There once was an abundance. A great abundance of many things. But now that bounty is gone. We have depleted it. We have been reckless. Now we must do more with less. Doing more with less is good. But only to a point. We can only do so much with less. Many of us have too much. We want too much. We do too much. We were taught to expect too much. We still believe that more yields more. But it does not. Perhaps we could consider less. We could want less. We could work less. We could use less. We could simplify our lives. We could refine. We could grant others desperately in need of more – more. And at no expense. Just Less. We ought to strive for less. We ought to experience more. It’s not too late for less. We could embrace less. And in so doing we could have more.

This past year has provided us a wealth of opportunity and a glimpse into the future. What we once perceived as a unique passion for a specific trade/craft/art/work has become a life practice and discipline; driven predominantly by two things: intent and transformation.

Intent as it relates to our practice is inspired by responsibility and thoughtfulness. For us, thoughtfulness implies a certain intellectual depth characterized by careful consideration. The intent and thoughtfulness we have cultivated over the past year is the basis for deciding with whom and precisely how we will expend our professional creative energies. Our intent as a studio is to practice responsible and thoughtful design.

Through our professional and personal practice we intend to bring about forward-looking transformations for our clients and their endeavors, within our community, and within ourselves. While we remain informed by the past, we have grown to openly embrace and even seek change. We believe that a willingness to adapt in order to improve will best prepare us to challenge the demands of the future.

2011. The Future.

Advertising is not design. Marketing is not advertising. Design is not branding. Branding is neither advertising nor marketing nor design. However, the four are often spoken synonymously.

All four possess immeasurable potential to both identify and communicate and subsequently they play very important roles in the creation of culture. They all contribute to the perception of value (real or artificial), socially, culturally, and of course fiscally, but they are not the same. Interest in and the relationship of the four ranges from a subject of frequent industry debate to that of semi-mystical proportions.

We'd like to attempt to define these four terms to prompt further consideration surrounding their individual and collective significance, or better yet - relevance. All this, while being keenly aware that none of the four possess any one specific, generally-accepted definition.

Advertising - Advertising is a form of communication. It is the act of calling attention to a product or service through the use of paid announcements across a variety of media. It is typically used to convey how a product or service can benefit a specific consumer in an effort to persuade the consumer to consume a particular product or service. Advertising is most often utilized after marketing, branding and design. To communicate successfully, advertising requires both branding and design.

Branding - Branding is both a means of identification and communication. Branding employs design in the creation of a name, sign, symbol, or logo, intended to represent and distinguish the unique characteristics of something, commonly a product or service in an effort to differentiate it from others. Branding is often one aim and occasionally the sole function of advertising. Branding tends to occur after some form of marketing and requires design.

The Brands of tomorrow will prompt a paradigm shift through the design, creation, communication and provision of sustainability-driven, socially-motivated products and services stocked with genuine consumer value. These brands will grow deep roots, rich histories, heart-felt stories and will be led by thoughtful, far-seeing individuals. Some of the brands of tomorrow, exist today. They will grow iteratively, but rapidly, from solid strategic platforms. These platforms will be visible, and within their infrastructure will exist an immense degree of flexibility. These brands will morph and adapt frequently, not because they have to, but because new information will become available offering new opportunity prompting culturally insightful responses. They will adapt because they ought to - and they will know this.

In the internet-crazed, information-inundated, consumer-driven 21st century, the almighty dollar - or the lack thereof, will have rendered governments fundamentally impotent. The decision to purchase one product or service over another will be the modern day equivalent to casting a vote on election day - perhaps even more significant. Corporations will rule, the ever-consuming public will know it, it will have been their edict, and brand authenticity, brand values, and the subsequent loyalty resulting from them, will drive a perpetually wanting consumer culture. The brands of tomorrow will understand this and they will strive to shape and transform culture in a socially equitable and responsible way. When they do not, the corporations they represent will whither away alongside their inferior philosophies, products and services.

In the professional world, effective communication is achieved predominantly with words. These words, written and/or spoken, contain information; ideas, thoughts, wishes, desires, and goals that ultimately must be communicated. Photos, illustrations, combinations of the two, charts, graphs, and the like often accompany such words, but it is the words themselves that create the context and comprise the gist of information exchange. Subsequently, to ensure clear communication words must be wielded wisely.

