#juntostudio

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if your were to live forever.” - Mahatma Gandhi 

Let me tell you something. I think it is a mistake that we live constantly thinking in the future. We have learn to have a mindset of: Tomorrow I will be better. Tomorrow I will achieve what I want to. Tomorrow I will not make the mistakes I did today. The thing is, humans see tomorrow as forgiveness to all the decisions we can’t take with certainty today. The tomorrow gives us a sight of relief and the confidence that there is a second chance to do things.

The world we live today, constantly ask us to keep track, save and share everything we do. To be cool, you have to upload photos of your lunch on Instagram, post your mood at Facebook, and let everyone know how your love relationship is going on Twitter. I am not here to deny that such things will feel good (at a point), but it is not all about that. With this selfish thought we have forgotten how unique the opportunity of focusing on the present is, because it is the only time that is accurate and that we actually live. It is very usual that most of the people begin the week thing about what they will do on Friday night or for their next vacations that are in four months. They think of everything unless on the fact that they will go to work that day, and that the opportunity of doing an execelent performance or learning something is in their hands.

I believe that each person is the one and only capable of doing of their life what they want. Why? Because no on else is living your life but you. With this in mind I started a challenge a few month ago. The whole purpose was to enjoy each day and realize that each second is valuable. After brainstorming for several days, I created a strategy. In post-its I wrote about two things: personal challenges and fun stuff I like to do. Things like smiling to 10 strangers, not using technology for a day, or eating my favorite dish. I took one each morning and spent the rest of the day trying to full fill it. All the time focused on the objective of making myself aware that each day has something meaningful. The truth? It wasn’t easy, but that is the beauty of doing something that is difficult to oneself. Take as no negociable the opportunity of appreciating the present. Again, why? Because in the present you can find the clearest version of yourself. Who you where when you had six years? Maybe pictures can be a visual memory, but you won’t remember that much. Who will you be in six years? You may have an idea of where you want to get, but it is that, only an idea. Don’t wait for the cosmos to align and then feel ready to make things happen. No, as cliché as it sounds, your life is only one and it is up to you of making it remarkable… not only a sum of days that end up being nothing.

Last week I went to a local art store looking for some kneaded erasers. I guess they are never the most practical option, but for some reason I can’t outgrow the habit: they’re just too much fun to use. Anyways, I was walking down the aisle telling myself that nothing else was imperative to take when a conversation started to become distinguishable across the crammed stacks. It was a girl, probably around ten, trying to convince her father to buy a large canvas instead of a considerably smaller one. I stood by listening for a while and in my perspective, the girl’s ability to build a case on how much a larger canvas could make the difference was quite impressive. It’s always kind of entertaining to witness these situations, you know. Not much after I paused, it seemed like someone had finally won the argument: the larger canvas was the one to be taken. Both were already heading to the cashier when the thrifty dad muttered: ‘Anything so you can get your art thing done, sweetheart.’

Oh no. 

From what I could hear, both had stopped abruptly. A few seconds later, I heard the girl saying in an unexpected condescending tone: ‘Art is never a thing dad, art is what you feel’. And she continued her way towards the check-out line followed by her father, who looked nearly as perplexed as I bet I did.

I suppose the father’s claim was never meant to receive such a blunt and profound answer. But for what it was, this episode reminded me of very fundamental notions about the whole endeavor of art. The first and most important one: art is not a thing but rather an experience. It’s the experience of the artist making the work and of the spectators simultaneously taking it in. It’s the period of time when the transformative process of feeling, imagining and envisioning happens. It extends our senses and mind inwards and not only against an object. And above all, it is not removed from us but it’s something that we can encounter everywhere at any time.

Nowadays, immediacy seems to be the most common standard for encountering art. We are constantly told and it actually seems like there is no longer time for internalizing anything. Not even at a level one of appreciation. But I believe that the most beautiful quality of art, that very transformative aspect, only surfaces when you give it the right amount of time. I would bet all my money on the assumption that those who think that art is not something they can relate to just haven’t spend enough time to truly experience it. I would even stress it by saying that any sort of expression is approachable in this manner and therefore can categorically belong to the fields of art, but that my friends is another story.

 I enjoy how much you can get from a trip to the store. I’ll be sharing with you these personal insights so hopefully you may enrich your vision on the experience of art, which I believe is never set far way from anyone. Remember, the experience might be the way you choose your outfit in the morning, or the car you prefer to drive, or the food you buy at your favorite restaurant. Art is not held in a museum underneath highly secured objects. Art is your life, day to day.

Think about the thing you love doing the most, that thing you’re passionate about, maybe it’s dancing, or designing, cooking, starting a business, whatever it may be.

