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I recently received another mass-brief from a company. I was one of twenty designers in copy - visible to everyone, yet known by no one. I’ve never met this company, I don’t know how I ended up in their database, and frankly, I don’t think they care.
It made me wonder: how is it possible that a brand leaves the future of its products in the hands of a stranger in a CC list?
I already touched a similar point here (The Hidden Cost of Taking Design Briefs), but save it for later.
This is the Tinder-fication of our industry. Companies are “swiping right” on dozens of designers, hoping for a lucky match, rather than building a relationship. But as I’ve touched upon before, a design brief isn’t just a set of instructions; it’s supposed to be the start of a dialogue. And right now, that dialogue is dead.
To understand why we are failing, we have to look at the 1960s. In Italy, during the economic boom, the profession of designer wasn’t even fully defined yet. Entrepreneurs were artisans turning into brands, and they sought out architects and artists to give their products a soul.
This was the era of alchemy. The payment was often in royalties, a slice of a very large cake. This system worked because of mutual respect and a shared vision. The entrepreneur didn’t send a PDF to twenty people; he sat down with one person and shared a dream. Both invested in creating something new that didn’t exist yet. Today, we are pretending to play the same game, but the rules have changed.
The problem today is a split in the industry. Brands that “get it” have created such strong connections with their designers that it’s almost impossible for new talent to break in. Meanwhile, brands that don’t “get it” treat design as a surface-level service.
What many CEOs miss is that the designer is not a consultant for the marketing department. The designer is the right arm of the entire company. A good project influences R&D, production costs, sales strategy, and brand perception. In reality, the figure closest to the designer shouldn’t be the marketing manager, it should be the CEO. Most iconic brands were founded on a single product idea. The founder was the first designer. When a CEO is too busy to design the next chapter, they should hire a partner, not a simple freelance.
Think of the Bouroullec brothers. When they first exhibited in Milan as independent designers, Giulio Cappellini didn’t just ask them for “a few ideas” via email. He asked them to come to the headquarters to discuss how to collaborate for the long term. That approach created a partnership that lasted years and redefined both the brand and the designers’ careers.
But the finger must not be pointed just at brands. We, as designers, are also to blame. If you keep knocking on doors that are only open to mass-briefs, you are helping to keep that broken system alive.
Just “being there” isn’t enough. You need to have a strong design ideology and, more importantly, you need to spread it. When you make your values clear and visible to the world, you stop being a name in a database and start being a solution. Don’t just wait for a door to open, make sure that when it does, the person on the other side knows exactly who you are and what you stand for.
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And if you find this useful to someone, feel free to share.
This week, I’ve been sharing the work-in-progress of the chair I’m developing. As I mentioned, I’m putting it out there to see what happens when you share a concept openly online. There are no big plans yet, just a test to see the results and start defining new strategies that could improve the process of developing self-initiated projects.
This is the latest post [below]; if you want to follow along, I’ll be sharing more updates on Instagram. Also, if you have any suggestions, feel free to reach out.
I found a great YouTube channel where a designer shares some fascinating stories. As you know, I’m a huge fan of Jasper Morrison, and this video offers a very detailed look at his history and design philosophy. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but it’s well worth the watch.
I recently interviewed Thomas Bentzen, and the quality of his words is clearly reflected in the quality of his work. The honesty behind what he does - exploring archetypes and functionality with a modern approach - is truly healthy for the design industry.
I want to share one of my favorite objects he’s designed for Muuto: the Dedicate table lamp. It’s a masterclass in precision; everything is exactly where it should be. Incredible stuff.
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With love,
Mario
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