In the face of oncoming climate disaster after climate disaster in an uncertain, warming world, how do you get enough people to push for something major to be done? Society wide, system change on a massive scale. A simple formula, repeated over and over at high frequency is what we need to do. Hope and action over regret, guilt, or fear.
No to cynicism, push for the NOW.
These days I find myself working with my favorites teams ever. We’re collaborating, pushing ourselves, taking on big challenges, working through lots of moving parts, and everything simply feels really exciting.
It’s wonderful to be amongst such thoughtful people who are so focused on making a difference in their own way, using their power as they see fit. Together we’re pushing ahead, towards the dream, enjoying the journey, and acknowledging these are special days, days which I will always hold dear.
After 13 years, I’m lucky to be in such a good place with this design career. Much love to all of you who have helped make it all possible. Here we go!
Be able to understand the current situation. To read the room. To grasp the basic facts. Take an assessment of what’s right in front of you and only then will you realize what you’ll be able to bring to the table.
It’s a very real fear I have. Rigid, uncompromising thinking has always been bad in my view.
However.
And I say this as someone who likes to try new ways of doing things. There are, sometimes, a right way to do something. And there are very wrong ways.
So yes, while calcified thinking is not good, doing things incorrectly is also not good.
Keep learning. Pay attention. Keep your head up. Act accordingly.
Over these last few years, I’ve landed on a couple key design insights. I haven’t always believed in them, but these two insights have become something I strive for:
Cut out what’s not needed. Anything that doesn’t serve the core task at hand (designing a website, a logo, a graphic, etc.) has to go. Maybe it’s the mood board phase, doing sketches first, creating a complete guide of visual rules, whatever. If it isn’t part of the work-work, it’s gone. In place of all that stuff, I listen, tap into my expertise, iterate, and get to where we need to go with everyone who needs to be there.
I want the client to be really happy. Because I want the client to really want to use what I make. Not simply convinced. I want them into it. To be stoked. To want to wear the thing all the damn time. If that means I lose some of my preferences, or even design industry standards, then fine. My peers aren’t the ones who stand by me and my work and push for that work to be seen. The clients are. So they get what I can give them, always.
Where I used to hide behind certain processes, now I just get to work. And where I gave too much deference to what I the designer wanted, now the client is top of mind.
Do these insights ensure everything goes smoothly? Sadly, no. But they have made my work better and more effective at what it’s tasked to do. Which is to design things for people.
Pep talk, info share, then get to it. Lots has to get done, can it get done? Okay you’re here, let’s see what you got. Just get thrown in there, see if you swim. Dent the universe, or move on.
