Today's Word

Today’s word is ‘excogitation’ – to think something out carefully.

Design is rarely about surges of inspiration and flashes of insight. It is usually about a lot of hard work and perspiration. The American writer Gene Fowler famously said ”Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead”.

When we design, we think something out carefully, and in buildings that is a truly massive challenge. Next time you hear someone trivialising design, remind them that design is a serious endeavour – one that involves a great deal of excogitation.

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Early Yearning

I recently heard someone at a conference refer to “early yearning” – a slip of the tongue for ‘early learning’. But the phrase captures exactly what we need to engender in design projects.

Whatever the engagement, the prerequisite for realising better outcomes is the desire for better outcomes. Yes, good design should spring from a clear sense of purpose. But it can also emerge from a vague sense of dissatisfaction – the feeling that there must be a better way of doing things and a better answer than the one we have.

Do I want clients that are satisfied with whatever design they can get? No. I want clients that believe design can change their lives: early yearners that keep hoping.

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