.Ideas, inspired by what we need and love
“Design” has the aim of making the world a more inhabitable place, and we now know that it’s important to do so without harming life on Earth. Of course, our businesses still need to make money in the current economic system, but they need to be driven towards a meaningful purpose rather than an insatiable maximisation of capital. So how can we make sure what we create generates abundance rather than scarcity ?
.Some people create their projects, their art, their businesses for the right reasons. I call them “Abundance Designers” and I believe there is a simple equation behind what they do : N+L=M=C
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N for NEED
Young Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, needed better equipment to climb mountains more safely.
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L for LOVE
He loved nature and outdoors activities. He was someone who couldn’t be kept inside.
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M for MAKE
He applied the skills he learned from his father, a mechanic, to enable his passion and respond to his need. He started making his own equipment.
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C for Connect
Other passionate climbers started gathering around and asking him to make some for them. He became a businessman without ever intending to.
.Designing for the common good
Let’s say you need something that doesn’t exist yet. If you applied your natural talents and passions to making the solution come to life, then maybe you are also an abundance designer. It is simply about sharing your solutions with others who will now benefit from your creativity. The story behind such authentic paths are also the most powerful brand stories.
“I started FOLX Health because of my own experience and discomfort as a non-binary lesbian navigating the broken healthcare system for the queer and trans community. “
Folx founder, AG Breitenstein
.One step at a time
Abundance designs belong to their communities and they evolve with heir inputs, insights and ideas. And if some day, the need is no longer there, the product or service becomes obsolete. And this needs to be considered perfectly normal. It’s okay to see ideas come to life. And it must become okay to let them go when they no longer serve a positive mission.
Any company with the goal of business-immortality goes against the logic of Abundance Design. When the main purpose is money rather than the intrinsic goal of making life better… waste becomes inevitable.
But money is not evil. It is okay to want the power to enjoy beautiful experiences in our lives, and of course, not all companies can become Abundance Designers overnight.
One of my favorite books, Reinventing Organizations written by Frédéric Laloux, explains very well how most companies today are still “Orange Organizations” (ones that are capital driven rather than purpose driven). But today’s leaders have the power to set roadmaps to evolve towards models that are more respectful of all life forms and also… of our own human souls. ; )
“When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won’t come up with a handful of mud either.”
— Leo Burnett
Worlds. 