Love & Work
A notebook about how we work, learn, love and live.
Ouch. As I put this newsletter to bed this morning the Supreme Court announced that they had revoked Roe v. Wade. As today's lede story says, "systems change on a societal scale is not a one-way game — it is not only the internal forces that need to be overcome. Rather, it’s a competitive game with others trying to drive the system — in the opposite direction — to other set points at the same time." This reality makes it even more essential that we commit ourselves to connecting with kindred spirits to co-create broad-based change together.
Happy Friday.
Systems Thinking
A longstanding system operates at a point of equilibrium: the status quo. Changing it is difficult and potentially disruptive. Shifting it however, might be easier.
Student holding "System change not climate change" picket sign at "Fridays for Future" strike in downtown Milan in 2019. Photo via Shutterstock/Eugenio Marongiu
"Driving a system to a new set point requires great energy and planning; overcoming the feedback processes that preserve the existing system integrity; identifying, strengthening and accelerating positive processes that drive the system out of equilibrium; and then establishing these as positive feedback processes that maintain the new set point. This is especially true for the complex systems involved with sustainable development.
"It is also important to note that systems change on a societal scale is not a one-way game — it is not only the internal forces that need to be overcome. Rather, it’s a competitive game with others trying to drive the system — in the opposite direction — to other set points at the same time. We need to encourage and applaud efforts to drive "systems shift" for achieving sustainable development, even as we may long for complete systems change.
"Systems shift doesn’t have the sensational call to arms that "blowing up" a system has, but that’s the point. It requires long vision, quiet courage and the willingness to collaborate with anyone (friend or foe) to positively shift the system so it produces the results closer to what we want and can be sustained as a new normal on the journey to sustainability.
"We advocate for the concept of systems shift for sustainable development for two simple reasons. First, a wholesale disruption is no guarantee that our financial, social and political systems will be rebuilt or rebuilt better — the current state of global institutions and governments is not likely up to the task. More likely, such disruption could lead to shambles that disrupt further progress toward the goal. How sustainable is business in a war zone or in a war involving current supplies of energy that underpin major economies?
"Second, incremental shifts are more likely to be ingrained, and there is evidence that courageous leadership and collaboration across sectors, including business, can lead to more reliable, accepted and sustainable results." - Laura Asiala & Neil Hawkins
Article: Systems Change is Harder Than it Looks: Systems Shift May be the Answer
How We Live
The health of nature and the wellbeing of people are a single story.
"Whether it’s sub-microscopic viruses, mosses, and mycorrhizae – or trees, rivers and climate systems – modern science has confirmed an ancient wisdom: All natural phenomena are not only connected. Their very essence is to be in relationship with other things -including us.
"This change in perception has profound consequences for notions of ‘development’. We are beginning to realise that ecological restoration is not just a remedial activity – repairing the machine. It’s more about learning how to coexist with nature in a spirit of reciprocity and kinship. The health of nature, and the wellbeing of people, become a single story.
"So that’s the question: Can AI foster new ways of knowing and being in the world? As medium of attention; as a medium of connection; and as a medium of relationship with the living world?" - John Thackara
Article: From Control, to Kinship: Ecological Restoration in a More Than Human World
How We Live, Persuasion. Illustration
Drawing on her own experiences of China, Europe and the U.S., illustrator Yang Liu explores the differences between how people from the east and west handle life.
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Newcomer
"Berlin-based designer Yang Liu creates illustrations that show the cultural difference between the East and the West. Yang Liu was born in 1976 in Beijing. After studying at the University of Arts Berlin, she worked as a designer in Singapore, London, Berlin, and New York.
"Drawing on her own experiences of China and Europe, Yang Liu explores a rich range of differences between Eastern and Western experience, from sleeping patterns to the role of senior citizens, from leisure activities to attitudes towards beauty, property, and public space. With their clarity, insight, and fundamental fondness towards both cultures, Yang Liu’s work has become not only a social media and magazine darling, but also a favorite with professional training programs around the world.
