Architects can be a serious bunch. But typically, I tend not to take myself or my profession too seriously. (Maybe some of you have noticed?) I tend to make light of myself and my fellow angst-ridden colleagues. I tend to lighten the mood and find the humor within the day-to-day life of a designer. I can giggle at the absurdities of my profession with the best of them. But under the layers of angst and sarcasm and snark lies a deep affection and passion for design.
Don't let my smirk fool you. At my core is an overriding belief in the power of design to make the world a better place. Sometimes I have to take a minute to remind myself of this. So I wrote out some rules for design for myself, a list of what's really important for me to remember whenever I start new work. This started out as a very personal list, but I think it may apply to others as well.
Think of these as instructions for designers.
Don't let my smirk fool you. At my core is an overriding belief in the power of design to make the world a better place. Sometimes I have to take a minute to remind myself of this. So I wrote out some rules for design for myself, a list of what's really important for me to remember whenever I start new work. This started out as a very personal list, but I think it may apply to others as well.
Think of these as instructions for designers.
No designer is in it for the money. All of us aspire to something larger, don't we?
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It's an important distinction.
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I try to think of my projects as a continuation of a larger work, and of my work as just a small part of the overall community.
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I try to aim for the simple elegance of balance instead of the rigid perfection of order.
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It's the best way to think of sustainable design really. It's like the leave-a-penny, take-a-penny tray next to the cash register.
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I think all great design should be built to last.
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Honesty in materials, in construction technique, in building program, in motivation, in meaning, in intent, in all things.
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Trust yourself. If it's really important to you, it will be important to everyone else too.
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The hardest part is staring at the blank piece of paper. Beginnings are always hard, but once you start, you can begin to revise, and that's the easy part.
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Design is a never-ending process; a lifelong endeavor.
OK, I feel better. Now I'll go back to making fun of myself. |