Now think about how people did that 10 years ago. Already have an image in your mind? 

Now a slightly harder question, think about how people will do it 10 years from now.

There’s a good chance that software, the internet, or robots, have popped into your idea of the future. Truth is, even today it’s difficult to find an industry that has not been touched by software. From flying drones making deliveries, to smart pans that help you cook perfectly, or wearable tech providing analytics to help soccer players practice. Almost every industry has been touched by software.

In the next 10 years, it is expected that 5 billion people will have smartphones.

And if that isn’t reason enough, the barriers of entry for learning to program have never been lower. Anyone with an internet connection can learn how to build a simple website in a day. 

With resources like Codecademy, Code School, or (my favorite one) Treehouse, learning to code is not only accesible to everyone, but a lot of fun.

At Junto Studio are always looking for people who are interested in learning to code, and want to do an internship with us. If this sounds like you, email me at [email protected]

The meeting point between design, web development and costumer service. A project by a Mexican designer for one of the biggest german car companies, Volkswagen. 

“Every man discriminates between the voluntary acts of his minds, and his involuntary perceptions, and knows that to his involuntary perceptions a perfect faith is due. He may err in the expressions of them, but he knows that these things are so, like day and night, not to be disputed.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Reading an essay such as Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a beautiful but exhausting experience. It is the kind of literature that changes its meaning according to your present reality. You can read it a hundred times and always discover new pieces that didn't appear to be there at first. It is not only a remembering experience but the possibility of updating your map. A map, as a constantly growing data base of coordinates, i.e. knowledge.

The idea (and feeling) of revisiting old knowledge and interpreting it from scratch inspired the project I call “Notebook Lessons.” Stand up and look at your bookshelf, grab an old journal or book and sink yourself into the words in front of you. Try to remember the exact moment you wrote that down and then just focus yourself to get out as much meaning of those sentences as possible.

As an example, let me share with you three personal notebook lessons that amazed me when reading it again: 

3 random but meaningful thoughts that are worth to keep in mind.

1.You can only change something in yourself, if you are aware of it.

2.Worrying about a problem takes as much space in your head as actually thinking on something to solve it. And do in it, of course.

3.Never make decisions under the HOLT EFFECT (understood as been hungry, angry, lonely or tired).

Take the call. Many times great inspiration and accurate lessons where written by our old selves, but it only makes sense now. Learning opportunities are everywhere and it is only up to the each explorer to find them. In Emerson's words, you may err in the expression of your own perceptions but you know such things are so. Meaning will arise one way or another. Unlearn, relearn, it doesn’t matter, but always learn and keep expanding your map. 

  Unique things can happen when you combine a community, design and amazing artists. Learn more about the journey of Hass&Hann transforming the fabelas of Brazil: 

I remember few things of the short time I was in architecture school. I remember the high-carb diet, the ten-minute naps under my studio desk and the rush of pulling an all-nighter. Hard work was the standard and the pace was apt for no slacker. However, what has stuck with me the most is how people relate to each other. In a way, I’d say that the environment created by these connections is both a jungle and a desert. Let me explain:

On the one hand I used to find myself surrounded by a rich ecosystem of ideas but on the other I was being held back from taking real advantage of it; I couldn´t access the nutrients available to me. This was a dynamic I could recognize not only happening to me but to everyone; it was easy to spot even among teachers. Something in the modus operandi was setting barriers between people and preventing them from interacting outside the established agenda. It looked as if the opportunity for cooperation was taken away and consequently, everyone thought designing was only about delivering; a one-way system in which isolation represented the foundation for a better understating and a better practice. Many students had their own way with it and actually managed to be academically successful. But at the core, I believe they were missing out on what makes this whole endeavor of designing human at all.

I dropped out after three years and let me tell you, back in the “real world” things weren’t really that different. An impressive amount of studios are run by ultra-protective designers that move clients away from the entire process. By keeping their methods pristine, by making the clients leave the work to those who “truly know”, they ignore the very potential for cooperation… it strikes me how much of a contradiction this is. How is it that if your goal is to make the customer happy you’re not even talking to him? I suppose a great deal of what we do in life is governed by contradictions we cannot always identify, design being no exception, but this specific situation seems to me a bit outrageous. The universal convention says that design is about understanding and arranging. This, however, doesn’t mean that one should come before the other. Encountering the costumer should serve not only as the initial phase, but as the definite norm to be followed at-any-given-moment during the process. In other words, you should constantly be understanding and arranging. 