"Blue = West, Red = East
"More: Yang Liu, Amzaon h/t: 121clicks" - Design You Trust
Article: Illustrator Shows The Cultural Difference Between The East And The West
How We Live
We are always learning to understand risk.
"David Spiegelhalter is a Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University. He studies the choices we make, and how those choices can have an effect later on.
"As he explains in the video below, we have a risky side (the part of you that says it’s okay to eat a pound of bacon every day) and a cautious side (the part that says to eat some oatmeal in place of bacon).
"Things get really interesting when you start to look at not the individual choices, but how one choice affects the next. Is knowledge of the outcome enough to make you change your path? How do you find that balance between risky and cautious? - FLOWINGDATA
Post: Understanding Risk – Play it Safe or Eat a Bacon Sandwich?
Typography
The research is in. Setting words in certain fonts measurably boosted consumer response.
"Monotype partnered with applied neuroscience company Neurons to put their deepest held beliefs to the test and find out if different typeface really do effect our emotional state. The foundry wanted to understand how fonts drive experiences, associations, and feelings, and assess the effectiveness of different typefaces in unique situations.
"The study found that setting words in certain fonts measurably boosted consumer response by up to 13%." - Graphic Design USA
Article: Fonts Rooted In Calligraphy Are The Most Trustworthy
Advertising
Ikea’s new campaign aims to help parents-to-be come up with baby names.
"Ikea has long been known for the quirky naming of its products, which from the get go have been named after Scandinavian towns, lakes, and other geographical features, but also traditional boys and girls names.
"For the brand's new ad campaign for Norway, created by Try ad agency, it is leaning into its skill for coming up with unusual monikers to help out parents who are part of a pandemic baby boom in the country."
Article: Struggling to Come Up With Baby Names? Ikea Can Help
Brand Identity
How Oatly emerged as a leader in a very hot category, against some very established players.
I love Oatly's 'whatever' tone of voice. It represents true confidence. It says: "Fine, don't drink Oatley. Your choice. It's not like we need you." They invite me in to a shared joke.
"'It’s like milk, but made for humans' is the kind of brand promise that, no doubt, Oatly’s competitors wish they’d thought of. But it’s in Oatly’s style, not theirs – human, conversational, bold and relatable. Oatly has mastered the art of making friends with its customers. Now it is bringing its slogan in campaign form to New Zealand
"The brand knows what it owns with that slogan. And it has fought very hard to keep it. The slogan launched in a campaign in Sweden in 2015 and Oatly was sued by the country’s dairy industry, which argued that Oatly’s marketing activity disparaged cow’s milk as unhealthy. It tried to file an application to register the slogan at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (the EUIPO) in March 2019 and was turned down. Oatly didn’t give up. It was a long hard-fought battle but, eventually, Oatly won – in March 2021."
Article: Oatly Unleashes its Gloriously Notorious Slogan on New Zealanders
One-liners
Article: How brands like Chobani are creating new jobs for refugees
Article: Spray-on plant coating could replace wasteful plastic food wrap
Article: The ageless Swoosh celebrates Its 50th jubilee
Article: A doghouse designed by Frank Lloyd Wright Is now on display
Playlist
Not surprisingly, Ella Fitzgerald could rock too.
Video: Ella Fitzgerald - Sunshine Of Your Love - Live At Montreux 1969
Image of the Week
"Found nature in origami boxes made from old books"
Since 2010 Austin Radcliffe has been curating a Tumblr page called Things Organized Neatly. It is strangely seductive. By the way, the practice of organizing objects in parallel or at 90° angles is called knolling. Really, it's a thing.
What's Love & Work?
Love & Work is the weekly newsletter by me, Mitch Anthony. I help people use their brand - their purpose, values, and stories - as a pedagogy and toolbox for transformation.
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