Four Best Ways to Write a Powerful Design Manifesto

What’s the best way to write a design manifesto?

Previously, I shared four types of manifestos. But which is the best way to design a manifesto?

Let’s walk through each of the four types with an example. And then I’ll share what I think is the easiest and most powerful way to write a design manifesto.

It’s based on the ten years I spent as an architect and the ten years I spent studying manifestos. Let’s go…

What is a Design Manifesto?

First, what is a design manifesto?

A manifesto is a public declaration of your intention. Therefore a design manifesto is a public declaration of your design intentions. It could be what you are going to design or how you are going to approach it.

Now let’s look at the four types of design manifestos.

1 Goal Manifesto: The Sydney Opera House

The first type of design manifesto is a goal. One of my favourite buildings of all time is this… The Sydney Opera House. It was the result of a design competition. The broad goal of that competition was:

“To attract the best design talent in the world.”

There were no design parameters or cost limits for the design entries. That’s a simple design manifesto by the competition organisers setting out the intentions for the competition.

Also, it’s worth pointing out that as this example shows, a design manifesto is not just for designers. Other people can use them to shape what gets designed – including clients.

2 List Manifesto: Dieter Rams Ten Principles of Good Design

The second type of design manifesto is a list. Perhaps the most common form of a list in the design world is a design brief. This is a list of outcomes that you and your client want to achieve.

A famous list design manifesto is by Dieter Rams – the Ten Principles of Good Design

Rams was a German Industrial Designer most famous for his work with Braun. Jonny Ive, Apple’s Head Designer for the iMac and other products credited Rams as being a major influence.

Rams published his book, Ten Principles of Good Design in the 1970s. It was based on the simple question: Is my design a good design?

1. Is innovative
2. Makes a product useful
3. Is aesthetic
4. Makes a product understandable
5. Is unobtrusive
6. Is honest
7. Is long-lasting
8. Is thorough down to the last detail
9. Is environmentally friendly
10. Involves as little design as possible

Ram’s manifesto is a description of the end result – it’s a set of outcomes to achieve when you design. It’s a great checklist you could tick off to measure the quality of what you have created.

3 Rules Manifesto – Mary Lou Sobel

The third type of design manifesto is a rules-based manifesto. Where a list manifesto is a list of goals or outcomes, a rules-based design manifesto describes the actions or behaviours you will take. List = what, Rules = How They’re like a set of traffic lights. Some actions are go – you do them. Some actions are red – you stop doing them. And others are yellow – you are cautious around them.

Here’s an example from Australian Interior Designer, Mary Lou Sobel:

• Interiors must stand the test of time
• Intuition is important
• Treat every project individually
• Stay authentic
• Design is a team sport
• Texture, texture, texture
• It’s okay to mix and match
• Quality is key
• Balance form and function

Most of these rules are green or go qualities – things you want. You could add some spice to this design manifesto by adding a few more red or yellow qualities.

4 World Manifesto – The Futurism Manifesto

The fourth type of design manifesto is a world or worldview manifesto.

In this type of manifesto, you’re looking at your vision of the world and how things could be. And this typically goes beyond the immediate project you’re working on to become a philosophy for your designs or for the world.

One of the most famous examples of a worldview design manifesto is the Futurism Manifesto by Italian poet, Filippo Marinetti in 1909

This design philosophy celebrated the speed of the new machines that were emerging at the time including cars, boats and planes. It called for a new design aesthetic that matched the spirit of the times. Part of it is a list, including the bullet points:

“We intend to glorify the love of danger, the custom of energy, the strength of daring.

We declare that the splendour of the world has been enriched with a new form of beauty, the beauty of speed.”

The Best Way to Write a Design Manifesto

There you have it. Four types of design manifesto: a goal, a list, a rules-based manifesto or a world manifesto. Now for the big question, which one is best? Which of the four types of design manifesto appeals to you?

Here’s my preferred choice…

• A simple Goal Manifesto is easy to create but doesn’t have a lot of muscle or power.
• In contrast, a World Manifesto has a lot of power and influence but is the toughest of the four to create.
• A List Manifesto describing the qualities of good design is easy to create and can inspire the finished look and feel of your design work.
• But if you take it one extra step, you can create a Rules-Based Manifesto which will give your design process more oomph and more power.

For me, HOW is more important than WHAT. As a result, my best way to create a design manifesto is to create a rules-based manifesto.

More on how to write a Design Manifesto

If you want more help writing your Design Manifesto then read these blog posts next:

• Write a Personal Manifesto – Seven Ways to be Inspired
• Four Simple Ways to Craft a Personal Mission Statement for Your Life
• How to Write a 5-star Personal Manifesto Like Benjamin Franklin