As creative individuals who firmly believe that design can change realities, fellow WP designer Eden and I are constantly looking for new perspectives and ways to challenge convention.
So, when we heard that Michael Jager, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Solidarity of Unbridled Labour — or SOUL — was giving a talk, we knew we had to check it out.
Presented by AIGA Upstate New York at The College of Saint Rose and titled “LOVE BETA: The consciousness of chaos, the killing of curiosity… Love, desire and other design stories,” Jager took us on a journey through the stages of his career and what he’s searching for in the “cumulus of consciousness.”
With just the name of the experiment, Jager tells us how he plans on serving the Living Brand® Idea. Solidarity means working together. Unbridled means new and uninhibited. Labour means it’s going to take work, which is purposely spelled with a “u” to spell “our” – driving home the goal of team/togetherness. With every Living Brand Engagement, Jager and SOUL are most interested in making people feel things. He’s a big proponent of immersing yourself in the problem that needs to be solved and maintaining a curiosity to find out as much information as you can surrounding it. In order to develop a new perspective and make new, make-you-feel-something work, curiosity is mandatory.
Being curious manifests itself in Jager’s idea that the interaction of ideas greatly affects the solution. He illustrates this idea with the way colors interact (inspired by the amazing Josef Albers). One is always affecting your perception of the other. There are a number of juxtapositions that are important to explore within this push and pull of interactions:
Memory vs. Treachery
Empathy vs. Apathy
Concrete vs. Cumulus
Conviction vs. Vulnerability
Love vs. Desire
Asking Questions vs. Knowing the Answer
In summary, change your perspective. Never lose your sense of curiosity. Deadlines are important, but don’t allow the weight of pace to crush the curiosity. And work hard toward doing what you believe in, whole-heartedly and with love. In this day and age it’s more important than ever.
Go forth and exist in beta!
This post was written by Tori Fiorini, associate creative director for Winstanley Partners. She attends work Monday through Friday with her trusty sidekick, Moose. The illustrations were created by Eden Loeffel, a graphic designer with Winstanley Partners, who also makes a mean croissant.