GEORGINA CHAPLIN
Background and expectations:
PERSONAL BACKGROUND:
I’d say I’m an easy going person. It can take me some time to get into something but once I’m interested I have a compulsive nature to go all out. I also have an odd habit of collecting things that interest me. Oh yes, if you’re wondering about my name and ethnicity, I’m Chinese but I’m also ¼ Russian.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
I’m currently in my 5th year finishing my degree in Media Arts and Interaction Design at SFU’s School of Interactive Arts & Technology Program. When I started SIAT under Media Arts, I didn’t know much about the Interaction Design stream but my curiosity led to a new found interest. Studying Interaction Design has challenged my own personal growth. It has expanded my perspectives and given me a new sense of awareness of how I see the world around me.
WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR ITALIADESIGN?
The ItaliaDesign Field Study caught my attention since my 2nd year of studies. I probably attended three info sessions before deciding that this was something I wanted to be part of. I realized that this was a rare opportunity that not many people get the chance to do and would regret if I let it pass by. I wanted to push myself by getting out of my own comfort zone and expose myself to unfamiliar cultures and lifestyles.
Experiences In-field:
WHAT DID YOU LEARN:
Generally?
That there’s still so much to learn! I can be a very anxious person at times and sometimes feel that there’s too much, but I’ve learned that it’s important take things one step at a time. Taking the time to just pause and reflect about a moment, a conversation or an idea is a rewarding experience in itself.
About design, design process, and innovation?
Interaction design is about investigating and discovering the relationships or opportunities that can be found between people, objects, and spaces/environments. These discoveries can lead to great ideas and good designs but this only comes from an iterative design process that allows you to gain a deep understanding of humans and their context. With this, design can be applied almost anywhere and challenge people to work together and innovate by thinking about new methods of approaching situations. Each designer and architect we met had different methods (such as Danese’s deep research and understanding of design compared to Mendini’s self-explorative methods). It was really exciting to see their ideas translate into something so meaningful.
About cities?
Every city is different and to become familiar with them, it’s important to have an open mind and not be afraid of taking risks. When I first arrived in Rome, I found it difficult to shift and adjust myself to the people and environment. It was different from home but as the days went by, I began to understand the pacing of the people and how I had to be in tune with them to grasp what the city is like. Rome is a very historic place but it is still a bustling city filled with energetic people. As we moved through the cities and towns of Italy, I started to gather a better sense of the quality of life and ‘slowness’ of the Italian people. Cities are ever-changing but each one has their own quality of life that is maintained through the unique relationships between the people, the earth, and the city’s structure.
About group dynamics?
I’m happy to have shared this experience with the Gruppo Sei members. Each of them brought something different to the plate and I enjoyed getting to know them as we worked together on the projects. Even though it was hard to find some personal space, I still found their company comforting. I would always be learning something new from them.
FAVOURITE MOMENTS OR INTERACTIONS:
In daily life?
I enjoyed the different foods and having so many flavours of gelato to choose from!
Biking on my own in Firenze was refreshing; at times I didn’t know where I was going but mapping the city in my head by traveling through it made it more memorable.
Seeing familiar faces in the cities and being greeted by locals made me feel like I was connecting with the people.
During course work
When we worked on our San Lorenzo Project, I really enjoyed splitting up and discovering the neighbourhood on our own and then piecing them together afterwards. With the short amount of time we had, we covered so much.
Cooking the large group meals was crazy but it was delicious!
In an interview?
Listening to Carlotta de Bevilacqua (Danese) speak about design was truly an experience. Having her share her views on design and speaking to us as the next generation of change was really inspirational.
At Metrogramma, it was amazing to hear Andrea Boschetti’s thoughts on the vision of Milan and being shown his architectural models.
With the group?
Every meal we had together was delightful. Our first meal in Pitigliano was probably the best meal I’ve ever had. The Sardegnan meal we had was also spectacular. And the challenge of finishing a Cornetto di Bufala in Milan was painful but so good.
We watched a live orchestra in front of Milan’s Duomo while being eaten alive by mosquitos. The conductor and lead cellist was so talented; I have never heard a cello played that way before. The entire orchestra brought so much life and energy to the open square. The concert ended just as thunder clouds were rolling in—it was a race back to the metro but such an exciting night.
It is just incredible being able to stand in front of something that you had only previously seen through your research. This included visiting the churches on the Esquiline Hill in Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Prassede and Santa Pudenziana. We were standing in house churches that had existed so long ago. Other highlights include Bernini’s sculptural work in the Borghese Museum and Santa Maria della Vittoria, walking through the Roman Forum and Colosseum…and the list goes on!
During free time and at the end of the day, it was nice to hear everyone’s stories of their daily adventures.
FAVOURITE PLACE OR SPACE:
I had many favourite places, but one of the most memorable ones was sitting in the van as we drove through the hills around Dolciano. It felt like I was in a painting. I was mesmerized by the endless rolling fields and the beauty of the landscape. At night, it was unbelievable being able to see so many fireflies for the first time in my life. Going out and sitting in the wheat fields watching for shooting stars was so beautiful. Marino and his staff were so wonderful and welcoming.
In Firenze, the fresh produce and livelihood of Sant’Ambrogio Market felt great. I also enjoyed the Santissima Annunziata Piazza, the Old Sacristry of San Lorenzo, and random encounters like walking into an artist-and-scientist’s studio and being shown his projects.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING ABROAD AND STUDYING AT HOME:
There are no textbooks (well, maybe a few), but the classroom’s literally right in front of you. Being able to just hit the streets and engage in unknown encounters makes it exciting. It was nice to finally focus on one subject instead of juggling four or five different courses that don’t necessarily correlate with each other.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE VALUE OF THE FULL SEMESTER OF CONTEXTUAL, CULTURAL, AND HISTORICAL STUDIES PRIOR TO IN-FIELD WORK?
About language?
Studying languages has always been difficult for me but I was able to grasp our crash course in Italian and pull through. Having a list of verbs written out and preparing questions or phrases beforehand was really helpful when it came to speaking with locals.
About Italian history?
Studying Italy’s rich and dense history made all the difference with the experience. I’ve never set foot in Europe before but the level of awareness brought me closer to the cities and the people. I will never want to visit another country or city without knowing more about it.
CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE LEGACY PROJECT OF THE ITALIADESIGN FIELD SCHOOL?
It’s great having the previous year’s research to work from. They had set a solid foundation to work off of and for us to challenge. Pushing that research forward and discovering new approaches to understanding certain subjects really broadens your perspectives.
Reflecting:
CAREER GOALS, ASPIRATIONS, AND INTERESTS POST-FIELD SCHOOL?
This is something that I am still struggling to nail down as I’m continuing to learn more about myself and my interests. I will keep on trying my best to expand my knowledge and seize opportunities that interest me. I feel like I have gained more confidence in myself this past year. I would like to utilize the skills and abilities that I have developed during my years in SIAT and be involved in activities that have the potential to change the way people think.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE FIELD SCHOOL HAD ON YOU?
I came back home from the field school with a renewed attitude. I saw the people and the things around me in a different light. It was a great learning experience and also refreshing being able to live in a different culture.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR UPCOMING ITALIADESIGN STUDENTS?
You will never experience this Italy on any other exchange program. It was a great learning experience, and for anyone who is serious about design and ideas: this is where you’ll discover more about what design is and what it means to you.