I could've sworn I wrote a 23rd installment and scheduled it but the sharp jolt that my body just felt when I realized a 23rd installment was never sent reminded me that my gut feeling that I lived up to my own deadline was false.

Nonetheless, I’ve been thinking a lot about the rapport between designer and design (or creation/creator). Specifically within myself and what that means for my own self-perception as a multi-tool creator that ebbs and flows between creating art, designing things, and pushing myself to try new methods. How do I become comfortable with my place in the world of art?

I once read a quote that stated, “good design is unseen.”

It’s an interesting rabbit trail to go down because it contradicts itself when I think really hard about it. Does it mean that noticeable design is bad? I don’t think so – I think good design can blend in and serve a purpose so effortlessly that people appreciate it for what it does to serve others. But I come to a dead end when trying to map out what this looks like…

Good designer > produces good designs > good designs are so good that they blend in with the world around them > __________?

People don't need a vase – they need to display and enjoy flowers.

They don't need a teacup –  they need to consume tea.

They don't need a chair – they need to experience rest.

They don't need a lamp – they need lighting.

They don't need a water bottle – they need a drink while on the move.

They don't need a parking garage – they need to store their car.

They don't need a library ladder – they need to access information.

You understand where I’m going with this. Design is more than a pretty thing or a process in which people create. It’s a perspective that one has to provide for others. Design is about serving. Serving information, serving a beautiful layout, serving rest, serving a feeling, serving ease of access, delivering a function that you didn’t think could be simplified. Understanding that design is for others is crucial.

But, If this is the case, it implies that a good designer must be comfortable with being unknown… but appreciated. Is that good enough for me though…? Is it good enough for most?

Culturally we are at a point where almost everyone seems unsatisfied with going unnoticed. Everyone believes they’re deserving of praise – minimal effort and maximum recognition are expected while slow and diligent work is brushed off. If good design is truly unseen, and we assume that the word design is interchangeable with art, work, ideas, direction, or thinking – If it's truly best when it's unseen, then I aspire to learn the art of contentment. I believe contentment is the key to a successful, creative life. A life of comparison ultimately erodes and dissipates original thought and authentic joy.

I strive to create for the sake of speaking to others. Sometimes speaking loudly – other times not so much. I’m realizing that the art of learning to speak without saying a word, letting my inner critic starve, and allowing my design to serve others is slowly becoming what my work revolves around. I’m unsatisfied with where I’m at most times – but I think the solution is contentment.