welcome & values

Welcome to mirror waves. I first started this site as a way to reflect upon some questions about the world of professionalized industrial design & design strategy. It’s slowly becoming a space for me to engage with the ramifications of my work & education. One day, I and everything I have ever bought, used, and made will be materially bound to a geological layer. This site is here to consider the question: “What will the archaeologists of the future think of us when they find what we have made?”

I graduated from Pratt Institute in 2016, a Bachelor in Industrial Design, with a minor in Sustainability Studies. As a part of the final year studies, I was asked to write out my values as a designer (this was supposed to be my way to signal to prospective employers “what I’m all about”). It’s been 5 years since I wrote this, and though I haven’t lived up to these ideals yet, I still aspire to them. I think the dreams of our younger selves can be inspiring to return to, to hold ourselves accountable. For now, I’ll let 21-year-old Amira take it away:

Core Values

Design systematically, and consider context. Design is the process of researching, analyzing and innovating living systems. Every product and environment is the result of a multitude of systems working together, and are systems within their own right.

Be efficient and ethical. Approaching design with this lens allows designers to understand the complexity of every single designed object, from a toothbrush to an airplane. All of these objects exist in a niche within a context. As designers, we are tasked with making sure these objects fulfill their duties in their niche efficiently and ethically.

Understand the life cycle of the product/environment. Conceptualizing all products as systems requires rigorous research before each and every decision, especially in deciding which materials and manufacturing techniques will be used to produce a product. Life-cycle analysis is essential to any design before it goes to production.

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hieroglyphics Photo by Daniela Turcanu