Slightly Remarkable

The writer must to some extent inspire himself. Most of his sentences may at first lie dead in his essay, but when all are arranged, some life and color will be reflected on them from the mature and successful lines; they will appear to pulsate with fresh life, and he will be enabled to eke out their slumbering sense, and make them worthy of their neighborhood. In his first essay on a given theme, he produces scarcely more than a frame and groundwork for his sentiment and poetry. Each clear thought that he attains to draws in its train many divided thoughts or perceptions. The writer has much to do even to create a theme for himself. Most that is first written on any subject is a mere groping after it, mere rubble-stone and foundation. It is only when many observations of different periods have been brought together that he begins to grasp his subject and can make one pertinent and just observation.

In regard to design, Thoreau’s thoughts can be translated like so:

The designer must to some extent inspire himself. Most of his design elements may at first lie dead in his mind, but when all are arrangd, some life and color will be reflected on them from the mature and successful changes; they will appear to pulsate with fresh life, and he will be enabled to eke out their slumbering sense, and make them worthy of their neighborhood. In his first design (mockup) for a given job, he produces scarcely more than a frame and groundwork for his sentiment and ideas. Each clear thought that he attains to draws in its train many divided thoughts and perceptions. The designer has much to do even to create a design for his blog. Most that is first developed on any design is a mere imagination, mere thoughts and basic ideas. It is only when many observations of different changes have been brought together that he begins to grasp the completed design and can make one pertinent and just observation.

In another journal entry, Thoreau makes these observations…

In the composition it is the greatest art to find out as quickly as possible which are the best passages you have written, and tear the rest away to come at them. Even the poorest parts will be most effective when they serve these, as pediments to the column…

Again, the designer’s translation would be something like the following…

In the design it is the greatest art to find out as quickly as possible which are the best design elements you’ve created, and tear away the excess so that you can focus on the best ideas first. Even the ideas which seemed poor in the beginning may turn out to be very effective when placed appropriately, much like the pediments (broad triangular parts above doors or columns) to the column.

The last journal entry that I read of Thoreau’s goes like this:

Find out as soon as possible what are the best things in your composition, and then shape the rest to fit them.

This one doesn’t even need to be changed, as it is perfectly applicable to the designer as is. The basic point here is the same as the previous paragraph: find out the best thing in your first mockup, and strip away all other elements until you’ve created what’s best. Then add the other elements in, and they may (or may not) look good, but (going all the way back to the first paragraph) at that point you can make a pertinent observation whether those elements look bad, and if so strip them away.