A designer is a person who is able to provide efficient and appropriate solutions to real life problems of space, habitat, and the way people use and interact in that space. A good designer not only responds to the issues by creating a unique and effective design, but also enhances the quality of life of the people by his understanding of their culture, needs and behavior.  Thus creativity, innovation, Exploration and Experiential learning are a few skills which helps a designer to be a successful in his field.

Easier said than done- we all tend to fall in our comfort zones of what is working for us, the so called trends and our own incapability to change our vision and to break the path.  The point is how one acquires these skills. The answer isn’t very difficult –Travel. Travel to learn to Design. Artists, writers and thinkers world over have believed in the creative power of travelling. Even Science now believes that traveling has the potential to change the way the brain functions by altering how the brain creates and interprets ideas.

To start with, travelling exposes us to new environments which in turn stimulate creativity. New experiences shatter our preconceived notions and make us look at design solutions with a new perspective. We learn to challenge what we thought was obvious and explore new ways of doing the same thing.  We also learn to appreciate that not only do designs look very different in various parts of the world but each cultures solve problems through design solutions which are peculiar to them.

Travelling also gives way to fresh thinking skills and just opens up our mind to a plethora of ideas.

Each place in the world offers its own unique culture, history, people and most importantly Architecture/ Design. The Architectural marvels all across the world, modern and historic, offers a practical lesson in understanding various aspects of design like history, design elements, planning, sustainability, materials etc. There can be no greater book than this to understand how users inhibit spaces in different parts of the world. A designer designs spaces for its people and his understanding of their culture, their life, and their needs helps in delivering a building which shapes their society.

A Design Student’s life too should be a journey of exploring the unseen.  For students of design, a journey through the local streets, a conversation with the inhabitants and workers of a place and an encounter with their indigenous construction practices can have a long lasting impact on their soft minds. From London which boasts of a rich traditional architecture along with some very modern structures to the vibrant streets of Paris, from the impressive Deconstructivism of Frank Gehry to the gravity defying designs of ZahaHadid, from the rich craft laden state of Gujrat to the sustainable solutions of designers like Laurie Baker, there are so many pages to be turned of the book called the World.     

Some of the key skills that a designer will absorb by way of exploring different parts of the world are –

• Adaptability – Each client and project is very different and it is essential to adapt to the given situation.
• Creativity – Experiencing how people live in other parts of the world teaches a designer to approach a project in multiple ways.
• Inspiration-In this day when designers are busy taking inspirations from Pinterest and Google, Working and visiting outside of a routine encourages us to feel or think differently, and can provide us the much needed inspiration.
• Observation – Observation is a great tool to have for a designer. Observation means to look with a deeper understanding or reasoning
• Experience – Designing and travelling draws great parallels from each other. Designing provides an enriched experience to the user travelling provides the designer with experiential learning.
• Exploration – The mysteries, the uncertainties, the unfound, the trials, the errors, the wandering, the surprises, the emotions, the interactions, the strangers and the new friends – all contribute in developing the skill of exploration extremely useful in the Design World.

Design is a creative process whose success depends not only on its aesthetic value but its capacity to provide sustainable solutions. When the designers learn to interact and understand the local human needs only then can they develop designs which have technical, economic, aesthetic, social as well as cultural relevance. Learning while travelling for a design student can cultivate new experimental ideas and form new sense of perception.