⇄Practices
The beginning of this project found inspiration in the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path (♥): eight fundamentals for a more conscious life that – applied to the practice of design – may lead to generate virtuous projects and products.
These eight visions, whose practise has the intent to guide speech, actions and thought, are here paired with a design-related rendition (♜) which a new path originates from: eight design practices with a dual nature that have the potential to trigger an inexhaustible synergistic circularity.
These eight visions, whose practise has the intent to guide speech, actions and thought, are here paired with a design-related rendition (♜) which a new path originates from: eight design practices with a dual nature that have the potential to trigger an inexhaustible synergistic circularity.
1 ♺ Honest voice for a proper speech.
♜ Design
Developing projects that can teach us to grasp the nature of the products we use and the value of the resources we have. The choice of objects that declare their substance helps to increase awareness in us.
♥ Path
Pondering our language in order to speak without consequences, growing honesty and words of value that have no hidden purposes. Through honest words, we can enhance the ability to listen and the knowledge of reality.
“By remaining silent we can improve our listening skills, the key to practicing a proper speech.”
Developing projects that can teach us to grasp the nature of the products we use and the value of the resources we have. The choice of objects that declare their substance helps to increase awareness in us.
♥ Path
Pondering our language in order to speak without consequences, growing honesty and words of value that have no hidden purposes. Through honest words, we can enhance the ability to listen and the knowledge of reality.
“By remaining silent we can improve our listening skills, the key to practicing a proper speech.”
2 ♺ Sharp operations for proper actions.
♜ Design
Optimizing production processes to make the most of the existing supply chain, applying simplification mechanisms for each production and consumption phase of a product. We should pursue our skill sharing at every level.
♥ Path
Taking actions that are not driven by the pursuit of personal advantages, placing trust in them and finding the courage to act. Our very selves and our body have to be used correctly all the time.
“Placing trust in our actions helps us using ourselves and our bodies with courage, essential for practicing proper actions.”
Optimizing production processes to make the most of the existing supply chain, applying simplification mechanisms for each production and consumption phase of a product. We should pursue our skill sharing at every level.
♥ Path
Taking actions that are not driven by the pursuit of personal advantages, placing trust in them and finding the courage to act. Our very selves and our body have to be used correctly all the time.
“Placing trust in our actions helps us using ourselves and our bodies with courage, essential for practicing proper actions.”
3 ♺ Limited resources for a proper livelihood.
♜ Design
Investigating methods to wisely use resources in their entirety, reducing waste. A design aiming at creating a desire – instead of responding to an actual need – should be identified and therefore avoided.
♥ Path
Maintaining a balanced lifestyle by avoiding excesses. Being aware of life is possible in the long term by not living with your mind stuck on results and by listening to the others’ presence, before listening to their words.
“Not expecting a result all the time leads us to develop a better awareness of life, helpful for practicing a proper livelihood.”
Investigating methods to wisely use resources in their entirety, reducing waste. A design aiming at creating a desire – instead of responding to an actual need – should be identified and therefore avoided.
♥ Path
Maintaining a balanced lifestyle by avoiding excesses. Being aware of life is possible in the long term by not living with your mind stuck on results and by listening to the others’ presence, before listening to their words.
“Not expecting a result all the time leads us to develop a better awareness of life, helpful for practicing a proper livelihood.”
4 ♺ Transformative drive from a proper intention.
♜ Design
Designing to spark a thinking that can also come from questioning of stereotyped attitudes. The virtue of an object can also be found by overturning its symbolic meaning when it is not useful.
♥ Path
Embodying the intention to achieve useful effects through body, speech and mind, avoiding the unnecessary effects. Through patience one can achieve the right motivation and master the selfish desire for affirmation.
“Mastering our patience makes us capable of practicing a proper intention, as so to act less impulsively.”
Designing to spark a thinking that can also come from questioning of stereotyped attitudes. The virtue of an object can also be found by overturning its symbolic meaning when it is not useful.
