To the reader,

 

Design captivates my mind. When I was in high school, I loved designing houses and interior decorations with the support of Live Interior 3D Pro software. During this enthralling process, new ideas were constantly generated, and I kept optimizing my design until it was closer to ideal. I was gratified to have that privilege to gain complete control and freedom over my design.

 

Although I possessed an infinite degree of freedom, I occasionally got lost and did not know what to do first; or became frustrated since I had to start from scratch due to impetuous planning. As a result, I could barely move on, make progress, and my goal became almost unachievable. It seems that design can also discourage my mind.

 

Having experienced those two extremes made me realize that my design approach lacked consistency and tended to dwell on details without having an overall picture in mind. Fortunately, two courses (CIV102: Structure and Material, and Praxis: An unique design course) I have taken in first year university stimulated me to gain a deeper understanding to the importance of systematic design processes, provided me hands-on experience to implement and refine my design model, and helped me reflect on my performance for future improvement. 

 

In CIV102, I learned to be meticulous since a small omission in calculation can result in a great failure. In Praxis, I learned to frame an engineering problem by conducting relevant research. I familiarized myself with the critical steps that transform various designs at conceptual level to a fully functional design. Moreover, I was able to employ all the tools and knowledge available to propose a solution which could effect a measurable improvement in the city of Toronto. 

 

Having reflected upon those projects, I noticed that I am thoughtful, and good at identifying potential problems such as the ambiguities due to improper phrasing in a report, or a flawed design which may cause a significant failure. My weakness is I am not good at expressing opinions clearly at the first time.

 

Feel free to comment on my portfolio, so I can make constant improvement.

 

To improve is my habit. 

 

Best,

Daming Gao