In my first blog I pondered the definition of design and its role in shaping the world around us. I explored the concept of design as a driving force in many diverse aspects of society. At the end of the post I concluded that a cut and dry definition cannot be reached but I posted, “I hope I can further explore the ways that design affects our everyday lives and influences our perception of the world around us.”

Design is literally everywhere----in our residential, commercial, professional, and social lives. There is no place you can go where one does not come into contact with a piece that has been designed by some person at one point in time or another. Design influences every one of our senses making it a full-body experience. We are constantly being communicated with--either consciously or sub-consciously.

These designs exude a personality of their own that influences our perceptions of them based on our personal experiences. In essence, the designs that surround us actually do shape and dictate our perceptions based on the past experiences we have had that we are reminded of because of the design we are taking in.

I have concluded that design is everywhere. Design influences everyone. Design dictates our perceptions. We are influenced by design 24/7. We use elements of design constantly. Design drives our lives.

I took this picture on my trip to the West Indies and am just attracted to the boldness of the complementary violet and yellow colors and the composition of the picture and wanted to share it with you!