitions.
4. Construction procedures is also another cause of creativity limitation. Design is also about unity, when designer comes after architect, all ID can do is only to compliment the architect's output. In fact, they should come at same path.
5. Market niche can also be tricky at time, the fixed mindset for expected outcome from client tremendously affect the end-results and lost in originality. of course, on good hands, stylization had made design communication and execution easier between designers and clients.
6. Worse in case, when all the above are practiced and merged into a norm. Interior designer are automatically a consultant rather than an spatial artist.

We are "INDIVIDUALS" !!!

"A lot of people in our industry haven't had very diverse experiences. So they don't have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one's understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have."
Steve Jobs

Every individuals tries to be somebody that contributes to their society. However, how is it possible? Who is there to support you whenever you make a stand? How can you show your stand is right? What are the impact you will received for doing so? When is the right time for you to strike your opinion?

These are doubts that most individuals think, Malaysians especially. Everyone is so busy trying to tell when no one is there to listen.

Just like ID Industrialization in Malaysia, formula and constriction had occurs in the industries for easy approach, communication and economy where artistic values had been neglected.

e.g. One fresh graduates might have an intention to repel the "SOCIAL RULES" but failed to. As time goes, finding that going with the flow made good profit and changes his stands. Later on, when a junior comes about repelling the system, senior might find it "SHALLOW MINDED".

worse: The cycles goes round and round~

How great if people would hold firm on their stands. Things would be a lot different around!!!

Bare in mind every individuals are different, that's why we are termed 'INDIVIDUALS".

My degree IAD final year Dissertation

Hi all, I'm Julius Lok Juin Chern, currently doing my final year in interior architecture and design at KBU International College, Malaysia.
Recently, I've done my internship in an ID company. It came about rethinking our role as ID, an artistic profession or consultant.
Below are my issues and discussion for my dissertation in details:

Area of Study: Interior Designer, Consultant or Artist?

Issues: Interior architecture and design had been listed as a professionals industry today. However, the industrialization of this creative field had slowly emerged into a stagnant and formulated enormity. As outcome seen in reality, Malaysia especially, interior design are rather more pastiche and losses in aesthetic values. The industrialization had given opportunity for the industries to grow but for better or worse?

Aim: To investigate the relationship between interior designers, client/user and spaces by looking into industries output, users perspective and responds towards spatial design.

Objectives:

• To observe the market situation for interior design field.
•  To investigate the industrialization impact towards interior design industries, which result in duty wavered for today’s interior designers.
• To analyze the outcome appreciation by users/owners by evaluating the weightage of interior designed spaces, a norm or work of beauty.
• To incline the capability and possibilities of interior designer, looking into designers that differ from the formulation.
• To inflict the responsibilities of interior designers towards spaces and its end-users.

Your opinion and discussion on comment are very much welcomed and wish myself all the best for my final year ^.^!