#self-reflectivity

When I think about my critical self-reflectivity, I have very good emotional intelligence (such as processing my emotions and working with others) but when it comes to idea processing, sometimes I struggle. An example is for Studio this year, my project mate is Huyen. In the initial stages of our project, I was able to figure out what the task is and collaborate with Huyen so that we can be aligned. However, when it came for both of us to split up the work load and each of us took one brand idea each, it became challenging for me to figure out what to do next.

I found the double diamond diagram created by the British Design Council very interesting to look at (shown in Fig 3), and I probably get stuck in the “Discover” stage quite often. I do quite a lot of research for my projects, but sometimes the exposure is either not in the right direction or is not narrowing down my ideas effectively. Therefore, because I do not have the right foundation for my ideas, I find it hard to progress to the “Define” stage and so on.

A specific website that I'd like to explore is "It's nice that", a platform for designers to share their works, as shown in Fig 4.

Their mission is to:

"inspire the global creative community. We champion diverse talent, showcase original projects, offer industry insights and nurture creative growth." (Itsnicethat, 2024)

Given their mission, I love how diverse the platform is and all the creative works that designers come up with, and it is a great platform to gain inspiration from.

Therefore, using the Double Diamond framework and websites like Itsnicethat, I would like to target my research to be a little more specific, but also exposing myself to more design elements as well.

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Design Council, British. “The Double Diamond.” Design Council - Design for Planet, 2025, www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-resources/the-double-diamond/.

Critical self-reflection is the practice of examining how I think, make decisions, and respond to challenges. It involves not just reviewing the results, but also questioning my assumptions, acknowledging contradictions, and understanding why I behave the way I do. By doing this, I become more aware of my strengths and weaknesses, which helps me grow intentionally rather than unconsciously.

One key concept that shapes my reflection process is self-awareness, which Daniel Goleman positions as a core component of Emotional Intelligence (Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, 1996). While IQ deals with logic and problem-solving, Goleman argues that emotional intelligence—especially the ability to recognize and regulate one’s own emotions—plays a more crucial role in personal success. This idea is meaningful to me because I notice that my ability to reflect honestly often depends on whether I can manage the discomfort that comes with confronting my own mistakes.

Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than iQ (Daniel Goleman, 1996)

A recent class activity helped me understand this connection more clearly. Our task was to select a logo from outside the school, redesign it, and present the process using the Discover, Develop, Deliver, and Define framework. During group discussions, I realized how emotionally influenced my decisions were such as feeling defensive when my peers critiqued my ideas or overly confident when they agreed. By recognizing these emotional reactions, I could adjust my thinking and contribute more constructively to the group.

Through this activity, I learned that critical self-reflection isn’t only something I do alone; it happens in collaborative settings as well. The structured framework forced me to evaluate not just the final design but the thought process behind each decision. This made the presentation clearer and helped me see how emotional awareness supports more thoughtful problem-solving.

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This week, our team collaborated on a field observation project at Simlim Square. Our goal was to identify poorly designed shop signs, figure out why they weren’t working, and redesign them to be clearer and more functional. To make the most of our time, we split into pairs and quickly noticed that many signs didn’t even convey what the shop actually does.

After regrouping, we decided to focus on Hongye Health Clinic. The main challenge we faced was language. None of us spoke Chinese, and like many non-Chinese residents in Singapore, we had to rely on translator just to grasp the shop’s purpose. This highlighted a significant accessibility issue.

Taking inspiration from the original sign’s small clover icons, we revamped the identity with three main goals: 1. clearly showing that it’s a health clinic, 2. using English as a universal language, 3. and creating a simple, intuitive icon for easy understanding.

We merged symbols like a pill, a clover, and a heart into a sleek logo and polished it through several sketches. Even though the final mockup felt a bit rushed due to time constraints, the process taught me a lot about this week’s theme: Critical Self-Reflectivity.

While reflecting, I was reminded of other brands that improved by reassessing their own identity. Some luxury labels revived their vintage logos to highlight heritage, while Sulwhasoo modernized its look to appeal to younger audiences. These cases show that strong design starts with honest self-evaluation, deciding what to keep, what to change, and who the design is really for.

This project helped me better understand how design works in real, messy environments and how clarity, empathy, and reflection shape the experience of everyday users.

