Barcelona and the Reminder to Celebrate the Makers

When travelling there are always places that stay with you...but few have ignited me like Barcelona.

It’s a city where art and culture aren’t just appreciated...they are solidly baked into the culture. From the moment you arrive, there is something in the air that you just feel. On the buildings, in the streets, in the people. Art isn't contained in galleries here...it spills throughout the city.

A simple walk can introduce you to all the greats from Gaudí, Picasso, Miró and Dali. Suddenly you realise an artist isn’t an afterthought. Their names are spoken everyday. Their contributions respected, remembered and celebrated.

This made me think...how often do we forget the names behind design today?

In a world full of fast creative, anonymous brandmarks and designer products, the creator can easily disappear. The product is praised. The branding launches smoothly. The object gets sold. But the mind behind it is often unseen.

That’s what Barcelona highlighed for me...design deserves authorship. The architect. The designer. The craftsperson. The stylist. The typographer. The creative director.

We should know their names and we should embed them into the narrative.

“A simple walk can introduce you to all the greats from Gaudí, Picasso, Miró & Dali.”

Yeh, you could say, they got paid for doing their job, however design sometimes isn’t just an output, it’s voice, it’s vision, it’s risk. And to respect design (particulary in this day and age), we have to respect the people behind it.

That’s the real cultural shift...celebrate them.