Re-thinking the Brain

I am extremely interested in all the information that we are learning about the brain. In Pink's book "A Whole New Mind", a good portion of chapter one is dedicated to explaining how the brain works and the necessity of both working hemispheres. We hear alot about being more right-brained or left-brained and historically, the left-brain has been more praised for its analytical, problem-solving skills (one schooled in gender theory may call these traits "masculine") but recent studies show the right-brain as a champion for creative and innovative thinking capabilities. More and more we are seeing exercises for the right-brain, focusing on increasing creative ability. The right-brain, marked also by emotional intelligence and the ability to understand interpersonal cues would be more traditionally feminine qualities. Just something to think about!

I am very interested in this because I babysit a boy who has behavioral epilepsy, to put it simply. He has an under-active right brain and it is often targeted with seizures. When he has a seizure, he cannot control any of his emotions and often ends up breaking things, screaming, pulling out his hair and heaving. His parents travel to Chicago weekly to see a neuropsychologist to help remedy his seizures. It is interesting to see these two disciplines collaborating, something that Pink said does not happen often. It has been beneficial to study the brain and the functions of each area of the brain to understand his condition.

Personas

Our discussion in class about different personas was really interesting. Our minds seem to want to categorize ideas and things as a means of simplifying data. It is odd that we do that with complex human beings in order to create simplicity and I do think it undermines the creative human mind, but I understand why we do this. We talked about the "soccer mom" and "joe the plumber" and in class, we are organizing professors into different types. I think that this is all good and well, but probably the cheapest way of organizing humans. In fact, if we thought through it more completely, I am sure we could argue for or against some of the professors in the different categories we placed them in. In other words, this is a subjective way of trying to organize information objectively and I cannot imagine that that is really how it is done in innovation and design. I am looking forward to attending class today to see if we discuss any of these points of view!!

(The image above is a study done on Cell Phone user personas)

Design Observation 3: The South Bend Farmer's Market

I grew up in a very natural area of Pennsylvania in a town with no stop-lights, corn fields lasting for miles and hiking trails meandering up and through the vast and beautiful Appalachian mountain range, which my town nestles right up against. My town surrounds a children's duck lake on which fishermen can be seen in old rusty canoes in the autumn and spring and geese fly overhead on Christmas morning. Needless to say, this natural area produces abundant crops, fresh herbs and bright red tomatoes in the summer months, fresh cheeses and crisp apples in the fall. These gifts of the earth travel only a few miles to be sold. They can be found only in the local Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings.

Since I have been out in South Bend, Indiana, I have longed for my life back east. In my mind, everything is fresher and more clear on the east coast; people are honest and food is pure. Little did I know how sheltered I am. Here I am in the Midwest, the agricultural heart of this country and I have not began to appreciate what the Midwest has to offer before this past year. An experience that has really brought me closer to the area in which I currently call home was my visit to the South Bend Farmer's Market this past Saturday morning. I was attracted to this service because of my connection to my farmer's market back in Pennsylvania. My parents frequent the Carlisle, PA Farmer's Market so I thought I should support the local farmers here in South Bend and reap the delicious benefits of their hard work.

The farmer's market is housed in a big red building that evokes feelings of an old barn with bare dressings. The morning was fresh and the air had that crisp scent of autumn. The stone parking lot was nearly full and my boyfriend and I had to find a place to squeeze in. We saw young families, older couples and some loose amalgamations of teenagers hanging around (likely helping their parents or friends at the booths). Inside, vendors lined the walls and stood behind tables displaying their produce, meats, cheeses and scrumptous treats (unfortunately, we did not pay a visit to those stands, better to never taste it than taste it and crave more, sometimes it is just nice to enjoy seeing the sweet "art"!! :)) The aisles were moving at a medium-slow pace and though initially we were moving at a medium-fast pace, we slowed down with the natural rhythm of the flow of people.

We stopped at a table where a husband and wife were displaying their vibrant green beans. Unsure of whether or not we were to grab a handful and do it ourselves, I asked her. She explained that we would tell her how much we wanted (a half pound) and she would measure it out and place it in a paper bag for us. We began to understand that that was the procedure here and that was helpful to know. Every interaction we had was a positive one. Some better than others (we loved the apple guy!) and others just polite but positive (the tomato lady, I think she was tired of selling tomatoes..) The interactions made me feel wonderful, I was helping the local farmers and getting the freshest produce at a great price. The crisp autumn air could be smelled inside the market as the doors were open and that smell along with the scent of apple pie and other seasonal desserts was sensational!

We are planning on going back to the Farmer's Market this Saturday morning before football game festivities begin. I would absolutely recommend the South Bend Farmer's Market to a friend who appreciates the farmer's market experience. The organic, home-grown feel of a farmer's market is such a wonderful, nostalgic feeling. I seek experiences like this one and when I have the opportunity to immerse myself in culture, I take it. Another similar experience that I am looking forward to is the New Buffalo Wine and Harvest Festival along the southern coast of Lake Michigan in a small town called New Buffalo. I am looking forward to sampling some of Michigan's best wines, partaking in the bounty of an autumn meal and experiencing New Buffalo, Michigan during one my my most favorite seasons.