A Review of Reason(s):  When Thomas Jefferson finished his first serious draft to our country’s Declaration of Independence he sent a copy to Benjamin Franklin for his thoughts. For the most part, Franklin’s edits were minor except for one passage that changed everything.

Jefferson originally wrote “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable.” Franklin suggested, “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” He felt that we, as a country, were making an assertion of reason and rationality, not just an assertion of religion. Franklin wanted to separate our religious predilections from where our rights are derived.

William Shakespeare did not write, “Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” as many people believe. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson. In fact, what Emerson wrote was something a little different. He wrote, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”

Emerson felt consistency for the sake of consistency alone was more about control and manipulation than balance and continuity. Dogmatic adherence to dicta without understanding their true intent and meaning was akin to idolatry.

“Planned obsolescence,” a phrase used to justify the mistrust, even hatred, of big business, was coined by industrial designer Brooks Stevens. Unfortunately for those who think they have a grip on the Achilles heel of commerce, there is no conspiracy, nor was it Stevens’ attempt to blow the whistle on his clients.

The message behind the provocative phase was that every new product would eventually be replaced by the next generation of that product. Cheaper, faster, stronger, better, more technologically advanced are the qualities that create “obsolescence,” not an evil cabal of industrialists. Man’s need, his very nature, is to improve and refine. Superior products will always supercede existing ones. It is inevitable. Plan on it.

These three stories focus on how, over time, good intentions can be construed as something else. There are many instances where familiar standards no longer mean what they once did.

Many organizations may find that the current understanding of those values that they were founded upon have changed. While the intended meanings behind those principles have remained consistent, how those qualities are now being interpreted by employees, executives, and customers may have changed.

Consumers using contemporary definitions may not understand why a company does what it does. The icons and symbols that are the visual links between an enterprise and its audiences may appear dated, indecipherable, or worse, irrelevant.

A formal review of the ideas, images and values that form the elements of your organization’s culture, traditions and rituals may be appropriate. At the least, those qualities that define who you are, what you do and how you do it will be affirmed. At best, you will know what your audiences are hearing from you. At the most, with some modifications, your organization will be in a position to say what you mean and mean what you say.

Visit our website for examples of how Essex Two has helped industries, organizations and institutions reconnect with their audiences by affirming historical values and traditional images with contemporary methods.

Recognition of Commitment:  Last month, Nancy Denney Essex, a principle at Essex Two, received the Above & Beyond Award from the American Institute of Graphic Arts/Chicago Chapter. The award, presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago during the chapter’s annual meeting recognizes long-standing service and commitment to AIGA and its membership. The efforts of those individuals receiving the Award have ensured the Chapter’s continued ability to encourage, promote and serve the graphic design profession.

Worth your time:  The Milwaukee Art Museum is featuring an exhibition called Industrial Strength Design: How Brooks Stevens Shaped Your World, June 7 – September 7, 2003. The exhibition highlights one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century. Virtually all Americans have been affected by Stevens’ creations even if few have ever heard of him.

The legacy of Brooks Stevens is reflected in the four aspects of his work: innovative styling, influence on transportation design, corporate branding and thought-provoking design philosophy. Among the examples of his work is his customized 1930s Cord automobile, a post-war Willys-Overland Jeepster, a Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide motorcycle, a prototype 1960s Studebaker, a six-wheeled Briggs and Stratton electric hybrid car, and an Allis-Chalmers tractor. The exhibition brings together objects with which visitors are intimately familiar, such as radios, irons, lawnmowers, trademarks and a jukebox, as well as designs that bring back memories of the 1950s and 60s – the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile and a model of the Olympian Hiawatha train for the Milwaukee Road railroad.