Looks Matter

In “Looks Matter,” by Virginia Postrel, she says, “Good design is an important source of economic value and competitive advantage,” and that “What happens to the great cook who can’t design an attractive restaurant.” These thoughts lead me to think about the value of teaching students about design in the classroom. Because people do enjoy eating, shopping, or participating in a recreational activity in an area that is aesthetically pleasing, it is important to teach our students how to create and value good design. It is true that a good cook who owns a restaurant that looks like a dump will probably be less successful that a shabby cook who has a restaurant that is designed to give the customer a compelling feeling. I also believe that it is important to start giving students experiences in design and education at a young age, while in elementary school. While children’s minds are young they can begin to learn how to think creatively. If given experiences that cause them to use the creative part of their brain, then as they grow and develop students will be more apt to come up with original ideas and creations.