Critical, not cynical.

We must be critical, not cynical. Cynical thinking celebrates negativity and is passively destructive. When we think cynically, everything appears dark. Cynical thinking is neither positive nor negative. It has no “dog in the fight.”

What we need instead is the reasoned process of analysis, of fully understanding the nature of the problem and then finding the freedom to design solutions. The most powerful critique of a bad solution is a better one. As designers, our task is to create better solutions, and that process begins with optimism. 

Optimism in action.

The 21st century demands that designers take responsibility. Our charge is to take responsibility for the profound problems in our world. Where we fail to design for all life, we design for failure. 

So, as designers, we run toward problems. We are first responders who don’t have the luxury of despair and cynicism because we have to quickly generate practical solutions. Analysis for a designer is both scientific and intuitive, creating meaningful questions. Generating better questions is one of the most important contributions a designer can make. But that contribution is always followed by asking, “What is to be done?” This is fact-based optimism. 

In the end, we have to believe in the beauty of our dreams.

Welfare of all.

In 1957, British historian Arnold Toynbee said that in the long sweep of history, the twentieth century would be remembered as "an age in which human society dared to think of the welfare of the whole human race as a practical objective." This idea, in a way, is an enlarged view of the power of design and the heart behind what we do at Marion Design Co. 

As human beings, we like to think of ourselves as the center of the universe. However, when we take the time to humbly understand our place in the universe, we find it brings more joy to consider the well-being of others before ourselves. According to well-known graphic designer Bruce Mau, “The fundamental idea of design is to make the world a better place.” It’s with this perspective, considering the welfare of all life, that Marion Design Co. strives to approach every design solution and business decision we pursue. 

When we design for the welfare of all life, the parts we have control over should have no ugliness or death for us or for any life our lives touch. Everything we have learned in school and life has prepared us for a life of love. The work you love needs you. Real work needs optimism, passion, and beauty. It needs a kind of energy and commitment that only love can produce.

Simple sabotoge for production.

1. Insist on doing everything through channels.

2. Make lengthy speeches.

3. Refer all matters to committees for further study.

4. Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

5. Haggle over precise wording of communications, minutes, and resolutions.

6. Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting.

7. Advocate “caution.”

[Paraphrased from the Simple Sabotage Field Manual created by the U.S. Office of Strategic Services]

Creative millieux.

What is our local creative milieux? Our commonalities of interdisciplinary practice in separate industries will operate best in a context that allows collaboration with one another. We need a place to show and tell, to review each other’s products and offer jobs that cross-fertilize — sharing skillsets.

This is where creative buzz develops.

The co-mingling of artists, artisans, designers, photographers, actors, students, educators, and writers in cafes, restaurants, and clubs, and gallery openings contributes to the blurring of the social worlds of work and lifestyle that is a distinctive dimension of creative industry clusters in our cities.

Let’s keep working together to discover our local creative milieux!

Learn from AIR.

In the new Amazon movie, Air, the story is told of Nike recruiter, Sonny Vaccaro who relentlessly pursues rookie basketball great, Michael Jordan. He risks his career and the entire basketball division of Nike in pursuit of something that’s never been done before. The creation of Air Jordan, a line of shoes completely created around one basketball player.

What teeters on the edge of foolishness was the wisest move the company would make. At a time when the company had solidified its place as third in the line of shoe sales, far behind Adidas and Converse, it had to make a choice. The choice to stick with what it was comfortable with or lay it all on the line including its entire budget on one never-been-done-before idea by one man.

While this story brings many lessons, the focus of this post is on the eventual collaboration between Sonny and his reluctant colleagues who grew in courage as they said “yes.” What’s significant about this path was that the courage, pride, and energy were generated by a unified focus of the team to create the pitch. There were no guarantees they would strike the deal with Michael Jordan, in fact, it was very clear that he was not at all interested in what they had to say. But by doing the research, knowing what rules to break, and building relationships, Sonny’s passion became the story to follow and the project to join.

As you watch this film, identify with one of the characters from Nike that fits you best. Every player was critical to the success of the outcome in the Air story. Sonny would not have won without the engineer, the CEO, or the marketing friend. At what point in the process of pursuing a crazy idea would you typically step in to fill the gap, strengthening the power and validity of the risk?

Be a player. Step in at any time to reduce the risk by your participation. Change always requires risk, not by just one player, but in community as one powerful force driven by the desire to create good. Chances are, in the same manner as this story, good will happen on the fringes of your goal to improve lives for many more than anticipated!

Multiply.

Rather than working hard to add…multiply! Multiplication recognizes what each element has to offer and leverages its capacity. Addition is an end in itself. Multiplication continues and expands beyond its original capacity.

What does this look like in community? When a leader creates a strategy with a multiplication framework, she’s transferring ownership of each branch of growth to those who invent the ideas. She’s not afraid of risk because she recognizes that when something fails, growth will take a turn toward life. When energy is fed the water and light it needs, it keeps moving toward growth. Good ideas live. Ideas that die make way for growth.

Keep moving. Trust people. Multiply for growth.

Clever.

Inspector Jacques Clouseau, the famed detective launched in the 1960’s, embodies the idea of cleverness. He was a master of design improvisation, adapting quickly to come up with a new approach without straying from the original concept. This is a valuable skill in design where unforeseen challenges arise.

He utilized the most current technology to go beyond his own capacity to see clues…the handheld magnifying glass. But it only worked if his hand was holding it and his eyes were peering through the lens. It didn’t work without him.

With the lightning-speed invention of technology in 2023, we need to use our current advances for the original purpose of design - to help people live better lives. We need to hold on and keep our eyes looking through to see the subjects most critical to solving the problem. Technology is still just a tool to “design for life.” It’s cleverness comes from the human utilizing it.