Individuals, companies, and entities in general tend to engage in communication with one another in an effort to create that which otherwise could not be created independently and often times does not exist. For relationships aimed at this sort of creative production to be effective, it is vital that information be exchanged succinctly between parties. The utmost attention must be paid to this information exchange in order to ensure its completeness. It is all too easy for the owner of information or of an idea to leave out valuable components of thought that he or she assumes to be unimportant, insignificant, or already known.

Within the realm of communication one can understand how it could be difficult to express that which one does not know. Additionally, it can be equally difficult to learn that something known has not been expressed. For any information or idea exchange to be effective, those things that are known must be shared, those things that are still unknown ought to be agreed upon as such. It is here, at the intersection of the known and the unknown, that communication can either go very wrong,
or very right. 

Following, are 10 recommendations intended to ensure clear and concise information exchange and promote successful and continued communication. It is necessary that these recommendations be applied by all parties accountable for the exchange of information resulting in the production of new work.

To create transformative solutions for today and meet the challenges of tomorrow, an iterative and multi-faceted approach, centered on interdisciplinary and collaborative thinking is required.  Problems need to be addressed systemically and solved holistically.

As members of a global community, we can not continue to merely address problems in a symptomatic fashion. The problems of today must be seen as tomorrow's catalysts for innovation and a means by which to create new opportunities - not just things to be solved.

Those of us calling ourselves designers, particularly those with opportunities to manifest positive change in the world, have a responsibility to deliver informed, forward-looking, and inclusive thinking. If we are to act responsibly, all of our projects must be viewed as opportunities to influence and thereby contribute to the cultural fabric of the future.

In early 2007 we set our hearts upon designing and producing our own, in-house, hand-made, designer toy line. But, before we could fully engage we sought to craft a narrative worthy of supporting such an endeavor. The tale of the Soft & Furry™ and the subsequent 2008 international artist collaboration to follow was the result of that thinking.

The soft and furry are very, very old.
They have been since here was here.
When here was new there were three.
LOOFT helped all to breath.
DOO helped all to drink.
And GROOND made all things grow.
The three were one.

Many creatures, large and small, of water, of air, and of land arose.
They breathed the air.
They drank the water.
And they fed on all that grew.
They took only what they needed.

Writing is challenging, particularly for those not formally trained in the craft, but it is vital to anyone concerned with communication and subsequently is a skill worth honing. Anyone that considers their ideas important and worth sharing, ought to vest adequate energy in developing their skills as a writer, in an effort to improve their potential as a communicator. If the thinker can not communicate his or her ideas, of what value are they?

Most anyone actively engaged in the practice of design is inundated with self-propelled ideas, concepts, and theories. These notions regularly enter the designer's psyche and they are either brought to life, or not. Some of these notions are nearly fully realized upon inception, but this is rarely the case. More frequently, these ideas are unrefined and possess potential for development. However, upon further reflection, the majority of these whims tend to be ludicrous at best. Quite often, it is through the use of writing that an idea is refined and ultimately manifest.

We're often asked for recommendations regarding getting into design by young aspiring professionals. Funny sorts of questions really, since we consider ourselves still aspiring. Having not formally studied design in school, we're in a rather unique and sometimes uncomfortable position making recommendations. Regardless, we do our best to lean on the years we've spent working professionally and the experiences we've had to try and inform and inspire those trying to enter the field.

We can remember when we were asking ourselves the very same question, "How do I get into design?" It seemed like such a nebulous arena to enter. Where did one start? And, once you've started, then what? While, we in no certain way claim to have cracked the lock on some magical door, behind which lies the secrets to becoming the designer of tomorrow - we have learned a few things over the past decade.

For starters, like entering any field you may be interested in, you ought to know that once you're in, you're going to have to take some lickings. But, since they'll come fast and furious, and seemingly out of left field, we won't dwell on them for now. A better vantage point from which to start would be way, way out. And, by way, way out, we mean, outside of the industry.

With design being a very interdisciplinary field it can be quite difficult to narrow in on a specific area of focus. While some individuals know precisely what it is in design they wish to accomplish, or why design is the field of their choosing, a great many others do not, and just wish to enter a space where creative opportunities are bound to arise.