♥ Path
Embodying the intention to achieve useful effects through body, speech and mind, avoiding the unnecessary effects. Through patience one can achieve the right motivation and master the selfish desire for affirmation.
“Mastering our patience makes us capable of practicing a proper intention, as so to act less impulsively.”
5 ♺ Regenerative habits from a proper understanding.
♜ Design
Analyzing the entire life cycle of products and design so that they can be reintroduced in the production chain or provide new resources. We should be involved in participatory design to incorporate the vision of others.
♥ Path
Seeing and understanding things for what they really are, letting go of our instinctive attachment to them. Judgment should be suspended in order to live with a clear mind and allow space for others to manifest.
“It is necessary to train the suspension of judgment in order to practice a proper understanding of things and people.”
Analyzing the entire life cycle of products and design so that they can be reintroduced in the production chain or provide new resources. We should be involved in participatory design to incorporate the vision of others.
♥ Path
Seeing and understanding things for what they really are, letting go of our instinctive attachment to them. Judgment should be suspended in order to live with a clear mind and allow space for others to manifest.
“It is necessary to train the suspension of judgment in order to practice a proper understanding of things and people.”
6 ♺ Collective attention with a proper effort.
♜ Design
Laying eyes on contexts that are not exclusively about us, identifying ourselves with others. Designing for a collective interest means putting yourself at the service of an objective that goes beyond our own profit.
♥ Path
Practicing acceptance to open up to the variables of life, without judging ourselves or giving up fighting. Trusting in the goodness of our practice allows us to sustain a constant commitment to find the ability to act correctly.
“The acceptance of who we are here and now is a first step to practice a proper effort.”
Laying eyes on contexts that are not exclusively about us, identifying ourselves with others. Designing for a collective interest means putting yourself at the service of an objective that goes beyond our own profit.
♥ Path
Practicing acceptance to open up to the variables of life, without judging ourselves or giving up fighting. Trusting in the goodness of our practice allows us to sustain a constant commitment to find the ability to act correctly.
“The acceptance of who we are here and now is a first step to practice a proper effort.”
7 ♺ Extensive vision with a proper mindfulness.
♜ Design
Launching the project to the future starting from the observation of the present. Nowadays it is essential to be aware that any object – even if sustainable – still has an impact: the only sustainable designer is the “non-designer”.
♥ Path
Getting to an unconditional and objective vision through in-depth awareness. In order to get rid of our preset mental patterns it is necessary to learn to let go.
“Letting go in order to practice a proper mindfulness is our healing, it is freedom, openness, cohesion.”
Launching the project to the future starting from the observation of the present. Nowadays it is essential to be aware that any object – even if sustainable – still has an impact: the only sustainable designer is the “non-designer”.
♥ Path
Getting to an unconditional and objective vision through in-depth awareness. In order to get rid of our preset mental patterns it is necessary to learn to let go.
“Letting go in order to practice a proper mindfulness is our healing, it is freedom, openness, cohesion.”
8 ♺ Dynamic energy with a proper concentration.
♜ Design
Leaving to the user the responsibility and the honour of continuing with the design. Dynamic and circular design does not only mean using recycled raw materials, but treating each project as a single entity with the purpose of granting it its own dignity. ♥ Path
Addressing the attention towards a specific direction, increasing its level in order to limit dispersion in day-to-day activities. Maintaining mindfulness and being present to what happens allows us to become the centre of everything, along with everything. “Becoming the centre of everything, along with everything, is the solution to practice a proper concentration.”
Leaving to the user the responsibility and the honour of continuing with the design. Dynamic and circular design does not only mean using recycled raw materials, but treating each project as a single entity with the purpose of granting it its own dignity. ♥ Path
Addressing the attention towards a specific direction, increasing its level in order to limit dispersion in day-to-day activities. Maintaining mindfulness and being present to what happens allows us to become the centre of everything, along with everything. “Becoming the centre of everything, along with everything, is the solution to practice a proper concentration.”