The Anticipation Letters No.4 – In Pursuit of Beautiful Concepts

I chose the name ENTIÈRE because it means whole in French (a language I love and am on a mission to be able to use more freely). It is the feminine adjective, which is also not a coincidence. That sense of whole, the search for ONEness. The Sea is exactly that. The Sea, the sea, the sea. This is where it all starts for me. It gives deeply personal experiences as well as connects us all, and all we do. So many layers. So simplistic and yet so complex. Photo of me: Ea Czyz

In Pursuit of Beautiful Concepts!

I often sign what I write with my name and the statement “In Pursuit of Beautiful Concepts”. In this letter, the 4th of this new Sunday routine, I’m asking myself what that actually means, exploring words like ideas and concepts, newness and co-creation. Mostly text, yes, but grab a coffee and sit down with me for a little while. And do reply me with thoughts and reflections!

On a personal level, it’s just how my brain works – maybe how the human brain works at large – and a sensitivity that I’ve harnessed and developed over the years training for and running my own studio. I or we, need meaning, a point of view, a capture of some sort, to make sense of the world. So we intuitively try to connect the dots, distill things into something we can grasp, share as stories. This I’ve found, has always been at the core of my creative endeavor.

As a Creative Director and Designer, I’ve turned this point of view into a skill and a craft.

Ideas and concepts are related. But they are not the same. Whilst ideas are little flickers of light, insights, creating clarity in the seemingly random and chaotic, concepts are ideas put into action.

To create a concept you need to find its essence and distill it into clarity. To be able to present it with the world you then work out all it’s functions and features, name it, explain it with well chosen words, in the right tonality, you give it shape, a colour story, character. An idea is easily dissolved, forgotten, and volatile if not captured properly. The concept is the long hours, experimenting to find suitable solutions and expressions, tests, combining things, seeing what works, how to express things, making hard choices, stripping away until only the necessary remains.

Everyone has these “eureka” moments I think. When they suddenly see something, realize something. But few creates concepts from them, few turn them into actual works of art, stories, inspiring brands, spatial stories guiding you through a space like chapters in a book, or a great album making you see your surroundings with completely different eyes. These soulful objects and experiences were all created by artists and other creatives that had moments like that (idea moments) and didn’t loose the potential of putting in the work and devotion to create a concept out of it.

I don’t believe ideas and concepts should be so much about competition and chasing newness. Foremost they’re about suddenly seeing things clearly, in a new way (to us and/or others). As Billie Holiday stated “You can’t copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means you’re working without any real feeling.” To me it’s more about finding the essence of honest, inspiring, beautiful things about being a human on this planet. That is what I mean with beautiful concepts.

And those things can be shared, we can learn from each other and co-create. You can be open, get insights, then combine it with all that you’ve already got, fully embody it, combine it with your own perspective, and be a co-creator for great solutions, for beautiful concepts. I think it’s the only sustainable way forward. So let’s learn from each other while adding our own unique interpretation and linking to our sources and giving credit where credit is due. For the Love of Pine was originally inspired by the “nose-to-tail”-philosophy, where resourceful and conscious chefs make sure to use all parts of an animal, even the unpopular ones, this philosophy, or concept, played a part in informing a new way to look at material use in this project.

For me, concept is more than its aesthetic choices, but should also be completely merged with them. That is, a concept can only be experienced through the thoughtful use of words, typography, texture and materials, it’s shapes and the colour story, naming etc. But, however much hard work and thoughts that has gone into it. However important that they may be. These things, the aesthetics choices are all really the vessel to capture the idea, the distilled essence, and share it with the world. In that way, the aesthetics is everything and nothing at the same time.

When you work with concepts as the starting point, boarders between what is graphic, spatial, digital is of no use to neither me as the creator or to the user, they only see the whole. And I only see that whole too, and from there work to figure out how to create it, using all the tools I have in my toolbox, including collaboration. The goal is to create this sense of coherence, ONEness, where you can experience the essence of an idea, through a concept with clarity, and all the aesthetic choices supporting it.

While this is not at all any kind of portfolio, rather a few thoughts and reflections put together in a challenging time to bring me, and hopefully you, a sense of positive direction, I wanted to highlight a few recent projects and just very briefly mention the essential aspects of the concepts.

Omstart Mode (literally restart fashion) was distilled as the title for the exhibition at Textilmuseet and the initials “om” (meaning “if”) were used as the starting point for a photo story with long-lived and loved items holding a meaning, far from fast-fashion.

“Tänk OM” (meaning both “What if” and “Rethink”) was used as a foundation for introducing different perspectives.

For the rebranding, a new visual identity for Act of Caring – a material care brand making things you love last longer, the concept revolves around utilitarian storytelling i.e. a clearer focus on the material you wish to care for and the ritual – how to care.

Through a refined aesthetic, with both a strong sense of collection as a whole as well as distinguished colors for each material routine, the act of caring becomes a desirable one.

Photo: Emil Fagander

There are so many projects, and especially the concepts and stories behind them, I’d like to share with you. But for now I’ll leave it at these two recent ones.

A Sunday Note to self (to create anticipation)

When I suddenly (after many hours and dedicated work) see the essence of something. And how it could be designed. How I love that moment!

I want to put all my skills to use where I find it’s purposeful. I want to support creative brands, studios and institutions on a mission for more humanity, reflection, learning.

I also want to lead with example, creating objects, concepts and experiences I believe will add something to this world rather than take from it.

I want to be in a spirit of co-creation, learning, discovery, re-thinking, collaboration, sharing, teaching.

Let’s continue the conversation with your thoughts and ideas!

xxx Charlotte Ryberg
In Pursuit of Beautiful Concepts

The Anticipation Letters – A new Sunday ritual. A more personal and intuitive letter on design, life, work, philosophy, inspiration, creating anticipation for the week ahead. If you want to get it in your inbox (I post it here later) Sunday morning, sign up below! And do get back to me with your reflections, thoughts and experiences. These letters are meant to be in dialogue with you “ENTIÈRE Amis”!