Regardless of whether one knows the sort of work they'd like to create or not, everyone should begin their entry into the practice of design by studying those that have come before them. With the advent of the internet, this has become increasingly simple. Between the blogosphere and the ease of on-line book buying it's not very difficult to stumble upon, literally, thousands of design resources. And, don't forget about the library. Some of the resources you find will inevitably be more valid then others, but that kind of deciphering is all part of the process of becoming a designer.

Begin by seeking out work that you enjoy, be it graphic, interactive, fashion, industrial, conceptual, or purely artistic. By loosely informing yourself on all of the areas of design it will soon become apparent that similar thinking is shared throughout and across disciplines. Once you've found work that's in your interest, learn all

When considering a logo, soon to be or existing, it must be understood that a logo is not a brand. A logo is just a mark or symbol, be it iconic or typographic or a combination of the both that is created with the intent of representing or embodying an ideology or a set of principles larger than the sum of its inherent parts.

A logo, poorly or well-executed can come to stand for a great many things. All of these seemingly embedded definitions or characteristics lie far beyond the logo's built-in aesthetic nature. For a logo to take on such layered meaning it must be supported by ideas, actions, outputs and ultimately human beings. It's at this juncture that logo and brand intersect.

A brand, in time, can come to define a logo. And, human beings, in time, can come to define a brand. A logo on its own can not define a brand. A logo can represent or identify a brand, but not define one. It's the thoughts, actions, and output of the human beings behind a brand and thereby behind a logo that come to define a brand and ultimately imbue a logo with meaning
and value.

1. Business Earth
Given the modern consumer-centric world we now live in it could be helpful to look at Earth in the context of business. As a series of ideas, Business Earth aims to provide a simplified view of ecological economics to hopefully present some eye-opening perspective on the value and ever diminishing abundance of Mother Nature's free goods and services.

2. Natural Capital
The thinking behind Business Earth is contingent upon the idea of natural capital, the application of the economic notion of capital as applied to environmental goods and services. Earth's natural capital is made up of all of its ecosystems and the valuable goods and services that flow from them.

3. Forests, Fisheries & Aquifers
Some examples of natural capital include forests, fisheries and aquifers, These forms of natural capital all yield natural income, things like timber, fish, and fresh water.

4. Natural Income
Waste assimilation, erosion prevention, flood control, and uv protection via ozone are all services provided from natural capital. Along with the capital assets mentioned previously, these life-support services could also be considered natural income.

5. Intact Ecosystems
When considering natural capital and it's byproduct natural income, we must consider ecosystems. Ecosystems can be viewed as the factories from which natural capital is output. Business Earths' continued production of natural capital hinges on intact ecosystems, or sound factories.

6. Types of Capital
Natural capital can be broken down into three categories: Renewable capital stocks - replenishable capital stocks - and non-renewables capital stocks.

7. Renewable Natural Capital
Renewable natural capital stocks includes living species and ecosystems. These capital stocks are self-producing and self-maintaining and if managed sustainably can provide an indefinite flow of assets and services.

8. Renewable Example 1: Trees
Trees are renewable capital. In looking at trees from an economic perspective they provide us both immediate visible products - things like timber, food, and medicine and less immediately visible services, things like oxygen production, and CO2 reduction.

9. Renewable Example 2: Fish
Fish too are considered renewable. Like trees, they are a product of their larger economies, streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, providing us with food. They also help ensure that their factories, or ecosystems remain structurally intact.

10. Replenishable Natural Capital
Replenishable natural capital stocks are non-living but can be continuously restored. Replenishable natural capital includes things like surface and ground water and stratospheric ozone.

11. Replenishable Example 1: The Ozone Layer
Ozone is a replenishable. It is a naturally occurring product contributing to the creation of the stratospheric ozone layer. The ozone layer provides us with income in the form of a service - blocking harmful utraviolet rays which would otherwise lead to sunburn, skin cancer and cataracts.

1. Compulsion for Creation:
We have an innate compulsion to create. This compulsion perpetuates our very existence. It also potentially hinders our longevity. Our propensity to create has taken us right to the brink of sustainability. Now, as like never before, we need not only to create, but to create responsibly.

2. Trust Your Vision:
The desire to create is deeply connected to our capacity to visualize the future. The ability to trust our vision is tantamount to creation. The greater our ability to visualize our ideas, the greater the likelihood we'll bring them to fruition.

3. Belief is Power:
The clearer our vision the deeper our belief. Belief empowers us and provides a platform from which action can be taken. It contributes to our feelings of confidence. The confidence arising from belief provides power and leads to action.

