Announcing the Love What You Do Contest Finalists

A Thousand Pounds of Feathers

Great design delivers a silent, powerful punch with a thousand pounds of feathers.

Yes, design is powerful. Design is a double-edged sword. It has the power to bring people together around products, services, and even revolutions. It also has the power to tear people apart.

Great design is never overt or obtrusive. It is most persuasive and appealing when it makes the complex look simple.

Yes, design is powerful. It is creation itself.

Dear Design

Dear Design,

I am writing to thank you kindly for your hospitality
Over these past 32 years.

You make me stand up straight when I enter
A cathedral, a concert hall,
Any place with grand proportions.

But you also make me slouch.
Comfortable in this chair,
In these jeans.
Anywhere your design accommodates.

You make me think,
When I ponder that detail,
That material, that motion.
I scratch my head.

You also do the thinking for me,
When you start my car,
Do my dishes, keep my coffee warm.

Thank you for being such a gracious host.

Love always,
Ashley Tackett

Living What I Love

I see floor-plans when I close my eyes,
And colors start to fill every room.
My mind working like chess making moves
four or five steps ahead of what your layout should be.

It does not matter, if its eco-friendly, modern, traditional,
minimalist, or contemporary you select, my goal is to meet your request.

It happens everywhere I go and with everything I see.
It is nothing I can control,  it's at the very core of me!
So the designer inside of me, is finally ready to be set free,
with talent and education, I am going to live out my dream.
 

My Way of Life

Design is part of my past, present, and future. I love it for everything it is and everything it does. In these times of uncertainty, design is the place where I know I can find comfort and refuge. Design is patient and nonjudgmental, despite my flaws, mistakes, and moments of anxiety. When I feel lost or alone, design illuminates the path that leads toward old and new friends. During dark, gloomy days, design makes the streets more beautiful. When traveling seems like a distant possibility, design becomes my ticket to the world. It turns dreams into a reality. Design is the seed that grows into a tree. It enables me to translate a vision into a space that becomes part of the larger picture of life. Design is the reason for my smile. It is an expression of who I am and where I want to go. It understands what I feel and what I think. Design is my way of life.

Version of Existence

Design makes possible an intentional version of existence. It offers an individual, mindful approach to the everyday, cultivating grace in one's daily routines, one's surroundings, and oneself.

I love design because it allows us to clash well, not simply match well. It allows us to bring our seemingly disparate views, likes, and experiences into a measured, pleasing whole.

Good design requires calculated exhibition coupled with an organic spontaneity. It marshals not only harmony but tension.

Design allows a heightened version of existence that makes life palatable.