Dog walk thoughts - Distillation

Distillation tells us that having less of something can make it more potent. It is concentration. It is focus.

A friend recently shared this quote from Adam Rogers, a science journalist and author. It not only sums up one of the core values at Digital Landscapes, but also of good design in general.

The ability to distill our knowledge into the purest form and deliver it free of fluff, waffle and time-wasting chatter has always been one of our primary goals. One of the most frustrating things we find when watching instructional videos, attending webinars and so on is the sheer amount of time taken to teach concepts that are actually quite straightforward. It’s not only a waste of time but can also make things seem far more complicated than they actually are. We’re here to teach, not spend 20 minutes covering something that could take three!

This concept applies so much in life in general I think, and certainly in design. Let’s think of some famous and popular products (I think we can deem them “well designed” if they meet that definition!) - Post It notes, a Bialetti coffee maker (or an Aeropress, which I use and love), the Kallax shelving system from IKEA… what they all have in common is that they’re incredibly simple, and that their aesthetics and function are inextricably linked with very minimal ornamentation.

When it comes to designing gardens perhaps it’s wise to think the same way - why is something there and what purpose does it serve? Can we remove it and still have the same effect? Can few do this across the rest of our life?