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Tiny Showcase usually showcases (and sells limited editions of) tiny works of art. However, recently “inspired by the posters on classroom walls, but free from any commitment to reality,” TS has a giant poster created by Ray Fenwick – Life of Mystery — An Illustrated Guide – on offer.

The thing about KEYS is that they’re incomplete…

Besides being pithy, mirthful and incredibly well typeset, has as its centerpiece a sort of “Life of Mystery” manifesto, which I’ll paraphrase for you now:

Life holds plenty of mystery, but it often seems like the wrong kind of mystery. Life’s mysteries are usually either depressing or bland. Fortunately, there’s another kind of mystery, the fun kind, the kind that “leaves you spun out in the most amazing ways.” This mystery is a feeling, a vague sense of mysteriousness. We can create a life of mysteriousness: We can feel like that forever!

I think this addresses something that designers often forget: Sometimes the best parts of our experience with stuff in the world is getting “spun out” in a cool way. Think about how cool early viral marketing could feel, or even think about the infamous ATHF incident in Boston, and then ask yourself, when you’re setting off to design something: Is there some way I can make this engage people in that fun kind of mystery?

It’s important! And we know it’s important, because it’s exactly why we’re designers. Designing stuff is a way of coming into work every day and addressing the fun kind of mysteries in life.

So here’s a mentality shift to ponder for your manifesto: Don’t even try to address the loose ends out of existence; design the loose ends!