Doors and Perception

On this episode, Michael and Jessica discuss Michael Rock’s essay The Accidental Power of Design, which uses the national conversation around bathroom signs to talk about how design decisions made in the past get mistaken for the natural order. As Michael Bierut says:

People are using design decisions that used to be in the scope of work of specialists who were charged with putting signs on doors in public places. Now suddenly, that’s a place where people are expected to have an opinion.

They also debate Mozilla’s transparent revision of its brand identity, and whether “open process, not open design” is a healthy way to embrace design criticism as a spectator sport.

Also mentioned: