In preparation for a recent lecture at East Carolina University, I revisited Sister Corita Kent’s "10 Rules for Students and Teachers." Reflecting on my practice and mentorship within Span, I found that ten rules were a tidy form to summarize the concepts that underpin my work. Inspired by this, I created a new set of ten rules (more like guidelines) to consider:
RULE ONE: Consider everything practice. Practice is about repetition and improvement.
RULE TWO: Be present and open to new ideas, mistakes, and ways of thinking.
RULE THREE: Trust the process. You can only get where you’re going through work. It won’t happen magically.
RULE FOUR: Learn to use your tools like it’s second nature. Doing so lets you think about your ideas and not how you’re going to make those ideas.
RULE FIVE: Have fun. Design is hard, but it doesn’t have to be grueling. Your joy will translate to the work, your collaborators, and your clients.
RULE SIX: Find inspiration in the subject matter. Learn as much as you can about the people or places you’re designing for. There’s more than enough inspiration there to make something authentic.
RULE SEVEN: Make the thing they want, make the thing you want, make the unexpected thing.
RULE EIGHT (as stated by Sister Corita Kent): Don’t try to create and analyze at the same time. They’re different processes.
RULE NINE: Always look for the big idea. Go beyond the visual, what emotional, intellectual, humorous, or other conceptual theme adds depth to your project?
RULE TEN: Know your design history. What designers paved the way for you to be here today? What social, or technological forces shaped the visual landscape?
Hint: Design is a social project. As designers, we both participate in and create culture. To do so with wit and intelligence, it helps to engage with the wider world beyond design. Be curious, critical, and open.
Acknowledgment:
The following rules are inspired by Sister Corita Kent's "Rules for Students and Teachers." Rule 8 is used verbatim with gratitude for her inspiring words.