xheight is now officially live.

When I first dreamt of this project I had no idea how warm the reception would be. When contacting designers I struggled to explain the plan but still there was resounding positivity, regardless of the words I chose.

Though I’ve initiated this project, it’s success relies on the generosity of many others to open their minds for the community to explore. Such a big ask makes the enthusiasm shown all the more astounding. I think this is a result of a universal feeling; of wanting to understand others.

Design tests the limits of the mind’s creativity. To understand in some small way how other designers approach their work can be enlightening.

My bookshelf—like many owned by my peers—is chock full of work by designers who have impacted the world in some way. It resembles a cross between a university reading list and an assortment of my own tastes. No matter how revered the authors of those books are, no book can ever be a definitive tome on what design really is (and my bookshelf isn’t big enough even if such a collection could exist).

By providing a collaborative, agile and unrestricted platform to today’s designers I hope, and I believe, that every designer reading this blog will find a new idea or thought that changes them for the better.

I would be a fool and an ego-maniac to think that this blog could be the definitive tome on design that my bookshelf is missing. I’m also sure that regardless of what I, or any author of xheight posts, there will be a few cynical readers that will label this project pretentious no matter how it is presented.

Whatever you’ve decided, I think we can all agree that to truly understand the context within which we design, we must have an idea of how others approach it. There is no doubting we all think alike in some way, but it’s equally as obvious that our tastes, talents and thoughts are uniquely different. If you’re not receptive to that idea there’s no point reading any further. However, if design is your life and new ideas inspire and motivate you then hopefully you’ll find something here; that is our aim.

I don’t want to suggest that what the design industry desperately needs is an increase in uninhibited, thought-provoking blogging (it may just be my limited exposure to practical publications) but I do feel many designers need to overcome a shyness and uncertainty towards discussing the theory of design.

Perhaps there is a fear of losing the magic by trying to describe it in words. When pushed to explain a particular element of design my thoughts can flow with all the creativity of what I’m describing, but more often than not, I get that same over-analytical sense of frustration that’s shared with the designer’s mental block (and I would salute anyone who cared to tackle that subject in an article). Perhaps also the composure needed to maintain confidence in one’s abilities when sharing design with the world also hinders our ability to openly discuss theory, and to admit that—unlike the designs we present—we are not a finished product.

With that in mind, whether these articles provoke enlightenment, controversy, affection, sympathy or confusion they certainly won’t leave you feeling indifference, and hopefully, they’ll articulate ideas that other designers may struggle to pinpoint, or at least give us something new to consider.

This is only the beginning and whatever my dreams for this project were, it will be the articles published over the coming months that will define xheight.

We’re kicking off on Thursday 7th April with an insightfully personal article by Radu Chelariu (aka @sickdesigner).

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If you’re a designer and would like to post an article on xheight please get in touch [email protected] – or leave a comment below.

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