Inspiration is more than the light bulb moment or the back of the napkin brainstorm, though those classic descriptions are at the beginning of it. Inspiration is a journey. In the context of mechanical design, it is the loop-the-loop of iterative prototyping: Idea – prototype – test & refine – prototype, until you reach a final design for fabrication.
Look at the equation again. Ignorance is not the bad guy you may think it is. In fact, Jeff Einstein has argued, “Ignorance… has much to recommend it, including an endless supply, its juxtaposition as the first step of every journey, and the lack of demand to drive up the price on the back end. Ignorance, it seems, is a much better place to start a journey than to end one.”
We start the design journey with a problem in need of a solution. That initial ignorance leads to the other half of the equation, intent. Intent for a mechanical designer is the design objective, a new product or an improved part or a new process. Intent is the fuel that energizes the design journey. But beware: there’s nothing that stalls intent as quickly as fear of failure. Fear of failure (FOF) is not just a speed bump, it can grind innovation to a halt.
The intent(ion) must be strong to overcome FOF. The intent must have durability, which requires both a deeply desired outcome and flexibility when challenged. Durability will maintain momentum throughout the iterative loop of prototyping. Intent must also impact behavior and the processing of relevant information. Intent provides the focus needed for reaching an inspired final design.
Ursula K. Le Guin says, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” Intent propels us toward the end, toward a useful product. Ignorance and the subsequent seeking for answers ignites the fuel of intent. Together, ignorance and intent lead to a design inspiration that finds completion in a product.
*Jeff Einstein, “The Innovation Algorithm”, The Quality of Life Resistance Movement Substack
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