Four minutes of Paul Rand .

"Don't try to be original just try to be good"

"Without aesthetics you can't find the truth"

"No matter how perfectly you do something it can still be improved."

Two days ago, I considered removing this blog from the web. For months it sat here static and lifeless. Since starting my other blog, I neglected this one mainly because I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. While the other has a very clear focus, this one felt scattered and aimless; I lost track of its purpose. But this changed today.

My friend Maggie and I are starting something new. For some time now we have been thinking of starting something and we recently decided to take action. Today we made our first steps with a brainstorm session (above), which will continue on Sunday. So far we can share we are starting a design/research collective called, The Elmtwig Collective. Maggie actually chose the name and I objected slightly because it might be too strongly associated with my name. But we both agreed that we loved the symbolism of the twig, its poetic nature and its reflection of our base in Minnesota.

This new project will breathe some life back into the elmtwig blog. It is now a space for Maggie and I to explore our design projects including ideas and images, work on our writing, ask questions and start conversations. I have a feeling things are going to get interesting around here.