As an architectural designer, I have always been fascinated by where ideas come from. The big idea or ‘concept’, as we like to call it, that comes from hours and hours of utter chaos. In a design project, no matter how difficult I think it may be, the outcome will always end up being something beautiful. And that doesn’t happen overnight; it comes from letting ideas cook, giving it the time it requires, and giving it your absolute all. 

This year, we face a new struggle. Where there have been many forums with a set theme that have worked wonderfully, we have decided to challenge ourselves and push the limits of what the forum can achieve. When someone tells you to come up with something different, the primary reaction would be a pause. But if you don’t let it get to you, you will give it a moment of reflection. Something different? What is something different? Is it the creation of something new that doesn’t exist? Or is it actually something in the process of change? 

Ambiguity. The word that drives our profession. Every day we chase that perfect sketch, that idea that will change our design for the better. But in fact, the chase is the game. When you so desperately need to find the answer, you just have to do it. Maybe you’re awake at 2:00 A.M. writing a website article like me, or maybe you have a Figma board filled with a million iterations of how a question mark can turn into a graphic with meaning. 

Collaboration. The ‘designing of a forum’ is not a single student’s project. It is a collective where 3 convenors become 8 heads, become 30 members in each team, which becomes the entire student body. When you dare to place your idea in front of others, the idea is no longer just a seed, but a part of an entire village. And trust me, it does take an entire village. 

Simplicity. The concept of everyday conversations shaping discourse. Where a question mark meets an exclamation to produce an informed eureka. The simple act of doing something together is what makes it so special. So for now, let me be content with the fact that this is where ideas come from. From suggestion, to interaction, to creation.