In the Particular Lies the Universal

THINGS TO REMEMBER 03: In the Particular Lies the Universal

James Victore is one of my all time favorite designers. He introduced this idea to me awhile back when speaking on how to do work that matters.

The original quote is from the author James Joyce: “For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal.”

When applying the idea to design, it's simple. If you want your work to matter to anyone, it has to matter to you first. To pull from the most personal areas of your life, your opinions, your stories, your experiences — by doing this you create something meaningful not only to yourself but to those who see it.

Here's James Victore doing a better job of describing this idea at the DO lectures: https://vimeo.com/59547007