4. Willingness to Risk:
With both vision and belief willingness to risk is increased. The clearer the vision, the greater the belief. The greater our belief, the more confidence we experience. Confidence leads to increased risk taking, and essentially, a heightened sense of power. The more willing we are to take risks the more powerful we become.

5. Failure is Necessary:
Failure is typically associated with a negative outcome, or the idea of underachieving ones aim. It becomes a much more valuable idea when flipped and applied to the more positive concept of suboptimal, but necessary experimentation. Regardless, of how we perceive and define failure, we must entertain the concept as our willingness to risk increases. It is from failure that ideas are honed, visions clarified, and the power of belief deepened.

6. Determination Drives Progress:
The more determined we are to improve, or offer alternatives, the more likely we are to progress. The closer our failure, or suboptimal, but necessary experimentation comes to producing desirable results, the more determined we become. Determination propagates creation and results in progress.

7. Equality Promotes Growth:
Progress in the context of sustainable cultural creation is anything that improves the human experience and has the potential to impact all within the realm of influence equally. As resource allocation and opportunity are brought into balance equality becomes a reality and growth begins.

8. Strength in Community:
As determination increases and progress is experienced, equality arises and community can be formed. Community like progress rests upon the premise of equality. As community grows, a new, reinforced platform for both ideation and creation is established.

9. Value in Collaboration:
Community rests upon and contributes to reinforced bonds between its members. The connectivity brought about by community leads to collaboration. Communal bonds are in turn renewed, and strengthened through collaboration. Collaboration increases vision, deepens belief, builds power, hedges risk, mitigates failure, heightens determination, perpetuates equality, and adds real value to work, its' byproduct.

10. Work Speaks Volumes:
Culture comes from work. The more sustainable the production of work, the more sustainable the culture. The stronger the community, the greater its collaborative potential to do work. Work done right, be it individually, collectively, or communally - speaks volumes.

11. Responsibility is Required:
As the scope of our work grows and its impacts are felt on a larger scale, a greater degree of responsibility is required. We need not only take responsibility for the final outcome of our work, but for the entire creation process to create responsible, sustainable, culturally significant work.

We are producing and consuming more than our resource rich spaceship can sustain. We have turned a corner and committed to technology to help us solve this problem. And, our technology-based faith has provided us with a yet another resource, electronic waste (e-waste). To manage this resource sustainably we must reuse it, recycle it, and sometimes dispose of it. Regardless, we must first collect it.

While working through our recent submission to the Design The 4th Bin contest with our friend Mike Moore of tres birds workshop, we stopped to assess and discuss the Flow of e-waste. We broke it down accordingly into a 10 Step cyclical process.

Step 1. Humans (we) we deem it important to responsibly dispose of and safely reuse / recycle the elemental components of e-waste to make our future products and infrastructure

Step 2. e-waste is disposed of at e-waste repositories in both public and private spaces

Step 3. e-waste is collected by municipalities or other independent collection entities

Step 4. e-waste is securely delivered to transit centers

Step 5. e-waste is safely separated, sorted, and bundled into its basic elemental components for redistribution

We spend a great deal of time in our studio. If you are reading this, odds are quite good you do the same. Some recent opportunities have prompted us to consider the design, layout, flow, and thinking behind our studio on a whole new level.

Determining what makes a workspace inspirational and productive is most certainly a science. Regardless, we've always considered spatial relations, the ensuing human integration, and the resultant output of a physical space on a much more intuitive level. At some point during our recent studio assessment we stumbled upon the idea of "high performance workspaces."

While both the idea and the phrase, "high performance workspaces" are probably not new, we are going to focus on what we feel is a high performance workspace, since we believe we have one. While optimizing performance was certainly a consideration in the design of our space, we were intuitively naive to some of the performance enhancing components we subconsciously incorporated. At least, we've come to that conclusion upon closer inspection.

It seems to us that the creation of an effective workspace hinges on understanding what keeps an individual or team motivated, productive, and performing collaboratively. A high degree of communication and subsequent knowledge of both individual and team psychology is required to maximize the design and build of a workspace. Listening to individual needs and desires, considering them thoroughly, and then possessing the capacity to manifest those needs into a physical space seems to be a prerequisite to designing what could arguably be called a "high performance workspace."