CREATION vs. RECOGNITION and IMITATION

[Matthew]

I was talking earlier with a music student who mentioned that he'd
love to learn more about dictation (hearing a piece of music and then
transferring it to musical notation). I started to wonder if learning
dictation would lead to developing perfect pitch. If you can recognize
a note or pitch, can you also reproduce it independently?

In a design context, the ability to create "good design" (I'll just
leave that undefined for the sake of keeping this simpler) does not
necessarily follow the ability to recognize it. On the other hand, you
can't be an effective designer if you can't recognize effective design
(outside of sheer luck). What's the barrier for those who can
recognize, but can't create?

[.nathan]

i think part of the answer may have something to do with what was
discussed yesterday in terms of progress. i think a lot of attempts
fail to be "good design" because the designer's understanding of the
process is superficial, and i think piggybacking on the progress of
others, and our culture's linear view of progress are quite possibly
the main reasons.

here's an example of what i mean: in previous eras, artists mastered
drawing, then sculpture before moving on to architecture. these
disciplines all deal with the same problems of form, line,
composition, etc. i think to be a great architect one must be a
master of the other disciplines, but at my school the architecture
students didn't take the same foundation classes as the everyone
else. they didn't have figure drawing, or color theory, or the
intense art history classes, all of which are as relevant to their
field as any other art/design discipline.

i don't know that someone who can't draw or design without a computer
should be allowed anywhere near one ;)