Welcome to the inaugural issue of PLiNTH & CHiNTZ.
Everyone say it with me now: P L i N T H & C H i N T Z. Yes, it’s easy to stumble over, but once you get it, you won’t forget it. Do you even know what it means” No” Well, that’s the point. We want to teach you something, and we hope you’re ready to learn. You probably wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t.
Our audience is diverse, and we like it that way.
You might be asking, “Who is this website for” Why would I want to read it”” Well it’s all about you, isn’t it” That’s OK. Check out our ABOUT section for specifics, but suffice it to say that PLiNTH & CHiNTZ will serve several audiences.
Some of you professionals and industry cats out there may read an article and think, “Well, duh. Anybody would know that. What a silly article!” Then some of you aspiring designers may read the exact same article and think, “What in the heck are they talking about” Why don’t they cover basic topics that I can understand”” You think it’s a fine line between love and hate” It’s a fine line between educating people and boring them to tears. We’re going to do our best to strive for a happy medium.
We are starting out small, but we will grow.
Appearance-wise, we will be developing more graphics to keep you interested and entertained. (We ARE visual people, you know. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t even be in this industry.) In the meantime, you’ll have to be satisfied with our modest beginnings and concentrate on the content. Speaking of…
Content-wise, we want to morph into something YOU want to read and can effectively use in your career development. I’ll be honest here. The sections you see on the site are based on my own personal experiences as a student and designer. In other words, I didn’t do any nation-wide market research or extensive design student surveys. However, I have talked to many design students in the past year via email and in person. Moderating the Student Day IIDA Panel Discussion – “A Day in the Life of a Large Firm” – at NeoCon this past summer was an eye-opener. Students are clamoring for candid information about the industry they’re about to enter into, but they don’t seem to be getting the behind-the-scenes exposure they crave. That’s where PLiNTH & CHiNTZ comes in.
We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll work to get them for you.
The concept is quite simple: industry insiders answering questions from students in an open, non-intimidating online forum. Add in some reality and a splash of humor and you’ve got yourself an educational party. In a word, edutainment. (Are you nauseated yet” I am.)
Look, the ultimate goal of the website is to link the design community: design students… aspiring design students… new grads… established designers… design educators… manufacturers… You get the picture. I want PLiNTH & CHiNTZ to be the sticks in the Tinker Toy set. What can I say” It’s the engineer in me.
Happy reading.
Laura McDonald , IIDA / ASID
Interior Designer / Founder / Connector
