Sharp points

Nightstands, Nike, and Artificial intelligence

There’s a gouge in my nightstand.¹

That’s a little dramatic. It might be in the knick category, but it’s in a very prominent place on the piece. I see it most days. It stands out amidst our minimally-furnished house and I use it most days placing a book, cup, or my phone on it (guilty).

I know who marred my nightstand. It wasn’t a cover-up or my kids jumping from it onto the bed. It was me… with a laundry basket.

I recently came across a video of Natalie Lam, an advertising strategist, talk about Nike. And I can’t get it out of my head.

After working with them for years on various products and campaigns, she noticed a pattern that made Nike stand out among its competitors.

“If you look at everything they do, 99% of the time it’s the same thing. But they always manage to have one sharp point.”

Sharp points.

I immediately became interested in this idea for a couple of reasons.

Point 01

The obvious one is to intentionally introduce more sharp points into my work — to have one element that is unexpected, shocking, and possibly disruptive. One sharp point can do the heavy lifting, whether it be form, color, or language. These sharp points stand between individuality and homogeneity.

Point 02

As Ai² design tools become more ubiquitous and widely used, I believe sharp points will become even more important for designers to incorporate into their work. These sharp points can serve as evidence of a human hand or soul behind the work. It’s important to remember that designers are people communicating with other people.

AI will inevitably soften and round off many of these edges. I’m not suggesting we avoid using these tools, but rather that we ensure some of those sharp points remain.

Point 03

The third and most abstract reason that this idea fascinated me was to embrace sharp points in my life. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed the propensity to seek comfort and routine and round, soft edges. Soft edges can be nice, but so can points.

Years ago, Stephanie (my better half) and I were having an argument. What it was about, I don’t remember. Maybe about chores because I was folding laundry. I hate folding laundry. I’ll take dishes, garbage, mowing, scrubbing toilets. Anything! Just. Not. Laundry.

Out of frustration I dropped the laundry basket right on the edge of my nightstand taking some of the wood with it. That sharp point became both a mark on my nightstand and my life (dramatic much?!). It marked an otherwise forgettable day with something permanent like getting married, having kids, or getting a tattoo.

Don’t get me wrong. I love ease, comfort, routine, softness. But I’m trying to remember that although points can be painful, they also leave marks. Marks that can be remembered.

1. This essay was originally published on my now defunct blog on January 16, 2023. The writing around Ai in Point 02 is a new addition to the essay.

2. After reading this essay by Stephen Fry, I now refer to artificial intelligence as “Ai” for a couple of reasons: A. To avoid confusing readers, as an uppercase “I” can be mistaken for a lowercase “l” in sans serif fonts—“AI with a majuscule ‘I’ is ambiguous.” B. To emphasize the artificial aspect of it while deemphasizing intelligence.