What does it mean to free your mind?
I think a lot about the differences between me and other people. Initially, we all seem to be the same. Yes, there are immediate visual differences, like height, body size, and skin tone. There are body language differences, age, and culture. But the result is the same: we all need attention, food, and air to breathe, and then we die.
But until then, I am making sense of the world around me. I try to engage in matters that matter. To me. To you. I can pass by a cat food container in a shop, and immediately see it as my next compost bin. Why? Because it has a proper size, a double-lidded lid, and a scoop. Does it matter that it is sold as a cat food container? I’ve been using it for more than a decade now and it is serving its transformed purpose perfectly. Yes, its manufacturer made it with a different audience in mind; the store owners put it in the pet products aisle: but I look at things and envision scenarios.
For me, the designer, looking is not about consuming – it’s about asking questions, about exploring thoughts related to purpose and function. There is a degree of obsession in my curiosity. It’s an obsession similar to that of a comedian. Constantly processing ideas in response to observations. At times my observations raise concerns and frustrations; other times I am amused, yet eager to change. The side viewer might think I am unnecessarily worried or even angry. But for me, it’s joyful fuming over things that need to improve. I honestly relate to Jerry Seinfeld’s description of his own suffering: “Your blessing in life is when you find the torture you’re comfortable with.”
When I talk about myself, sometimes it might seem like I understand what I’m saying. Other times it might sound as if I am confused. That space, between what is understood and what is confusing fascinates me. This is the space my mind likes to explore. I’m on a journey that feels as if I’m exploring language, meaning, and action. Your questions in those moments can reveal a wealth of insights. Then I can ask you about yourself and a whole new world opens up. The words become ingredients of our communication product: Language.
Language can be a treacherous interface. But it’s definitely a tool I enjoy using. Why do we need tools? Because we have physical limits. Because we are capable of creating tools that make our life easier. Because we think tools are useful. There are so many other responses to this question. So when I see a cat food container that can serve as a compost bin, I take it. When I need a tool that I can’t find – I design and build it. If I can…
Tools today have a myriad of formats. Just like a stick is a tool that helps me stabilize my walking, a paper form is a tool that facilitates services, SolidWorks is a tool that allows modelling on the computer, and so on. My place in the flow of human needs is flexible in scope and specific in purpose. My goal is to always reach a simple solution. Life is simple. We tend to complicate things in search of something.
The compost bin. What is it that makes us even need one? There was a time that everything was thrown into a garbage bin. It always had a prominent stench. But the bin filled up quickly and its contents were thrown away. Now that we separate organic waste from other materials, the workflow of domestic garbage is changing. The components of this workflow can be observed and analyzed. How many solutions exist already for compost bins?
When you need to improve a workflow, a process, or a product, my observations respond to your reality. I ask questions and listen to your response. By analyzing your reality I can propose directions for possible solutions. Either I free your mind from thinking about the solution, or you free your own mind to join me on this creative journey. Both of us benefit.
I’m fascinated by innovation and technology. However, I brought up the story about the cat food container to illustrate a point that many people struggle with, including me at times. Innovation is not a need in its own right. Taking an existing item like the cat food container and using it as a compost bin can be seen as innovative. But my mind was busy responding to questions about purpose and needs, and vice versa. I wasn’t worried about technology and innovation. I had a need and I asked questions.
In the design process, we ask questions. We start with a need. When the need is communicated, our words serve as both the description of what we end up doing and the tool in our process. My mind too, is a tool. It is the creative tool for developing simple solutions for a simple life. And that could be complicated.
Unless you free your mind.
Some of my thoughts turn into graphics that I make into designs for POD (Print On Demand). If you have a phrase you’d like to suggest, feel free to give me a shout. You can do that by posting a comment or getting in touch through the contact link.
You can find my designs for POD on various platforms: Threadless: Redbubble: Etsy: Zazzle: Society6
Design is a Matter of Life 