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Image References:

쿠키뉴스. “설화수 vs 수려한 로고 디자인 논란…‘비슷해도 너무 비슷해.’” 쿠키뉴스, 10 July 2018,

www.kukinews.com/article/view/kuk201807090225.

“Sulwhasoo.” Namu.wiki, 2025,

https://namu.wiki/w/설화수?uuid=c17c2243-9329-4214-a00a-03138da58ec2

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최소원. “[RE브랜딩 스토리] 설화수와 이니스프리, 변한 것과 변하지 않은 것.” The PR 더피알, 12 Apr. 2023,

www.the-pr.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=49916.

References:

최소원. “[RE브랜딩 스토리] 설화수와 이니스프리, 변한 것과 변하지 않은 것.” The PR 더피알, 12 Apr. 2023,

What is critical self-reflectivity?

Critical self-reflectivity in design is a profound process of examining one's assumptions, beliefs, and practices to foster meaningful learning and improvement. It involves analyzing and questioning deeply-held assumptions about knowledge, perceptions, and actions within the design context. This practice is crucial as it enables designers to transform experiences into deep learning, identify biases, and make more informed decisions, ultimately leading to more effective and adaptive design strategies.

Key components of critical self-reflectivity include continuous reflection before, during, and after design experiences, challenging simplistic conclusions, and considering multiple perspectives. It also involves questioning assumptions and presuppositions, engaging in reflexivity to examine social and cultural contexts, and implementing a generative feedback loop. These elements help designers navigate cultural plurality and avoid reinforcing stereotypes or developing simplistic solutions to complex problems.

How are you critically self-reflective? Are you?

Designers can practice critical self-reflectivity through various methods. One approach is to follow Gibbs' Reflective Cycle, which involves describing the experience, analyzing actions and thoughts, and devising an action plan. Practical examples include meeting people from different disciplines to gain new perspectives, writing regularly to process thoughts, working in new environments to challenge routine habits, and keeping organized records of past work for easy reference and reflection.

Benefits of Critical Self-Reflectivity in Design

Critical self-reflectivity offers numerous benefits for designers, significantly improving design outcomes and fostering personal growth. By engaging in this practice, designers gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. This self-awareness allows them to position themselves more effectively in the market, develop a unique design identity, and identify areas for improvement.

The process of critical self-reflection enhances creativity and innovation by challenging the status quo and broadening designers' perspectives. It improves communication skills, enabling designers to articulate their ideas more effectively and align their design values with client expectations. This introspection leads to more considerate and empathetic designs that are better suited to their intended purpose.

On a broader scale, critical self-reflection by designers contributes significantly to the field of design as a whole. It fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, encouraging designers to question and transform established methods. This reflective approach promotes sustainability in design practices by considering broader implications such as environmental impacts and community needs.

Furthermore, critical self-reflection enhances designers' adaptability to new challenges and transitions in their professional journey. By systematically analyzing experiences and applying lessons learned to future projects, designers can navigate the complexities of design practice more effectively. This ongoing process of reflection and growth ensures that designers stay relevant, make meaningful contributions, and continue evolving throughout their careers.

Furthermore, critical self-reflection enhances designers' adaptability to new challenges and transitions in their professional journey. By systematically analyzing experiences and applying lessons learned to future projects, designers can navigate the complexities of design practice more effectively. This ongoing process of reflection and growth ensures that designers stay relevant, make meaningful contributions, and continue evolving throughout their careers.

Techniques for Cultivating Critical Self-Reflectivity in Design

Designers can enhance critical self-reflectivity through various techniques. Journaling is a powerful method, allowing designers to freely express thoughts, feelings, and lessons learned from recent experiences. This practice helps identify patterns and areas for growth. Additionally, meditation cultivates present-moment awareness, enabling designers to observe their thoughts and emotions without judgment.

Engaging in reflective dialogue with peers and mentors is another effective strategy. These conversations provide new perspectives and insights, creating a safe space for sharing and reflecting on challenges. Using structured prompts or questions, such as daily exit tickets, can guide reflections and focus on specific aspects of the design process.

Implementing a self-reflection framework is beneficial for reviewing past activities and identifying roles. This helps in recognizing themes, growth opportunities, and rebalancing time to focus on energizing tasks. Designers can also adopt reflective design practices, such as those outlined in critical technical practice (CTP), to continuously reflect on their design process and identify blind spots.

