An Imperfect Manifesto for Designers
I wrote this manifesto for an assignment. We were told to use this as an opportunity to explore our wildest thoughts about who we are as architects, our dreams about what architecture could be, and define the values that will drive the way we practice architecture.
Collaborate.
Good ideas are never from just one person. They are from a collective. From a combination of people with different perspectives, who see a problem through different lenses.
Leave Space.
Remember to allow yourself to have new ideas, and to change your mind. Hold space for yourself and the ideas of others (and especially for those with view points that differ from your own).
Embrace Empathy.
Consider the needs of as many people as you can, and when you run out of people, consider the environment and the animals too. Consider a project through lenses of race, class, gender, and culture, and make sure to get the opinions of other people.
Take Accountability.
You have a big responsibility to not only make something, but shape the site and community around your project. Use that power carefully.
Limit Accountability.
At the same time, you cannot control everything. Do what you can with what you have, and try to focus only on the problem at hand. Use the skills and tools that you have to help, and then move on to the next thing you can help with. One person can only do so much, so focus on doing as much as you can, and doing it well.
Context Matters.
If your project can be easily moved to another site and make just as much sense, you did not do your job. It should be firmly anchored in the place it was designed for and with the people it was designed for.
Seek to Understand.
When approaching a problem or a project, try to understand the context and the background before offering a solution. And always go straight to the source if possible.
Concept.
There are times when you need answers, and there are times when you just need an idea that could spark conversation and other concepts. Learn to know the difference.
Impart Knowledge.
Do your best to know what you are talking about, and to pass that wisdom on to clients and the public. If you have to learn something for a project - whether that be an abstract concept, a backstory, or facts - make sure you are leaving that knowledge behind when you leave.
Take Advice.
It is okay to look to others for help. It is not a weakness to need help, and is, in fact, a strength to admit when you do.
Common Good.
Learn the difference between good for everyone and good for a few (especially your client), and then choose the former. Choose the majority.
Choose Kindness.
It matters what we choose to do to people or things that cannot stop us. It shows humanity and humility to care and help when we do not have to. Do anyways. If this means taking extra time to understand how a group of people uses your project or how a species of plant or animal utilizes the space, choose to care and to take that time.
Consider the Impact.
Take the time to consider the impact of your design decisions. The life-cycle, the use, the materials used, right down to the thoughts of individuals experiencing it. Consider it all, and do your best to choose things that will benefit as many people, animals, and plants as possible.
Encourage Connection.
Try to promote healthy human interaction and community engagement whenever possible. This can not only benefit the overall design, but everyone who experiences it. This also includes a healthy connection to nature, as this too will help to nourish the people and the community.
Accept Imperfection.
You do not always have to work at something until it is perfect. Done well enough is always better than incomplete perfection.