Many journeys, one voice

The design profession has been a personal journey for me. As a designer, I have worked in three countries and embraced the cultural contrasts. It was my curiosity for new experiences that led me to travel, and this exposure has triggered much inspiration and broadened my perspective on the world.

I was born in Argentina and began my design education at the Carlos Morel School of Fine Arts in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. I then moved to Spain, becoming a migrant for the first time. Living in Europe gave me the opportunity to visit incredible museums and feel the talent of the masters. Moving on to a new destination, I landed in Sydney four years ago and continued my education, enrolling in the Multimedia Diploma at Qantm College.

My passion for learning keeps me up to date with design trends. I love visiting art galleries, reading publications and getting involved with events.

I recently joined the Design Institute of Australia and attended the Sydney Design 08 festival. I was delighted to hear great speakers share their stories, and found the workshops stimulating. I now look for every opportunity to network with professionals from the design field and other disciplines.

I find this interaction with my peers extremely valuable. Working with people from different backgrounds only increases my cultural awareness and has been an incomparable vehicle for learning.

“Never has there been a greater need for designers to dig deep, to exercise wholebrain thinking skills, to understand patterns of inter-connectivity, to join peer networks, to collaborate with other experts, and to leverage the multi-perspective advantages of teamwork. How best to proceed, and to succeed? Help break down divisive barriers, embrace pluralism, raise the bar for civilization and above all, further the characteristics that matter in making us truly human beings.”*

I agree with Robert L. Peters in his article about identity. I am fascinated by travelling and discovering new cultures. Every journey has inspired me and added to my professional development. I believe we can all contribute to creating a broader professional community by discovering our differences and then putting them to work towards cross-cultural design.

Mousharaka is a great opportunity to share design points of view with individuals from various places – a chance of contributing to dialogue and interaction, maintaining a questioning attitude.

Qatar is a multicultural country. I see myself walking along Al-Corniche, admiring the unique architecture of the Museum of Islamic Art, smelling incense in Souq Waqif and sipping authentic Arabic coffee while enjoying the view of Doha Bay.
I am hoping to learn more about Qatar and the Gulf region.

Home, for me, is a virtual space of combined memories and adventures from several locations. I have always tried to integrate my background into the culture of my destination, and every experience has contributed to the journey to find my own voice.

* Robert L. Peters, “Identity Matters” November 14, 2005 (aiga.org)
Available: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/identity-matters

Many journeys, one voice – Laura Plini
This essay won a scholarship to attend Icograda Design Week in Qatar 2009