August 12th, 2007
Design has enjoyed a significant rise to prominence in the last few years – both as a concept and a profession. People want well-designed objects that are enjoyable and intuitive to use. Architecturally-designed houses that make great use of space and facilitate quality lifestyles are growing in demand. These qualities are even becoming fundamental to software and websites! People are rediscovering that our objects and spaces actually help to shape us spiritually – and vice-versa.
While this is all good – I can’t help but notice the contrast between the quality of design that people demand from their objects/houses/cars/clothes/kitchen appliances while at the same time living lives that are so poorly designed that they don’t even satisfy basic needs for happiness or spiritual growth.
As both a designer and a pilgrim, I would love to see a ‘life design’ movement emerge where the design process becomes a metaphor for us really thinking about what it is to live well – and then DESIGNING AND LIVING a life that makes it possible. Although the fundamental things that we need to achieve are the same, my life design may look very different to yours. Each designer has their own style and brings their own unique perspective.
I’m hoping that this entry will seed some ideas and debate that will allow us to explore what it means to live well and what it is to do life design. As this blog is about ‘integrating spirituality into everyday life’, I would love to take this entry to the next level and really flesh out some tangible ideas for what life design might look like.
In the meantime take a look at Len Sweet’s paradigm-shifting book SoulSalsa which he describes as a “lifeware design package”.