Lesson 5: Inspiration and Innovation

Suggested Time: 60 minutes
Overview
Students will learn about inspiration and innovation in design and how copyright flexibility and market practices may affect the design process. Students will then consider how innovations in engineering and science compare with innovations in fashion. Then they will scout about for their own inspirations, copying a design challenge found in Season 2 of Project Runway!
Vocabulary
Objectives
Next Generation Science Standards
Required Project Materials
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
The Lesson
Part 1: Inspiration and Innovation (25 mins)
  1. After checking homework, show “Lessons from Fashion’s Free Culture.” Review Johanna Blakley’s main points.
  2. If possible, arrange the class in a semi-circle to facilitate discussion, so that there is no front or back row.
  3. Discuss with the class whether they think lack of copyright helps designers innovate, or whether restrictions and constraints actually help them more.
  4. Ask the students if they agree with Blakley’s assessment that a free market and desire to distinguish oneself drives innovation.
  5. Work with the class to come up with a list of conditions that may drive innovation in ALL fields. The list might include:
  6. Point out that even in fields with copyright protection, such as architecture and engineering, practitioners often draw inspiration from their predecessors and reflect trends that have worked for a long time. Raise the point that copyright protections often expire or only cover recent inventions, so that old work is considered public domain. Ask the class to name some beautiful old things. Look through National Geographic Education’s “Architecture” website to find pictures of venerated old buildings and other structures that may continue to inspire new designs.
  7. Summarize that architects, engineers, and fashion designers all draw inspiration from many sources, including old works, nature, and the needs and desires of users.
Part 2: Finding Inspiration (35 mins)
  1. Show excerpt from Project Runway’s Season 2 Episode 8, “Inspiration.” Let the students know that they will be replicating the Project Runway Experiment, only instead of photographing buildings, they will bring something from home as an inspiring object.
  2. Just to practice, have students tour the school grounds looking for inspiration for an outfit. They should take one to three photos of things that inspire them. (If you are short on time, just have them look around the classroom.)
  3. After 15 minutes, students should come back and upload the photos. Look at the photos with the class and discuss what each photo means to the photographer.
Homework Due Next Class
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