Have you ever been on a Zoom call where someone drinks from a mug? Me too. But it took me a long time to notice something: the underside of mugs is completely underutilized real estate. Talk about a missed opportunity!
Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen.
Here we explore some of the ideas to get you flexing your observation muscles and developing strategies for new ways of paying attention.
- Notice what most people miss
Try this and see how your understanding of our connection to ordinary objects changes, and in turn, how this changes your own process of creating and designing.
- Draw what you see
Photography can be the default mode now that we all have cameras constantly within arms length on our phones. Instead of taking a picture the next time you see something interesting, why not draw it? No artistic ability is necessary, and you don’t have to show the drawing to anyone else.
- Take a different route
Cmon! Wanderlust is a must. No?
Rather than using Google Maps to keep us from ever getting lost again, make it a point to engage with the world and “get there the hard way ”.The simple act of choosing to observe where you are without digital assistance may seem daunting, but can change the way you feel and interact with your surroundings.
- Awaken your senses
Observing can engage your senses — hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch — by hunting for things that tickle your senses. When it comes to sound, take inventory of the everyday sounds as you move through life.
- Celebrate the awkward moments
As an observer, you may not always be in your comfort zone. It may even make you feel a bit uncomfortable if you challenge yourself to a meal alone without anything — no phone or reading — to keep you company. We don’t often find ourselves alone in public, but it can be revealing.
There’s no one way to explore and notice the world around you. Part of the challenge is noticing what you did observe, but also what you didn’t. It’s precisely the stuff everyone else has missed that ought to make us think twice.
Maansee Bakhrey
Content team
Zuperly
