Starting with Curiosity
What was I feeling? Excited? Scared? Hungry? Lost? I had taken a wrong turn somewhere, but I was almost at my destination now. I could see the entrance to the park, and the trailhead just beyond it.
More than anything, I was curious.
In truth, I wasn’t fully sure what to expect when I drove up to Woodhaven Regional Park to meet the inaugural cohort of UBC Okanagan (UBCO) Master of Design students.
As part of a group from UBCO who had been invited to speak about our careers, which ranged from communications to student services, I was there to get to know the people whose stories I’ll have the gift of sharing over the coming year.
People overuse that phrase, but as the years go by, I’ve come to appreciate more and more what a gift it is to help people share their stories.
As I pulled into the gravel lot, the group was already on the trail.
Was I late? No. Right on time.
Finding focus
With a camera slung over my shoulder, I caught up and fell into step beside a few students. They were talking about their hopes, their goals, and also their worries: for one another, their communities and a world that feels increasingly uncertain.
We agreed it was a world where change was still possible. We talked about what it might take to turn that possibility into action at scale on a more regular basis.
The conversation moved as we did. On the rocky stretches, we spoke less and listened more. We watched our footing and made room for one another to pass. I caught my toe on a root more than once. On we went. Walking in Woodhaven required me to pay attention to where I was—and to concentrate on my next steps.
I was reminded of what the poet Mary Oliver wrote in Upstream: “The work itself is the adventure. And no artist could go about this work, or would want to, with less than extraordinary energy and concentration.”
I’ve spent much of my career working with designers and creative teams. In this line, it’s easy to focus on the finished product: a campaign, a space, a service, an experience. The walk reminded me of the questions that come before any of that.
Asking questions
Who is this for?
What do they need?
What might we understand differently if we slow down, listen and spend time together?
When we reached the cabin and studio where the students will spend part of their time over the coming year, we thought about these questions and more. We had tea and talked about where and how we grew up. The conversations varied, from the finer points of foraging for mushrooms (don’t look too hard) to the satisfying timelessness of Tetris to the best place in town to grab a slice (hello, Jackknife).
It reminded me of the wonderfully chaotic conversations that most creative teams have before we get near to the wild heart of it—before we say, OK, it’s time to set off for this far-flung new place, and figure out how, under the same old stars, we will navigate.
We talked a lot about the changing world, and changing the world. We talked about how hard it is to really make an impact that helps our colleagues, our neighbours, our systems, our organizations… but also, how important it is to try.
That energy is something you can’t put into words. You can’t manufacture it. It has to flow from people who care deeply about the work, who are nervous because they don’t yet know where it will lead, or if it will be fuel enough to get there, but who are willing to find out.
It is in that moment, when we’re all curious and scared and excited and hungry and a little lost, that we are truly ready to make something together. Whether we are early, late, or right on time, it doesn’t matter. What matters is getting to that point along the way: where we know we can create something more than good, it is worthwhile.
I was beginning to understand what the Master of Design is for. It brings people from different fields together to build their practice through design, engineering and community engagement. To translate their skills with care.
Exploring what is possible
I can’t claim to know yet what each student will take from this program. That’s part of what I’m looking forward to finding out. But on that spring morning, I saw people bringing their questions and care for the world into the same conversation. I left thrilled to see what each of them will do next. How they will use their year in this program.
This September, when I stepped into the cohort’s first project showcase on campus, I saw that the feeling—that fuel—is still there. Only now it’s propelling the group forward. Ideas are sprouting. What is possible is more probable.
Inspired and shaped by the region, their projects hold broad applicability for communities far and near. From finding creative ways to illustrate the true cost of wildfires in Canada to exploring how we can make our own students feel a sense of belonging and inclusion before they arrive in the Okanagan.
Something different is happening here. By design.
As a creative professional who has spent years on the trail—sometimes wandering alone, sometimes lucky enough to have a team beside me—I’ve thought a lot about the MDes program since it launched. It fills me with pride to get to play a small role, adjacent to the magic that is happening in the classroom. To watch the designers, builders, and storytellers of today find the tools they will use tomorrow.
So, if you’re a creative type, a designer, a problem solver, an engineer (really, a human from any discipline who wants to make a difference), and if you are looking for a way to do that, consider this an invitation:
Come meet the people and places shaping the MDes, and bring your own questions.
Being curious is a good place to start.
Tyler Finley
Communications Manager, School of Engineering
UBC Okanagan
Saqib Khan, P.Eng., S.E., P.E. is the Principal and founding partner of Spannovation Consulting Limited, with more than 26 years of experience in bridge engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario, a licensed Structural Engineer and Professional Engineer in Washington State, and a Professional Engineer in California and Michigan. His extensive experience includes the analysis, design, assessment, and delivery of complex bridge and transportation infrastructure projects. He is also part of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code’s (CSA S6) subcommittee for Chapter 6 – Seismic design.
