Holy Grail

Talk to the right people in the right way. Craft a brief that means what it says. And choose a decent designer who will create a thoughtful solution. Finding the Holy Grail for good design sounds easy.

We should all know by now how to do effective participation and meaningful briefing. But selecting the right designer can still be a challenge - particularly in the context of ever more demanding contractual regimes and complex procurement procedures.

As you work your way through the flowchart it is worth remembering that even in this corporate commoditised age working with the right person still really matters.

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Godzilla

When I first encountered Sim City it had an option which allowed a Godzilla-like monster to rampage randomly through your newly created city. The initial reaction was either to panic or to pretend it wasn’t happening.

Sometimes there seems to be only two types of architectural critique: “Look, a monster!” or “What monster?”. We are either struck by design shock horror, or are too polite to mention design at all.

Design is big. It can fill our horizons. And it deserves a considered reaction based on more than prejudice or etiquette. It makes demands of us and asks difficult questions. It deserves passion and honesty. It is worth arguing about.

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A Clear Desk

I now have a clear desk. It looks better. I feel less claustrophobic, and I can find what I need more quickly. So why do I feel unsettled? Probably for the same reason that some people feel challenged by minimalist modern architecture. There is now less of me in the place where I am. It is still the place where I sit, but it no longer feels like the place where I belong.

Is this an argument for clutter? No. But it is a recognition that imperfections in a place sometimes echo the untidy, fallible humans to whom that place belongs. They are a part of the language by which a place garners meaning.

Design is the means by which we create places that both work well and have an emotional resonance which underpins meaning – whether in the classroom or in the workplace. Design is not about perfection.

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