Recently I purchased a book, Design Like You Give A Damn edited by Architecture for Humanity, and it’s what has inspired me lately. It’s what has been inspiring a lot of people. As designers we should be inspired by something every day. And most importantly, we need to be proactive in doing so. In the end, our work will then inspire others. It’s a beautiful cycle. Often, it is believed these ideas need to be part of a dramatic, intricate, stylish, innovative cycle. Which is true to some extent—these are the kind of projects we long for, we crave. But we as designers need to be reminded that sometimes the best ideas are simple, recycled, familiar, humble, and most importantly, for specific “clients”, a desperately needed human necessity.

The great thing about working in the exhibit design industry is that we are inspired every day by new projects, products, and ideas. We use these to educate the visitor. What I love about this book is that it focuses on creative humanitarianism. As one reviewer put it, “it is creativity born of real human necessity rather than convoluted concepts or academic theorizing.” Sure, we love getting paid to dream big and create those magical environments that make people’s eyes pop out of their heads. But I want you to take a moment today and think about how you can use your skills to do the same thing– To create something wonderful and exciting but with a deeper, more visceral meaning. This kind of thinking changes lives, changes the world.

In the same way that our goal is to engage and educate the visitors, Architecture for Humanity’s goal is to engage and educate the citizens for an immediate response to their surroundings. Check out the book (there’s a second one too!) to learn more about the Alluvial Sponge Comb, The Play Pump, Papercrete Blocks or the Emergency Water Bladder. There are structures up all over the world now and it all started with a simple idea. “Good design is not a luxury, but a necessity.” Get inspired today!

Playpumps

What inspires you? What can you or your company do to service your community?