"A Post About Originality" or "Insert Witty Title Here"

In my previous post I suggested that "originality is typically our downfall." A good friend over at Werlew wondered why I would say such a thing. First off Danny, Happy Birthday and second, cool dog. As far as originality is concerned? Is it really our downfall? Perhaps not. Danny is a terribly original guy, so this will be a hard statement to back up.I gotta tell ya, that last post happened in a matter of minutes, not something I poured over, rather, something that poured out. But never the less I stand behind it.

I didn't have anything too specific in mind concerning originality and downfalls, aside for an aggregation of indiscriminate thoughts collected haphazardly over the last several months. Perhaps what I was really getting at was the veil that originality carries with it, making it all to easy to overlook a simple design problem, let alone an original and simple solution.

I think the whole notion that originality could be our downfall simply goes back to two ideas, 1.) Reinventing the wheel, or as Meis would say, creating a new architecture every Monday morning and 2.) Being different for the sake of being different. I wonder how many wonderful and beautiful design solutions have been overlooked because the designer was first and foremost aimed at originality? I think truly original solutions are cross fertilized and developed intuitively after one is fully ingrained in the design problem. A simple concept from one trade, applied to another. But rarely do I think great ideas are born out of thin air or in isolation. I won't go on, in fear of saying something I regret. I consider myself a champion of creative thought and unique approaches...as long as they are rooted and have actual meaning.

Not a great explanation, but an attempt. I'll try again later.