Definition of influence:
Influence – The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.
(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/influence)
Influence is something we very often hear about, whether its positive or negative, to is something we experience in our daily lives. It is also commonly known that as humans we are influenced quite easily. This could be voluntary or involuntary. We are who we are because of experiences that we have had throughout our lives. Influence is in my opinion a very emotional thing, not necessarily hurt or pain, but it is a very personal thing that we’ve all experienced.
This is where my argument starts about design being influence rather than instinct. I believe that as designers, what we like and what we choose to do has been influenced from a very young age. There are many different factors that add to design being influence; such as age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion. For example a designer that is 18 would most likely have a complete different take on design than a designer that is 60. However the fact that they both have the ability to design remains. Is this a result of instinct?
Jessica Teall 