de·sign |\ di-ˈzīn \ noun
: an underlying scheme that governs functioning, developing, or unfolding
: a plan or protocol for carrying out or accomplishing something
Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.— Robert L. Peters, designer and author
Design is about observation, it has become part of the concept of innovation. It is not merely about the way a thing looks, but the way it operates. Design is implied in every plant, natural formation, and human action. The study of phi φ and the Golden Ratio have occupied mathematicians for millennia. To create something well, a designer must have the knowledge of the materials of his field, coupled with a perspective on human behavior. Are you the architect of your life? Is there implied design in the culture? What are the consequences of poor design?
Design is intelligence made visible. — Alina Wheeler, author
For this issue, we sought poetry, stories, and essays that recognize and respond to how design affects our perceptions and worldview. Part of the excitement of publishing Sisyphus are the varied interpretations of theme and the conversations evoked. In this issue, there are essays about revisioning Human-Centered Design, explorations about environmental crises; philosophical approaches to current politics; idealism in teaching. There are poems about space, about artificial light, about nothingness. There is enlightened fiction and beautiful art. We invite you to join the conversation and support the artists by appreciating their work.
In these turbulent days, it is important to nurture conversation, recognize ethics and morality, and continue creating; to tune out the dissonance for a time.
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