Imagination

During the crit, I realized something,
Imagination sparks imagination.
A designer is successful only when he or she is ignited by an idea, makes it tangible, which then sparks the imagination of others. If the idea arrives at a dead end, the product is of no use. Because design is constantly changing and evolving, it must be able to have a well of creative potential to bring it even further through process.
But imagination can be used for the worse. If you think about it, any product sells as soon as a customer has the ability to imagine himself/herself interacting with the object. A girl dons a dress in a store dressing room and dreams of that future party that she'd wear it too- she buys it. The guy buys a basketball and dreams of shooting hoops at the local park with his friends at their next weekly b ball gathering. If you look at marketing schemes and ad campaigns, it revolves around playing up one aspect of our imagination so that we integrate this inanimate object and give it a personal connection. Because they are not able to allow the audience to interact with the product that's shown on tv- say facial lotion campaign- they must draw an idea that would hit us either mentally or emotionally in order to get us to venture out to physically interact with the object (yet with facial lotions I must say you can't really use it unlike a car, until you buy it). They are not out to sell you a product necessarily but an idea.
In a design point of view, those projects that are most successful are those that allow others to come up with new ideas based on the existing prototype. Or it is those that others can imagine themselves using.
So imagination goes a long way, whether you like it or not.
What I find interesting is how companies use imagination and idealization to sell a product. What seems to be altruistic may all be just a sham to get you to buy something. The Dove Ad Campaigns are relatively good to any other fashion ad (although I'm all for using skinny models- I can't lie... except I'm not really into extreme jutting bones which I find gross) yet in the end, they are trying to sell you that cellulite cream. I thought the little film they had on their website was pretty neat- I never knew that Photoshop's warping tool could do so much. I should try it on my face one time.. hahha.
Another interesting ad campaign that runs in the similar vein as the Dove editorials are Nike.

Here's one of the current series focusing on specific body parts:

The woman embraces herself as a fit but curvaceous unlike the waif-like, anorexic looking models that are often employed in editorials and magazine ads. It seems to be selling another body alternative: one that includes thick thighs, large butts and broad shoulders. However Nike still sells this idea of the controlled body- perhaps not through the absence of food but through an exercise regimen. The woman says her butt is a product from 'thousands of lunges'. Hence in the end, there is still that need to control the body be it skinny or muscular to get it to its ideal.

When I was at the camera store today, I held the Nikon D40 and a sudden urge came upon me: I wanted to buy it. And then I started psychoanalysing myself on the spot and questioning my motives: Sam, are you creating some connection to an object purely out of emotion since you're able to touch it and hold it in your hands... are you just imagining yourself using it at home? Do you want it because you're able to touch it or because you think it's a good buy....

It was pretty funny so I just let it go just in case it was some impulse urge and not something I'd practically consider. Okay I'm done for now... for now.
Dude I'm on a roll here, three entries in one night. Not bad, Sam, that means you're returning to holiday mode blogging. Now to sleep. Presentation with the Washington office tomorrow. Whoopee. 8:30am!