Design Digest #11
Finding purpose beyond diagrams
Welcome to the 11th edition of the Ideas on Design Digest! This time, I will cover Japanese perspective on purpose, and other related topics. Last time, I wrote about Sustainability in Design. If you missed that, you can read it here.
Ikigai, or the famous 4 circle Venn diagram popularized by Héctor Garcia. In it, the key to purpose and a more fulfilling life sits at the intersection of four dimensions: what you're good at, what you can be paid for, what the world needs, and what you love. I’ve known it for a while, mostly through social media, but I could never solve it. Frustrating to say the least, because failing to do so means that maybe I still haven't found my own purpose.
In branding, we see purpose as the reason why a company exists beyond making money. It's a much simpler concept. And if businesses can be successful with a purpose that has nothing to do with getting paid, why can’t we take the same approach on a personal level?
Some months ago, I tried to find the 60s book "Ikigai ni Tsuite", that originally popularized the concept in Japan. It seems impossible to find it in English, but from the reviews, I get that the original concept (or concepts) of Ikigai had little to do with the diagram that became so popular afterwards. Nothing about being paid, and no pressure to serve the world’s needs.
On the topic of purpose, many times I think about something that the grandmother of the author Saramago, who lived alone with her animals in the countryside, reportedly said: “The world is so beautiful, and I’m so sad about dying.”
She must have found her Ikigai.
Other things on my mind:
Obama Foundation by Manual
To inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. Driven by this mission, the Obama Foundation will open a presidential library in Chicago in 2026. To celebrate this milestone, the Foundation partnered with the studio Manual Creative to update its brand identity. The new design builds on top of Obama's 2008 campaign and elevates it with new ideas. I especially like the fresh take on the font Gotham.
→ Case study
Uncovering Brand Strategy
Inspired by Sarah Robb's research on the brand strategies of top global brands, I decided to create a column focused on uncovering the brand strategies behind some of the most famous tech brands. One of the most interesting cases I came across is IBM. Its brand values remain valid 20 years after they were introduced. Proof that strong brand foundations can last (almost) forever.
→ Brand Frameworks
A New Sigma
Sigma has announced a new camera, the Sigma BF. It's beautiful, with a full metal body reminiscent of the revolutionary industrial design work that Jony Ive did at Apple. But I was so absorbed by it, that I didn’t notice that Sigma also announced a new visual identity, designed by one of my favourite Scandinavian design studios, Stockholm Design Lab. There's only a vídeo teaser on their site, but I can't wait for the full case study.
→ Watch video teaser
The World’s Most Innovative Companies
The ranking by Fast Company isn’t a catalogue on brand purpose. But the reasons why each company is included in the list could very well be. For example, YouTube: ushering internet creators into the living room; Notion: organizing the task of organizing.
→ See list
Robert Jones: The Big Idea
The Big Idea was one of the first books I read about purpose in business. In this book, Robert Jones explains how big ideas, when shared by a business and its customers, can create great companies. I like this simple philosophy. A big idea isn’t as complicated as most ideas around brand strategy. And people like simple things, and are attracted to big ideas.
→ View more
AgBr by Nuevo Tokyo
Nuevo Tokyo is an intriguing design studio that describes itself as a reductionist. They take an experimental approach to photography and have created the beautiful VWFDR Keirin camera concept. Recently, in collaboration with Héliographe, they released AgBr, a new application for black and white film simulations. Not an ad, but I really really like it. It is simple to use, requires only a one-time payment, and can process files directly from the camera.
→ View more
Job Picks of the Month
And before I leave you, here are some interesting open positions I found this month:
sevdesk - Senior Brand Designer (Germany - Remote)
Revolut - Graphic Designer (Portugal - Spain - Remote)
Daydream - Senior Visual Designer (New York - Remote)
Sherpa - Design Director (Germany - Remote)
Vercel - Senior Product Designer (US - Remote)