Practical strategies for daily implementation include meeting people from different disciplines, writing regularly, and extending workspaces to new environments. Keeping organized records of work and using digital tools like Miro boards can facilitate easy reflection and retrieval of past insights. By integrating these techniques, designers can create a continuous loop of reflection, learning, and improvement in their practice.

For this group work, we were tasked with summarizing a key problem in the Sim Lim Square area. We identified the cons of the space, as it resembled a maze and had underutilized areas.

In the Studio lesson, we were assigned to create a series of design posters in pairs. This was challenging, as I spent considerable time researching various types and styles to effectively represent the Baybeats music festival. Some posters had a retro theme, while others focused on aesthetic designs.

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References:

“Transition Skills and Strategies.” Enhancement Themes, 9 January 2023, https://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/ethemes/student-transitions/critical-self-reflection.pdf.

“Writing and Communication Centre.” University of Waterloo, https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/critical-reflection. Accessed 14 November 2024.

“What is Critical Reflection?.” University of Florida, https://www.dso.ufl.edu/documents/nsfp/What_is_Critical_Reflection.pdf. Accessed 14 November 2024.

“You’re a commercial designer. How can you use self-reflection to improve your work?.” LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/youre-commercial-designer-how-can-you-use-self-reflection-oayzc. Accessed 14 November 2024.

Branigan, Patrick “The Self-reflecting Designer.” dockyard.com, 10 February 2016, https://dockyard.com/blog/2016/02/10/the-self-reflecting-designer.

“Designing with Purpose: How Reflection Can Help You Create Meaningful Designs and Boost your Career.” Mento Design Academy, 26 February 2023, https://www.mentodesign.academy/blog/designing-with-purpose-how-reflection-can-help-you-create-meaningful-designs-and-boost-your-career.

Parsons, Guy “The Gibbs Reflective Cycle, explained ….” BiteSize Learning, https://www.bitesizelearning.co.uk/resources/gibbs-reflective-cycle-explained-diagram-examples. Accessed 14 November 2024.

“Building Better Engineers: Critical Reflection as a High Impact Practice in Design Learning.” ASEE PEER, 23 August 2022, https://peer.asee.org/building-better-engineers-critical-reflection-as-a-high-impact-practice-in-design-learning.

“Reflective practice in context: Art and Design.” RMIT Open Press, 4 December 2023, https://rmit.pressbooks.pub/keytransferableskills/chapter/reflective-practice-in-context-design/.

Hohenadel, Kristin “67 Modern Home Office Ideas To Help You ….” The Spruce, https://www.thespruce.com/modern-home-office-ideas-4802025. Accessed 14 November 2024.

“Unlocking Personal Growth: 4 Lessons About Self-Reflection As A Designer..” Designshot, https://www.designshot.co/insights/unlocking-personal-growth-4-lessons-about-self-reflection-as-a-designer. Accessed 14 November 2024.

“Becoming A Reflective Designer.” Medium · Olivia Dias Bagott, 19 August 2021, https://medium.com/@oliviadiasbagott/becoming-a-reflective-designer-7c8fd0ed51b8.

Bown, Claire “How to develop a reflective practice.” thinking museum, 17 November 2021, https://thinkingmuseum.com/2021/11/17/how-to-develop-a-reflective-practice/.

The theme of this week, 'Self-Reflectivity,' is about self-application. Reflection involves looking inward at oneself. In my usual process of researching, conceptualizing, and designing, feedback and reflection are essential at every stage. In the studio module, documenting this process as CPJ allows for self-reflection, but it doesn't stop there. By carefully refining feedback and keeping it in mind for the next task, we can gradually progress, step by step. Through this, as the semester progresses, I feel a sense of achievement in my growth.

Furthermore, another crucial task for effective self-reflection is to possess the ability to understand one's emotions and regulate them, known as 'Emotional Intelligence.' Particularly, emotional intelligence extends beyond oneself to look outward and consider one's surroundings. If this is misunderstood, it could lead to design without empathy.

As an example of a design lacking empathy, we can mention 'Google Glass.' Google Glass was a voice-controlled device, and people found it embarrassing to say things like "Okay Glass, send a text" in public. If users have to engage in socially awkward or unacceptable behavior, it's only natural that very few people would use it.

In conclusion, to become an empathetic designer, one must start by understanding the thoughts and needs of other people.

"Understanding the realities and problems of the people you want to design for deeply."

Maintaining an open mind and attention to detail are the core and completion of a successful design thinking process.

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