Designing for a socially distanced world

Aug 14

Image credit: Character

The most relatable thing I read this week was that March went for a whole year and now it’s suddenly the 35th of Fucktember. If you also think time feels weird right now, here’s why.

I’ve been contemplating how wild the long-term collective trauma of all of this is going to be, and if I’ll eventually be an eccentric old lady that youths dismiss as just one of those people that lived through the pandemic holed up in a tiny Manhattan apartment. The answer so far is probably, yes. I can already imagine washing my wrinkly hands for 20 seconds while humming Folklore and disinfecting my walker after the supermarket.

In the more immediate future, there is still so much unknown, so we are learning to adapt to our new circumstances in a way that requires innovation. When I say innovation, I’m not referring to Elon taking us to Mars but extremely simple and meaningful solutions to shift everyday behaviour. Design won’t save the world, but it might help a little while it feels as though it’s falling apart.

A few projects I’ve seen around designing for a socially distanced world:

Where We Stand
A design challenge that invites 15 leading creative agencies, designers, and design partnerships to respond to a new reality in cities: the need for physical distancing.

COVID-19 Design Toolkit
The Toolkit is designed to help anyone who is responsible for public places: cities, universities, and transport systems to individual stores, theatres, restaurants and offices.

Way Forward
A platform for designing and sharing signage focused on the immediacy of information pertaining to safety during COVID-19.

Stay safe friends,
Gabby

Resource of the Week

Move over Brandpad, there might be another brand guidelines platform in town! Standards Manual has thrown their hat in the ring to bring guidelines into the digital age. I think it’s great more people are recognising the need for these documents to be live and editable—and doing something about it.

Studio Sounds

Track
my future by Billie Eilish

Listen while
Vibing during your next existential crisis.

Got a great tune, track, or podcast worth sharing? Let me know!

Candid Classifieds

Spark Edition is a fortnightly newsletter for the curious. Featuring curated links covering creativity, business, careers, personal finance, and more stuff to help you get your sh*t together. Plus a fun ‘Pot Luck Silly Button’.
Zainab Almehdi is a designer based in Brooklyn, NY. She can help you with branding and identity, book design, Arabic lettering, and more.
G Torto wants to meet junior strategists, students, or anyone interested in getting into brand strategy. Primarily keen to speak to those based in Sydney.
Annika Hansteen-Izora is asking if any design agencies are taking on pro-bono work. She’d like the list of Black Creative Ecosystems to shift from a google sheet to a digital tool for all to use.
Antoinette Chow is a graphic designer available for international remote work or in-person in Hong Kong. She works across branding, print material, and lettering.
Alex Kukharenko is looking for a design lead role in Berlin or greater Germany.
Korcan Yurdacan is a senior designer based in New York working in print and digital media.
Alex Anderson is looking to take on some new branding and illustration projects in the next few months.

You can submit a classifieds link here—it’s free! Conditions apply.

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All resources and links are shared purely because I think they are cool, interesting, or helpful. No content is sponsored unless explicitly stated. I am open to submissions but cannot promise they will be featured.

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