JenniferL_R10

In Saul Carliner's blog post, "Reflections on Museums 3: Different Ways of Learning Museums" he discusses the way different people approach and process the same information based on their interests and knowledge base. I completely agree with his argument. When we had to go on our field trips, I found myself spending more time with exhibits that contained topics I was already interested in and less time with ones that contained topics I was not already curious about. I think this type of selection is quite a natural thing that humans do on a daily basis. For example, I know I'm much more engaged in classes that contain information that interest me. The same goes for choosing a movie to see or what store to shop in. We are constantly "window shopping" our way through life. If the introductory information can hook us in some way, we proceed to investigate further. It really can be applied to almost anything: dating, buying furniture, choosing the next book you'll read, what city you'll take a trip to next, etc, etc. I also like how Saul talked about how other people in our lives can affect what we become interested in. I know people I've dated or friends I've gotten to know have opened my mind up to new ideas, cultures, hobbies, and the like. Our connections to other people are strong enough to influence our discrete yet highly selective minds. Our classes attempt to do this as well, some more successful than others. I find, as I'm sure my professors do as well, that when I must respond to a reading I often compare what is going on in the reading to my own personal experiences. It helps me engage with the content better, especially if the content contains unfamiliar territory. I suppose it is a natural thing for me to do. My mind immediately tries to finds connections between what I'm learning and what I already know. It's attempting to learn the information by comparing it to something familiar or something I'm already interested in. I suppose in the design world, you can't really control how people will take in what you create. Just as well, if you can find a common familiarity that most people can relate to and put it in your design, you'll probably have a better chance of people paying attention. I suppose this is why we're taught certain "rules" when it comes to design and typography because they're common and familiar to a wide range of people.