How to Instigate a Design Response
Go East recently repurposed and recycled the make-readies from a poster project we created. I asked everyone to take the make-readies and do something creative with them as our most recent Design Response. The results were stunning.
What is a design response?
For the past year, we have been holding an extra-ordinary, extracurricular creative exploration, called “Design Response.” Too often design work can become a rote execution of a brochure, a banner ad, a package or a sell sheet. To keep our creative minds and muscles stretched and strengthened, we started Design Response, a short-term creativity commission that poses a problem, project, or possibility to the entire company. Everyone is invited to participate. All responses are welcome. The intention is to encourage creative thinking, problem-solving and using design as a response to any situation that may arise in any venue, at any time.
The results have been extraordinary.
Despite demanding workloads, family commitments, and the myriad tasks everyone has, Go East colleagues have consistently brought exciting, surprising responses to each challenge. Each participation has encouraged us in our client work and in our lives. Each person presents their piece in an internal review and all have a opportunity to comment and collaborate.
Some highlights:
- The fourth most popular yard sign in the Walker Art Gallery’s “My Yard Our Message” commission was designed in our first Design Response.
- Design Response : High Gas Prices elicited a stunning range of solutions from gourmet gas, iPhone apps, a lunch-run planning site, and guerilla activist stickers
- Pose a problem and a solution showed what individuals were wrestling with and how they might respond. From a treadmill workstation to color-coded medicine organizers for elderly parent care, we were impressed with the range of options. We had designs for a mass transit system in Minnesota that predated the current stimulus projects. One designer created a map of Twin Cities locations mentioned in the lyrics of a local band, which he is now photographing for a personal project
- Red Letter Day: favorite letter form, in red, and why
- Poster Campaign Make Ready Recycling: take the make-readies from a project and transform them into something else.
Design Response has become one of the most inspiring parts of Go East. It encourages everyone to think creatively about life and work and opens our eyes to how differently each of us may respond to the world around us. And the world could use some creative, well-designed responses to a wide range of problems now.
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May 4th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Very inspirational idea. One of the toughest things about being a designer is keeping it from getting mundane.
Thanks!
May 5th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
What I love about the Design Response is that we learn so much about each other. Who knew that one of our designers was so into music, that he could pinpoint on a map Twin City locations that are specifically mentioned in all types of music?
Who knew that Kari felt so passionately about the poster campaign that she wanted to keep it close by? Or that Nicole’s artistic vision was well beyond production manager?
And, I also love that sometimes, every now and then, employees outside of the creative department participate in the response. That’s fun to see too!
May 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I have to say I’ve done a lot of things outside my comfort zone this month: pinatas, poetry, paper art and blogging! It sure makes things interesting and hopefully makes me a more well-rounded person.