Crowds

The roads will be busy this Easter weekend. And those stuck in traffic will be asking why is everyone else going where I’m going? However, if the roads were empty the same people would be scanning the radio stations for news of some disaster.

We are uneasy when we are alone in our decisions, and we are frustrated when everyone else is making exactly the same decisions. We need to know our own tolerance for being part of the crowd, and for standing out from the crowd.

Walking through the door of a new building, do you think, I’m glad this is different? Or do you think, why is this different? Design needs to anticipate both reactions and nurture in contrary individuals the common belief that this was a place worth getting to.

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Darkness and Light

Popular anecdotes are like popular songs – for a while they seem unavoidable on every conference platform, and then they disappear. But just because something gets repeated to death doesn’t mean it’s not true.

Man walking at night meets someone on his knees under a streetlight looking for his keys. He offers to help, and asks him “Where exactly did you lose your keys?” The person points to the other side of the road, cloaked in darkness. “So, why aren’t you looking for your keys over there?” The man on his knees answers, “Because the light’s over here.”

The right answer isn’t always found in the place with the most light.

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Census

What are the right questions to ask? Do you ask the types of questions that tend to produce clear answers; the more vague questions with vague responses that perhaps matter the most; or the ones whose answers you suspect will have the most impact?

If the aim is to write a clear story that captures peoples’ lives in a way which can help shape their future, then asking the right questions is really, really crucial. Asking the right questions rather than making up clever answers is often what makes design great.

If someone walks into a building and says “This doesn’t work because . .“ the reason is probably not bad design, but bad briefing. Nobody asked the question, so nobody designed the answer. Every design starts with a question – choose carefully.

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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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The Existence of Good

Whether a learning environment is in a hut or a skyscraper, the senses of place that matter to children are universal. These include a sense of light and space, a sense of scale, a sense of comfort and a sense of inspiration. Places that provide these are places that people, of all ages, want to be in.

They are also about a sense of belonging: meaningful places that reflect closely the physical contexts and the individual narratives of those who use them. Acknowledging the uniqueness of the land and its local communities is the primary means by which good environments happen. Good learning environments are places that feel special to one place, but have lessons for us all.

There is such a thing as a good environment. We know it when we experience it, based not on personal prejudices but by observing what has worked over generations and by acknowledging what is changing and why. And we know for sure that good design can provide it in ways that enhance the lives of children, teachers, and communities. Good is not a concept – it exists.

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Great Designers

It seems that we are readily impressed when ‘ordinary people’ strive for Grand Designs – but do our bureaucratic utmost to prevent professional designers chasing the same high aspirations. This is perverse.

In other creative endeavours this doesn’t happen. Yes, we applaud when an amateur plays The Minute Waltz, but we can still celebrate the difference when Lang Lang plays Chopin.

If we are all to enjoy great design then we better value great designers.

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