TEN PRINCIPLES FOR USING DESIGN IN YOUR LIFE
In the late 70s, Dieter Rams was frustrated with the design he saw in the world. He saw designs for products and places that he felt were leading to ‘impenetrable confusion’ in the world around him. In response he wrote ten principles for “good design”.
Thinking in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ design isn’t necessarily very helpful: it’s so binary, and yet the world isn’t binary. I often see ‘impenetrable confusion’ in the world, though: in myself, and in others. There are so many things we think we could and should and would be doing that we get confused about what’s really important to us.
I’ve been applying design tools and approaches to my own life for a while now – to find greater clarity in that confusion – and helping others apply them to their lives, too. A life and self well-designed can lead to more contentment, more focus, less frustration.
Design combines:
- Structure – how something is arranged or organised
- Function – how well something works, how practical it is
- Aesthetics – how beautiful something is (what it looks like, feels like, how it makes you feel)
Using design in your life and work gives you control over how your life and work is organised, how well it works for you, and how much you enjoy it.
Here is my own version of Dieter Rams’ ten principles: a manifesto of sorts. It’s not about using design to achieve perfection. It’s about the potential of design to transform your life on your own terms.
Ten principles for a life and self, well-designed
Using design in your life and work:
- Brings you insight, and helps you to see and do things in a new way
- Helps you to do things that are useful and meaningful to you (and, as a result, useful and meaningful to others too)
- Helps your life to be more beautiful to the most important person (you); the things you do everyday affect your person and your wellbeing, so design them in line with your values and preferences
- Makes your life understandable, by clarifying your intent, your daily structure, and your life’s structure, so that your life becomes self-explanatory
- Helps you to use just enough design, so that there is room for your self-expression; too much design will hold you back or get in your way (beware the pretty plan, and the every-minute-is-accounted-for schedule)
- Gives you the tools to be honest with yourself; frees you from ‘pretending’ to yourself or others, or trying to manipulate yourself or others
- Shows you what is really important to you, regardless of trends or fashions or the ‘latest thing’
- Ensures there is nothing arbitrary in life. Taking care and accuracy in the design of your life shows you that you respect yourself
- Conserves your resources and minimises harm
- Helps you to concentrate on the essentials, and to do less but better
If you’re interested in exploring this approach with me, you can bring it into your life or your organisation.