Design should no longer belong only to the designer, but also to the customer, the users. With this, I’m essentially advocating for dialogue, my friends. If the customers know best, let’s meet them, let’s talk to them. It doesn’t suffice to just identify their needs and interests; I’d say it goes all the way to having a summer affair with them (wink). They are the ones that know the secret to the project´s success; they know the ingredients of the special sauce even if they aren’t aware of it. This is where designers come into the game: as true interpreters and translators. They should be the bridge between an idea and a final product. While arranging, and before employing all those special skills a designer should own, they must understand. In fact, this might be the one special skill they can count on nowadays. Anyone with access to the web can obtain a designer’s basic technical ability. It’s no longer hidden behind a stack of A3 scrolls, endless and boring lectures or shocking amounts of caffeine and sugar. Thanks to the information revolution, it´s one click away. So, what should a designer offer to his clients if they themselves are closer to the possibility of becoming one? I believe his best offer is a teamwork strategy, no isolation.

The threshold towards better design lies in cooperation. Alexander Supertramp, had he been a designer, might as well have written, a few moments away from death: DESIGN, ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED.

I just watched Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, and I absolutely loved it. It had all the elements of a great drama and it addressed many of the existential questions that will come with pursuing life in the galaxies. Questions such as: Is it worth leaving your family behind to save the entire human race? If you were able to come back, how would you feel about coming back to a child that is older than you? Is data more important than trusting your gut/heart?

In case you haven’t watched it yet, and without spoiling anything, the story centers on a how a group of people must leave an Earth that is no longer suitable for human beings and find humanity a new home in outer space. Having been thinking about space and the importance of getting humanity off this planet ever since I attended Singularity University in 2011, it got me thinking on what type of education you would need to survive in space. How would you prepare to explore worlds that others might not even know exist and to endure the journey it would take to create something meaningful elsewhere? Here is the list I came up with: 1. Self-directed learning:

Earthling, you will be traveling where no human and possibly no machine has gone before, so be prepared not to know most things. You will encounter situations and objects you can’t even begin to fathom and will have to deal with constant dramatic change on a daily basis. Forget your textbooks and 4 year curriculums, no matter what someone promises you, they can’t possibly know what you, yes you, will need to learn on your journey.

It is critical that you learn how to identify what matters most to you and what is the most important thing you could be learning at any given moment. You need to weed out from the vast amount of information what is mission critical and how to tackle it. Practice following your own curiosity and wondering about the way things work and the way they connect. Figure out a way to teach yourself anything you set your mind to. 

Start your own “curriculum” now.

2. Feedback and Failure 

As much as we would like to think that we know everything, that is accurately not the case. There are just too many ways that possibilities can recombine and what may work in one case will not work in another. Even more so in space. When you’re out among the stars it’s too costly to try to prove you’re right. Instead, you need to be constantly iterating until you figure it out. You need to be comfortable sharing information with your team and giving each other honest feedback about what you’re doing. Get comfortable not knowing the answer and failing many times before you find a solution. 

As cliche as it sounds two helmets are better than one, so surround yourself with other people who you can iterate with. Get comfortable receiving feedback and giving it out in constructive ways. Pretending you’re right will probably get you all killed. The quicker you can speak the truth the higher your chances of survival. 
 Build a community that supports you and ask for feedback. Constantly.

3. Don’t rely on the “experts”. * 

Be wary of people that call themselves experts. 1. People that pretend to know everything about a subject are more likely to defend what they know than to be open to admitting new possibilities that contradict it. See above. Pretending to know will get you killed. 2. At some point there will be radio silence and you won’t be able to communicate with them. You’ll have to rely on yourself . The quicker you get comfortable doing that, the better you’ll be at it when the time comes. 3. There is the possibility that they are trying to sell you on some idea for some ulterior motive of their own. Practice trusting your judgement. *note, this doesn’t mean ignore them, it just means don’t rely on them*

4. Master something tangible

When you’re in the quiet of space, floating to your next destination or landing on a new planet there will be many, many, many practical aspects that need to get taken care of. Planting food maybe? or more likely designing and 3D printing objects for your current needs or programing the robots that are with you with new tasks. The list is almost endless. 
 

Make yourself valuable to your team. Be great at doing one these tangible things.

Learn to program, learn to design, learn to build hardware, learn to write and communicate. (This list might be outdated soon so take it with a grain of salt.). The point is, don’t rely only on intellectual knowledge, master something that people will pay for. 

5. Learning to be is more important than learning to know and learning to do. 

Finally, and probably most importantly, no matter how well you survive and thrive in space, it won’t really matter much if you’re surrounded by awful people. More likely too, you won’t survive. 

Strive everyday to be a better person. Be a person of character, of trust, of courage, someone who builds others up and is in touch with their humanity. This is what matters in the end. Take every day as a chance to practice your virtues and surround yourself with others who are on that path too. In the long run, it’s all that counts.