When we see how change can be implemented quickly when the circumstances demand it, and when we work in an agile way, it’s only natural that people will start to ask where else we can go, and what else we can use agility to achieve.. We have the opportunity to take bold, exciting steps.
The student pins up all their printed sheets on the wall and is then given a set amount of time to explain their work, the design process, the inspiration and their proposal, which is then followed by feedback by the panel and a critical discussion on how to push the project forward and improve it.. BW: What areas are assessed?.M: The students are primarily assessed on their ability to critically develop a design brief, analyse and propose a solution, which responds to the needs of the users and society.
On top of this, it is also important to develop a successful and clear way of explaining and presenting their ideas through a range of media, such as drawings, sketches, models and collages as well as through verbal presentation.. BW: When you participated in crits as a student, what were the benefits of them and how did they help your development as an architect/designer?.Thinking back, I actually think one incredibly important benefit was learning that sometimes you need to step back from your work in order to take it forwards, not only physically by pinning up your work on the wall and watching it from a distance, but also through bouncing ideas off other people and understanding great design comes out of discussions and talking to others, whether they are your tutors, strangers, friends or family.It is easy, especially as a student only recently starting your journey in architecture, to get stuck by working hard on your own and only relying on yourself in improving your design work.
This is when the crits force you to step out of your own 'bubble' and explain your thought processes and ideas to others.As a result, you will understand its weaknesses and strengths and gain the insight of your critics from an outside view; things that might be obvious but as you have been too close to your own work, you have failed to see yourself.
After having experienced a number of crits, you will become increasingly independent in seeing your work through other people's points of views.
This has definitely helped me develop into a better designer; allowing yourself to be critical and realising this critical mindset is what will make you a better designer.. BW: What's the worse thing about them?.While Lego have their own ‘Digital Designer’ configurator, Brick Link developed ‘.
Brick Link Studio.’, a free configurator that allows users to generate their own designs from a database of every piece of Lego ever manufactured..
The software has some superb features, including a ‘stability check’ to ensure the proposed design is suitably robust, a photorealistic rendering engine and an instruction-making tool to create assembly manuals in the same style as for the sets manufactured by Lego..The tool is also integrated into the Brick Link marketplace, so once a design is complete (and even as it is being developed) the price is constantly displayed, parts can be interrogated, and the bricks can be ordered direct from the marketplace.. What can we learn?.