Breaking It Down

I’ve been thinking lately about this “mantra” trend that has been popping up in design. Especially after Sagmeister, everyone seems to want their life truths and beliefs to be snappy one-liners.



While this is undeniably sexy and produces simple, beautiful graphics, I wonder if it really changes anything about peoples’ behavior.

In the past, I’ve found that I’ve been paralyzed by instructions that are too nebulous. Example: You should conserve resources. Yes, it would be phenomenal to save the planet, but on the other hand, how can I do all of these things that I am not doing? How am I going to sacrifice all that I’ve come to live with for the well-being of the world?

Many psychologists suggest that breaking down seemingly unachievable goals into small steps is much more manageable than hitting your head against a problem. Want people to vote? Tell them how to register, where they can cast their ballots, and how they can start getting informed about candidates. Want people to save energy? Tell them they can start by changing their lightbulbs out, or turn their thermostats down two degrees. Want people to be happier? Tell them to step back and think about whether or not they are assuming something about the situation. Tell them to take a break and go for a walk. Tell them not to overload themselves.

These mantras certainly have the benefit of being ambiguous and allowing people to find their own way of living core convictions. That fact is definitely a plus when speaking to such subjective things as attaining happiness or being likable. However, I wonder how much they actually change peoples’ lives besides merely making their viewers feel proactive for having made the choice to put the piece on their wall...