what
I talk about
when I talk about
designing
A graphic booklet exploring how passions and possessions have shaped my personal design perspectives.
Theory and Ethics of Product Design - Fall 2025
Learning from Others
a look beyond the design world
My title borrows from one of my favorite authors and his memoir, the word running in his title, replaced with designing in my own.
The novel is a collection of stories explaining how at his core, Murakami as person is fit for and shaped by running. This is my take, an exploration of how I am fit for and shaped by designing.
Attempting to define what was principle to my designs, my mind ran beyond the things I create. I look to my favorite movies or books when I need ideas just as much as traditional design examples. If my design inspirations are not just “design,” how could that be embodied in my principles?
Murakami’s own title, an adjustment of Raymond Carver’s, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love proves the best creatives are not afraid to find themselves in the work of others.
what is designing?
Portraying my Creative Journey
Defining the concept of designing involved breaking my perspective down into core ideas and inspirations. Principles were developed and paired with inspiration projects, each spread focusing on one. The booklet was fleshed out with other sections diving into other aspects of inspiration.
10 Principles
What elements would my designs be lost without?
Who?
What creatives have the biggest impact on how I create?
What?
Which of my possessions shape design in my everyday life?
A Sense of Self-Discovery
The project developed a deep understanding of myself and my design sensibilities. An ability to take a pause and reflect, rather than focus on a product solution. This booklet became a kind of scrapbook, serving as an artifact of what my process is as I design in this moment.