There is a quality even meaner than the outright ugliness of disorder, and this meaner quality is the dishonest mask of pretend order, achieved by ignoring or suppressing the real order that is struggling to exist and be served.

Jane Jacobs

In more modern terms, we might think of this statement from Jacobs referring to the algorithms that curate so much of the things we see — friends’ posts on Facebook, suggested content on IG, or what to watch on Netflix. It’s all pretend — and in some cases, the motivations behind these algorithms are not pure of heart in whose interests are really being served.

Maybe it’s a shot across the bow of what’s expected of design versus what’s possible. We can put ourselves into these algorithmic boxes or throw caution to the wind in favor of experimentation. It’s not about what works but what could be, no matter the tools and materials we have access to. Maybe the simpler the better too.