Why is your presentation like this?

This was a bit of a risk for me. I had this idea early on but was afraid to go too far out of the box. But the more that I embraced the non-linear design process, the more comfortable, joyful, and creative I felt.

• So, when I was struggling to make sense of all the information that I had gathered and the “best” way to communicate it in an academic way, I froze up. There were so many different stories that I could tell and thirty minutes felt like a blip.

• My partner helped me to clarify my goals and it became clear that this non-linear approach was not only better for me, but it was better because of its reflection of the non-linear, cyclical design process I was using.

• It provided me an opportunity to be trauma-informed towards myself as a designer and researcher, and it’s an experiment in creating more choice, community, and comfort for my audience.

• I’ve put a lot of thought into the experience of this presentation because I feel it is just as much a part of the process as the site plan, or the garden beds, or the relationships I now have with the residents.