Among all the readings, I would categorize this as one of the readings I enjoyed a lot because it talks about design which is something I am very interested in (I think that shows in all my past projects, and soon I will major in it, in sha Allah). What I liked most was how it showed that design is not just about fashion or making things look nice because I feel like in today’s world most people don’t understand design or maybe confuse it with just interior design or graphic deisgn, but it actually starts from human needs. The reading included some nice examples like glasses, which started more as medical appliances in the 1930s and later became part of fashion, personality, and self-expression. I think that transformation is beautiful because it shows how something made for function can also become something meaningful and personal. At the same time it kinda reminds me of how products were made and advertised before, people mostly focused on functionality and not design. I also found it interesting how design connects to the military, because before learning about design or art I never really linked them with things like war because they both felt so different. Looking at art too, I understand that a lot of digital art and design tools for example were connected to the military and first used by the government, engineers, scientists, and during world wars.
I got so excited when I saw Aimee Mullins because I think she is the perfect example to include. I watched her TED Talks, The Opportunity of Adversity and My Twelve Pairs of Legs, and I found them really powerful, especially when she talks about looking up the word “disabled” in the thesaurus and finding words like “crippled,” “helpless,” “useless,” and “mangled.” She says: “my voice broke, and I had to stop and collect myself from the emotional shock.” That part stood out because I personally went and did my own research and unfortunately these words have not changed, the meaning connects to the same negative or weird language used. It is sad because these words shaps the way people see disability. I also like how the UAE uses the term “People of Determination” because it feels much more respectful and empowering instead of focusing on the weakness especially when most people were born naturally like this </3. Going back to Aimee, I honestly think that what she did was amazing! She changed something people usually viewed as negative into something creative, expressive, and even fashionable. Her idea of having a “wardrobe of legs” completely changes the question from “what is missing?” to “what can a leg do, and what can it be?” as she says. I also think that she is such a strong example of how design can challenge the way society thinks.