The Music Of Design

Before I was a design guy, I was a music guy. I played in bands all through high school and college and for a long time that's all I wanted to do.

But music is a tough game. Many of my friends are musicians and if you are lucky, it's a roller coaster. A nice combination of peaks and valleys. High highs and low lows. You get a hit, sometimes early in your career, and often that's it. I'm glad I didn't go that route although sometimes I still get pangs of desire.

That said, music, with or without commercial success, is its own reward. When you sit down with an instrument and make something new come out, you are participating in the divine activity of making something out of nothing. And whatever you make, only you can make it.

design is a lot like music.

Musicians can't finish songs. Designers can't finish rooms.

I was recently on a consulting call.On the call, the client was expressing that she wanted to "pick the best (the correct) paint and was stressing over choosing the right one." She's got good taste and is open to a lot of different possibilities.

I responded that "there is no right one." It's true.

There are virtually unlimited possibilities and configurations for each room. So the goal is not to get the "right" thing. It's to arrive at a thing, that's really good in this present moment, for that space.

Similarly, many musicians can't finish songs. You can always tweak and add more things. "Maybe that chorus needs another set of harmonies" "Maybe we need to eliminate the guitar track in the second verse to make it more minimalist". "Maybe a sax solo at the outro"

Unlimited possibilities. The only way you finish is to get the idea out, edit it while the inspiration is still alive, and be done. You have to say, "this works, let's wrap it up"

If you work on it for months or years, it usually doesn't get better.

I hope that takes the pressure off when you are thinking through your space. Sometimes the best thing is to almost arbitrarily choose a starting point and build everything else around it. And then finish, knowing that you can change in the future.

Finishing is not about perfection. It's simply a question of "does this work or not"?

rhythm & repetition

You have to create a beat in a song. You need to make a rhythm in a space.

In music that's going to be drums or strums or notes that give us something that's predictable. That we can nod our head to.

In design you do the same thing. With repetition, and using elements that reference each other, we create a theme that gives us a sense of motion in a space. This is what "moving your eye around the room" is.

So what colors, shapes, and textures are you using, in reference to each other, that move your eye around a room and throughout a space?

Is it fast paced? Or does it unfold slowly?

mood & atmosphere

In a song, we create a very specific aesthetic & mood. That aesthetic could be 50's Country Heartbreak, that aesthetic might be 80's Synthpop, or that aesthetic might be sitting in a woodsy cabin realizing life is passing you by.

This is about feeling.

What do you want to feel in your space? Excited? Maybe some stripes. Distinguished? Maybe some wood paneling and navy velvet. Inspired? Maybe some Murano glass light fixtures.

Be honest with yourself. A lot of people say things like "calm & cozy."

But usually if you pry there is more to it than that. Tap into the mood you want in a room. If you can be honest with yourself, you'll be happier with the end result.

culture & history

As a musician, your history and culture - the music you grew up with, the places you lived, might play a big part in your sound.

Similarly in design, the aesthetic references to places you've traveled, other lives/careers you've lived, the things you believe in, might all be a big part of your space.

My wife had a suggestion once of choosing a color to use in your home that was your favorite when you were a kid. This doesn't have to be the color you paint the walls, but having it in the mix (maybe as a vase on the shelf) gives a space a little historical depth & personality it might otherwise lack.

I've got a couple paintings of my grandmothers. And a tapestry my uncle picked up in his travels in Africa after college. This stuff is one of a kind. It's part of my story.

only you can write the song

Only you can design the room. Whatever you make is one of a kind. No one else with pick exactly the same stuff.

No one else would have written "Dancing in the Dark."

You job is not to get it "right."

Your job is to make it right for you.

Your space should be an authentic expression of who you are. Not just who you think you are supposed to be. Not just what's trendy in 2024.

What's creatively stimulating to you? What moves you. Do that instead of what you think you are "supposed" to do.

Who knows, maybe you'll write a hit.

that's a wrap!

Thanks a ton for reading, whether this is your first or 36th time. I really sincerely appreciate every one of you.

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