AMY NGAI

Background and expectations:
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
I would like to say I’m an anomaly, but that would do no justice to the 6 billion people I share this earth with, not to mention the twelve I experienced Italy with. I like to analyze people and ideas and how everything is related. My best work is done sitting in a high place watching the activity around me.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
I am currently in my fifth year here at SIAT doing a joint major in the fields of Design and Media Arts. My initial reasons for pursuing a post-graduate education was to potentially find a job in the media industry, however the magic of this program is that it allowed us to expand our field and diversify. This is exactly what I did and discovered that my passion for design became much more apparent.

WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR ITALIADESIGN?
Growing up, I have always been told that I was not living up to my potential. I have spent all of my teenage life trying to figure out what exactly that meant and finally realized that it was because I had never found a passion. Upon entering my third year here at SFU SIAT, something began to change. My once narrow network began to expand and I had discovered a passion in design that made me want to do and learn more about it. I had discovered the Italia Design program after talking to a few of my now close friends. Since then, all of the reviews of the program only made my intent to join the legacy more prevalent.

Since being exposed to design and discovering that it was much more than simply ‘making things pretty’ I pursued it more and more. This Italia Design Field School seemed to be a starting point for many great graduates and if I aspired to be like any one of them, I would not only need their education, but their experiences as well. The experiences that I have seen them go through were like no other. Many came back with a renewed sense of self and a greater understanding of design.

Experiences In-field:
WHAT DID YOU LEARN…
About design, design process, and innovation?
Her name is Carlotta de Bevilacqua.

About cities?
Cities there are living and breathing, so much more than the cities we see here. I remember this one tiny piazza close to our apartments in Rome. It was not famous, and it was no larger than a basketball court, but it was filled with so much activity during the day. In the mornings, there was a market with fresh, inexpensive fruits, vegetables and fish; in the afternoon, all that was cleaned and the local restaurants brought out chairs and created an outdoor area for their guests. At night, the restaurants became lively bars and the square was hopping with a different kind of life.

About living away from home?
Since I still currently reside at home with my family, living elsewhere with friends was quite the stark change.

About group dynamics?
Of all the things that I learned and experienced in-field, the one skill that was developed the most was how to understand group dynamics. I had gone through most of the trip trying to deal with the varying levels of personalities and working styles and found it difficult to work with others that might not share the same styles as me. This was putting a strain on my time in-field as well as how I acted towards others. It was finally in Milan that I had a talk with another member of the 12 whom I trusted and that I knew would have good advice. They told me that in all situations in life, there are always people that are different than yourself. The best way to deal with them is to understand why they were chosen to do the same project or why they were hired. They might not have the same skills as you, or even be as good at doing certain tasks as you, but they have their own assets to add to a team. The trick is to narrow down what it is and use it to the team’s advantage.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS OR INTERACTIONS:
In daily life?
Getting a coffee and/or gelato.

During course work?
Learning about a city within the context of the city. Having the Pantheon right in front of you just as you learn about it indescribable. It is also impossible to feel what it is like to be on top of St. Peters or the Duomo.

In an interview?
Being let into the mind of any single creative person is a treat because there will always be new discoveries in the minds of others that you have yet to think of. However, the people that we interview are in the positions they are currently in because they all have that extra little bit that took them there. They have insight or experience that we as students in North America might never have known. Someone like Massimiliano Fuksas thinks so differently than anyone I have ever met and to understand how and why he ideates like that is a treat. In that particular interview, we caught him drawing before the interview and during it. I loved seeing how he ideates simply with his pen and a roll of paper.

FAVOURITE PLACE OR SPACE:
There were many places in Italy that made me stop and feel the space in a deeper way than most, but the one that really

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME:
It’s so much easier to be “in the moment” in field. I have heard that being in unfamiliar or stimulating places can generate creativity.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE VALUE OF THE FULL SEMESTER OF CONTEXTUAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORICAL STUDIES PRIOR TO IN-FIELD WORK?
This was the best trip I will probably ever go on purely because of how integrated we were as foreigners. The contextual studies helped us appreciate what we were seeing and allowed a deeper knowledge of the ‘why’ instead of the ‘what’ that was presented to us. Knowing the Italian language also allowed us access to things that would otherwise be unknown or misunderstood by the typical tourist. It was this deeper understanding that created such an incredible experience for us there because without it, the only image of Italians would be the one spoon-fed to us by our guide.

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE LEGACY PROJECT OF THE ITALIADESIGN FIELD SCHOOL?
The legacy project really gives all the work we do for ItaliaDesign a purpose. It makes everything more meaningful not just to us, but to all the people afterwards who become a part of this field study.

Reflecting:
CAREER GOALS, ASPIRATIONS, AND INTERESTS POST-FIELD SCHOOL?
I want to learn as much as possible because this trip really did open the world to me.

DID YOU MEET YOUR PRE-TRIP GOALS?
Before the trip, what I wanted was to grow, to become someone confident and sure of who they were and their position in life. Coming back now, I really do feel that I have gained a confidence that was not there before. It’s difficult to tell how it happened and when, but I think that the field school has this effect. It’s cerebral. It implants itself into you and changes perceptions, values and experiences.

WHAT IMPACT HAS THE FIELD SCHOOL HAD ON YOU?
“What are your goals in life?” I was asked this in field, and my answer was simply “I have reached my goal in life when I no longer look forward.” I have lived my life never wanting to live in the moment. I have aspired to prepare for the future and be jealous of the future because the light there always seems to be shining brighter than the one in the present. However, coming back from that trip, the destination has never seemed closer. I feel as if all the layers I have been trying to peel off have finally come to an end and the goal of being totally satisfied with the now is within my grasp.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIADESIGN STUDENTS?
Pay attention to everything and nothing at the same time. Sometimes the moments need to be recorded, but the experience needs to be there first.