Found an interesting article by Erik Spiekermann, creative director and managing partner of a design and communications firm. He was mildly lamenting why people might be afraid of the new in general: new ways of doing things, in political systems, world order, design. He asks, if the old system is “obviously broke”, why are people afraid of designing a new one?

But he sees the other side of the argument:

“… it is our job as designers to invent new stuff every day, or at least make much new ado about old ideas. Our clients, however, are not really interested in the unnecessary risks usually associated with anything new and unprecedented; and neither are we, if we’re honest about it. So we end up keeping what’s tried and tested, and repackaging it. I’ve yet to meet a client who would be willing to risk their job for a revolutionary but untried concept…. ”

Thought I might add some random notes about our experiences here:

- unprecedented newness is difficult

- newness requires new thinking, new trying, above all deeply personal views

- it is even harder to get newness built

- most designers are afraid of the too new because they want others to like what they do

- most importantly they want their clients to like what they do

- like pop music, most designers simply re-style the same few chords, it’s much easier, many people would be able to hum along

- it’s hard to go indie

- it is hardly true that in China “all things are possible”, including new ideas

- it is true that most clients will say in the first meeting that they want something that “no one else has”

- by the third meeting, they will reveal that they want something new “but not too new”

- clients invariably want you to show “reference” images, i.e. existing built examples of what you want to propose

- one client only cared for “innovation that works”; will your new design guarantee more sales?

- clients would always want you to show realistic renderings of what they will get; this reduces things to the visual and makes new thinking about the experiential difficult to show

- most people don’t care for new experiences; it’s beyond their “comfort zone”

- people who truly are comfortable with new design do not need designers

- it’s not that bad a situation here; you can still get some newness in because some clients want to be nice when they see your eyes glazed like a football fan

- every football match obeys the same old rules, but each match is always new