forty things

forty things to help describe what we are about and what we’re striving for:

1. Be bold.
2. Listen.
3. Always leave a little space for the unexpected.
4. Strive to be “super normal”.  (see Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa).
5. Exercise empathy.
6. Be exuberent.
7. Avoid excess.
8. Make microloans.  (see Kiva)
9. Be passionate about what you do.
10. Don’t drink bad coffee.
11. Ride your bike.
12. Build one as soon as possible…whatever it is!
13. Be aware of your own biases.
14. Don’t design a product, design a service .
15. Everything we make must become a nutrient for something else - either technical or biological.  (see Michael Braungart)
16. If in doubt, go look at bicycles.
17. Do less better.
18. Remember where it came from.
19. Plan for where it’s going.
20. If we’re not careful, the ultimate product we all make is garbage.
21. Adopt the Designers Accord.
22. Follow the momentum.
23. Listen to what your kids are listening to.
24. Change your route to work.
25. Seek simplicity and distrust it.  (see Alfred North Whitehead)
26. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s not relevant.
27. Read more.
28. Write more.
29. Be exact and clear the clutter from what is essential.
30. Respect the nature of natural forces.  (see Tom Kundig)
31. We are not inventors.
32. We are designers- creators of physical objects and experiences.
33. Inventions happen.  If we don’t invent it, someone else will…soon.
34. We are not green for you, we are green for us.
35. The internal combustion engine is dead.
36. The Segway is a beautiful example of percocious design…  So is the iPod…
37. Conceptual design is simply presotainment.
38. A drawing or sketch without dimensions is art.
39. Collaborate, don’t conspire.
40. Everything can be better