Design is a Moving Target

Design concepts are ever flowing…in sleep, in traffic, in the shower…the switch is hard, if not impossible, to turn off!! For those of us with the “bug, “ it’s natural to create things in our minds – sometimes they are achievable and other times there are compromises in order to realize the satisfactory end result. But who wants “satisfactory”? Forget that! Even the most extravagant designs often involve compromise. The result might be stellar, exceptional, cutting edge – and even in those most exceptional designs there might have been compromises or changes from the original concept.
Often, a concept will become so real that prior to it becoming more than images floating around in your head, they appear as though they already exist as a finished product. So when a design concept is just that, the time spent imagining it, designing it in your head, or on paper, or in a computer program, it becomes real – far in advance of is true, completed, reality.
Take a simple fabric idea…I was thinking a fresh, crisp, wide, blue and white stripe. That Mediterranean cabana look…but when the sample arrived, it was beige and blue…bummer. I wanted, – no, I NEEDED the white in the stripe!!! So I put out the word…and my most trusted source came back with, “Well, I found a few options, not a simple, wide blue and white…but maybe something that will work for you.” I was so disappointed I could hardly contain myself and wait for the samples. The original image, the design was so clear to me and the scene had been described to the client who had accepted the plan with great enthusiasm.
The samples arrived…each was so OFF the mark that I was near tears with frustration. Then, the last sample was exposed and Voila!! It was THE PERFECT stripe – NOT merely a simple blue and white, but a couple of blues, and a very white-white and a tan pinstripe interspersed too which was just perfect!!!
Preconceptions can sometimes limit the search…even with a fabulous idea there is room for improvement or other, even better, solutions. Alternatives can offer dimension or an unexpected twist. Keep an open mind – design is a moving target…capturing and harnessing the best concept is often a frustrating game.