as an angel, i love love love words and their specific meaning and also localized meanings. i think it's beautiful how ever word is really a category of word and when we talk to people, we mean different things with each word (although sometimes only slightly). i think thinking this way unlocks a new level of humans, it kind of makes it easier to see why someone doesn't understand you, because your word for home isn't the same as theirs. its like we all have our own languages, in a way. anyway, i wanted to put some damie definitions out there :o) design vs. making! i've been struggling with this because as i've been designing stuff, there's this force that pulls me into this other space, and i didn't really have a word for it, so i've decided to call this duo design and making. i wanna start out by saying that design is not lesser than making, and making is not lesser than design! in fact, good design has making, and good making has design (even though it's subconcious). so what are they? design is plans and rulers and, most importantly, iteration. design aims to solve a problem in the best way possible, meaning it must explore the problem thouroughly and explore many solutions before deciding on the ultimate one. design is long and winding and doesn't really pretain to you as a creature at all. it's solely centered on the problem and its solution. making is a bit different. it's volatile and exciting and seducing. making doesn't *do* iteration. making pushes you forward, whether you like it or not. there's an ease about making, it doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be solving things, it's just happening and you're coming along for the ride. why does it even matter to make these terms? well, i think it's useful for designers and people who are trying to create things that other people will use. a lot of designers go through school and learn design, but don't see how making can make their work better. and a lot of engineers or makers will create a ton of stuff, but not really understand the jump to design. i see design as pose to pose and making as straight ahead (in animation terms). the best way to animate is to use pose to pose first, then animate through sections straight ahead! and that's the place i'm trying to get to with my design (it's not makery enough right now, but i'd rather be in the design zone than the maker zone personally) anyway just a bit of angel thoughts teehee ;o) before i go back to engineering classes and realize that no one would care about this . argh