Law of Unintended Consequences: Concept that actions, especially those intended to produce a specific effect, can lead to unexpected and unplanned outcomes.
As a designer, fear of unintended consequences due to client expectations.
Robin Hood Organization
Robin Hood: Philanthropic organization in New York that redistributes wealth from the rich to the poor.
Focus on improving the NYC school system, which has over a million students and outdated facilities.
Decided to improve school libraries as a cost-effective solution to enhance educational experiences.
Library Initiative
Library Initiative: Aimed to renovate school libraries to benefit students.
Involvement of architects to rethink library designs and train librarians.
Designer was invited to contribute as the graphic designer for the initiative.
Design Process
Initial expectation: Design a logo for the new libraries.
Provided three logo options:
Reading Room: A lively space without restrictions on noise.
OWL (One World Library or Open. Wonder. Learn.): A playful name with a visual theme.
The Red Zone: A clever play on words linking 'read' with the idea of being engaged with reading.
Ultimately, the final decision was to keep the name "library" for clarity, with a logo created using a red exclamation point to add emphasis.
Rollout Challenges and Solutions
Realized that the logo was easily reproducible and did not require formal design.
Engaged with architects to incorporate the logo into library designs.
Faced a challenge from architect Richard Lewis regarding unused space between shelves and ceilings, leading to a creative mural idea.
Collaborated with a photographer and illustrators to create engaging murals that depicted student life and interests.
Impact and Outcomes
Libraries transformed into vibrant educational spaces with murals reflecting student engagement.
Attended library openings, where the excitement and joy of students and librarians were evident.
Librarians embraced their roles, fostering a love for reading among students.
The initiative had a lasting impact, reaching 40,000 students annually for over a decade.
Conclusion
The project began as a simple logo design but evolved into a transformative experience for many students and librarians.
Unintended Consequences: The realization that sometimes the most significant outcomes arise from unexpected directions, enriching the lives of students and creating a lasting legacy.