Post four in my series about visually representing design mindsets.
Design is about making decisions. In everything you create there will be trade offs, and as the designer you have to choose where you’re willing to compromise and you want to invest.
I think these decisions have to do with consistency, and the kind of statement you want to make with your work.
If you write a book about how to stand out, then make sure the cover looks different and maybe change the shape of the object too. When Seth Godin wrote Purple Cow, a book about creating remarkable ideas, he shipped it to people in a milk carton.
He didn’t ship it in a beautiful box, wrapped with a golden bow. But maybe that’s what you should do if you want to give off the feeling of luxury.
An example of unintentional craft always strikes me when washing my hands in the bathroom. They chose the default soap. That medicinal smelling soap that’s in 90% of public bathrooms. Unintentional craft is a missed opportunity.
On the other hand, Hop N Grind in Durham, NH uses organic, all natural soap. It very intentionally doesn’t look like the regular soap and it certainly costs more. But it’s intentional and consistent with what their brand stands for.
So what do you stand for?