Monday Vision: Collective Crafting

While out on another inspiration day, we parked ourselves in a local cafe, ordered some tea, withdrew our note pads and began discussing our discoveries. One couple sat next to us and the girl stated rather loudly, and proudly, to her companion “I’m friends with her, but I’ve never met her”. This sparked a whole new conversation.

Have we become a massive Generation Lazy? We are friends, but we’ve never met. We shop, but we don’t go to the supermarket. We market ourselves, but only through social media. We ‘design’, but we don’t draw…. Do we really not have time to do what matters anymore?

Having just observed yet more brand design ‘delights’ within the supermarkets we visited, the evolution of laziness has become even more apparent. Where has the crafting gone in design? Bring on Collective Crafting: recognizing the art of detail. At Monday Collective, life is all about insights, pencils & sketch pads, ideas and crafting. Call it old fashioned, but it works. We know what’s out there, we know the technology there is to play with, and we make informed choices about what matters most. We recognize the importance of a Collective of craftspeople to make this happen. If you’re building a new house, do you ask the decorator lay your foundations, or the plumber to do your electrics? It may sometimes take the craft of many to create a masterpiece.

‘Will you ever use me again’ installation by Dino Sanchez

We applaud the artist and designer Dino Sanchez with his recently launched “Will You Ever Use Me Again” project, with exactly these words applied to school type pencils and installed throughout New York City. Some of these places include Apple Stores and Apple iPad advertisements, as a humorous reminder that technology has steered us away from a fundamental tool of craft. The pencils are there for the public to take and enjoy, encouraging them to be used. But we couldn’t find any, so let us know if you do!

We encourage designers, and everybody for that matter, to put the craft back into everything you do. Whether it’s building relationships in person, devising a more meaningful marketing plan, designing better new products… do what matters and craft your difference.

At Monday Collective, our culture of Collective Crafting enables us to explore new ways of bringing perfection to brand design. If you’re in need of some crafting and want to experience The Brilliance of Change™, we’d love to hear from you through more@mondaycollective.com.