As an architect, I often ask myself,what is the origin of the forms that we design? What kind of forms could we design if we wouldn’t work with references anymore? If we had no bias, if we had no preconceptions,what kind of forms could we design if we could free ourselves from our experience? If we could free ourselves from our education? What would these unseen forms look like? Would they surprise us? Would they intrigue us? Would they delight us? If so, then how can we go about creating something that is truly new?

Michael Hansmeyer gives a beautiful TED talk. On the concrete and literal level, his architectural forms are stunning – based on the processes of nature for cell division and generative folding. On the metaphorical level, Hansmeyer taps into a river of thinking that deserves more flow in schools and education. How can we design the forms of “school” by functionalizing process – the processes to which we want to introduce students and learners of all ages?

Imagine the forms that could result if we would design for process like we try to design for product…even more than we try to design for product. Process is the horse, product the cart.