Creativity lives inside the box?

At adHOME, our creativity is our biggest asset. Clients come to us when they’re looking for something new, unconventional and, sometimes, a little outside their comfort zones. We like to push ourselves to think outside the box.

This week, however, was a bit different. Inspired by renowned designer Charles Eames‘ most famous quote, “design depends largely on constraints.” at adHOME, we’re in constant communication with our clients. Their projects often come with certain guidelines, rules or restrictions. We’re often asked to come up with a solution that works within the framework they’re comfortable with. To illustrate this experience, we experimented with a copy of the following:

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We were asked to complete the drawing. Many of us came up with cool clocks and quirky compasses to fit within the constraints (or preexisting design):

 

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A few minutes later, we tried to come up with another concept that couldn’t be a clock or a compass. As usual, adHOMErs rose to the occasion and came up with some aberrant designs:

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Birds, a bicycle, a moustache, a spider, a puppy and a ballerina. All from four circles and some clock hands.

This exercise proved to us why we’re here and why we do what we do. It reminded us that, our office isn’t just an office. It’s a marvellous emporium of great ideas and forward-thinkers. It reminded us that we’re a fearless crew of straight shooters who see things differently, explore bold ideas, shape strategy, write code, strengthen brands and win market share.

At adHOME, we’ve been known to embrace rather than fight our client’s constraints and use them to create something extraordinary. To us, being inside the box is anything but restrictive.