The experiment of living How could youths better learn to live than by at once trying the experiment of living? Henry David Thoreau, Walden lifeadolescenceexperiments
They act on their environment Little tots are decorative and relatively docile, but older children are noisy and energetic, and they act on their environment instead of just letting it act on them. Since the environment is already “perfect” this will not do. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities adolescence
If children are transferred from a lively city street In real life, what significant change does occur if children are transferred from a lively city street to the usual park or to the usual public or project playground? In most cases (not all, fortunately), the most significant change is this: The children have moved from under the eyes of a high numerical ratio of adults, into a place where the ratio of adults is low or even nil. To think this represents an improvement in city child rearing is pure daydreaming. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities The ground plane childhoodadolescence
When all of my friends are on at once A Website by Laurel Schwulst allmyfriendsatonce.com Memories of being online adolescencemelancholynostalgiamicrosites
Design with courage Make a bold decision (that is controversial). Make a mistake (as a result of a bold decision). Challenge “conventional wisdom”. Challenge authority (that preaches conventional wisdom). Challenge hierarchy (that perpetuates conventional wisdom). Ignore the committee (and the need to converge). Decide who your clients are (and aren’t). Ignore clients that aren’t (especially those who pay the most). Cultivate clients if none exists (instead of compromising your design). Be a generalist (and ignore your job title). Be a specialist (who specializes in being a generalist). Design things from scratch (and build them yourself from scratch). Design things that no one wants (yet). Design freely (and think freely). Chuánqí Sun, The vanishing designer The boldest decisions design