Brewing Up Some Design

February 25, 2014

It's late, about 1:30 in the morning. It's one of those nights when I can’t sleep because I can't stop thinking about a current project. I keep wondering how I could do things differently. I think about the design, my process, and how it's always changing. Sometimes I start with sketches; other times I go right into digital design.

Then, I started thinking about brewing beer and how I use a similar free-form approach. I just go at it, sometimes with a plan and other times with just an idea. It doesn't always pan out, but it's why I have a strong love for both.

I relate brewing beer with my design process on so many levels. There's always a different way to go about it, but only a few ideas turn into something really worthwhile. Everything about brewing has a personal touch. Like design, there are some guidelines, basic rules and structure to follow (or not) in order to have some moderate success. In the end, it’s all about how much love you put into it.

Brewing is design, in a sense: It has a plethora of ingredients, styles, behaviors, and tastes with a wide variety of harsh critics. And there’s always something new to try. Change and innovation are key parts of any great beer or design.

Like brewing, design is open to vast interpretation. That’s what makes the brewing business, like advertising, so volatile. Trends, values, tastes, and perceptions can change like a Rubik’s cube. What was successful one day is now over-saturated, has lost its integrity, or is just unappealing. It's all part of what makes being in a creative business (or brewing beer) exciting and ultimately, gratifying too.

As the founder of Sam Adams, Jim Koch, would say, "For the love of beer."

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Brewing Up Some Design

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