Design studio in Nature, a shift in perspective
Nature is shaping the way we live and work
We won’t be going back to what used to be called “normal” life anytime soon. With “we” I mean society in general and us in particular. Instead of being trapped in the sequence of the endless extensions of the state of emergency every two weeks with another two weeks, Marcela and I decided to take this way of living as a given for now. Accepting the change and working with it instead of resisting it.
We think it as a life close to home with sometimes more freedom of movement and sometimes less freedom of movement depending on the amount of Corona infections in Spain/ Europe/ the World. I don’t agree with this confined way of living, but I accept it for now. I will look for freedom in the things I can do in and around the house and the village. By doing so we can create our own terms of living our lives instead of the Spanish government determining what to do.
This means we also have to re-think our design studio. We are in the middle of that process. It is a journey in which we are looking into different ways of working, new collaborations, experimenting with a new graphic identity…Which we are sharing online via Instagram, we reflect on that and we go on from there. Starting this series of blogs is also part of this journey on re-inventing our design studio. We don’t know yet what the actual result looks like, but it feels exciting. In terms of the way we work and the types of clients we have, it might not be that different, but our message will be more clear & personal. On the other hand we started some exciting new collaborations that might turn in to something completely new.
One thought I want to share in this blog:
Currently we portray ourselves as “Design Studio in Nature”. Which to me literally means that. We have a studio in or very close to nature. Nature inspires us, but when I look back at the projects we have done since early 2018, we haven’t drawn any leafs, animals or mountains in our designs for clients. Except in our own previous branding. We do not use biomimicry per se as one of working principals, we don’t work solely for green companies or outdoor companies (although it is one of our goals).
So what does this “Design studio in Nature” mean to us and are we going to keep this tagline? I think the nature and the mountains that surround us are an inspiration in a few different ways. First of all we use a lot of colours from the nature around us in our work. Second we use a lot of pictures of the nature around us in our storytelling; on our website, blogs and social media. And third and to me most important, nature shapes our mindset towards working. This mindset deepens our curiosity. There is so much to discover in the Pyrenees and I feel we bring that extra dose of curiosity to our design work. Life is simpler in rural and natural environment, we cut out a lot off city noise/ bs. As a result our design work is also focused on a more clean and simpler outcome. Even more than before, we are pealing layers of the onion. We come closer to the ten design principles of Dieter Rams.
In the three images above you can see one of the experiments for our new branding. Although we love how it looks, to us it does not resemble us and our work. You only discover these things by making it and reflecting on it. So successful experiment for us.
Back to re-inventing Unbeaten Studio, I believe creativity and design will be even more important in the new reality, what ever it may look and feel like. As Unbeaten we like to be ready for the new reality with our updated way of living and updated way of working. I often wondered if I should help making face masks, other equipment or do something else now… I felt kind of guilty of doing nothing. I believe we should use our strength and skills when and where they matter most. For instance, helping people and companies understand the new reality, and make a living in the new world.
Pura Vida.
Author: Jeroen Spoelstra
Pictures: Harm Spoelstra
If you liked the blog, want to know more about Unbeaten Studio, learn what we do or if you are looking for some awesome designers…Get in touch!
Nature is shaping the way we live and work (picture Harm Spoelstra)