I believe one of the most difficult tasks for a creative person is creating something of significance for yourself — whatever it’s ultimate purpose. Options are endless and direction and guidelines are self-imposed. There are no clients or editors telling you to make the logo bigger or to give the layout more “pop”. While being a designer is a selfless profession, doing work for yourself is, in a sense, selfish.
As Tamara, Zan and I began to talk about naming our new studio, we quickly realized we had no limitations and, without them, the idea of coming up with something filled with any kind of meaning seemed daunting. We might as well open up the dictionary, close our eyes and point.
After countless conversations, a few ideas kept rising to the top. They had nothing to do with the way we kerned our letters or how strict our grid was, but rather the experience we wanted others to have when they worked with us. As Milton Glaser said in his “Ten Things I Have Learned” talk:
“I discovered that all the work I had done that was meaningful and significant came out of an affectionate relationship with a client. And I am not talking about professionalism; I am talking about affection.”
I want to do work that is meaningful and significant. Tamara and Zan want to do work that is meaningful and significant. So, that was it. Plain and simple. Find people we like, become friends, give a handshake or a hug when we see them and produce meaningful and significant work for them. All we needed was a word that represented that.
That word was, and is, Social.
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