Thursday Salute to Originals: Slot Machine Thanksgiving
The traditions inherent in the Thanksgiving meal run deep, thick with expectations of perfectly roasted turkey and creamy mashed potatoes. And with foodie blogs and Pinterest recipes abundant on the internet, the choices for side dishes to perfectly complement your meal offer the tantalizing potential to differentiate.
Designers may relate, as architecture must meet basic standards of structure and code, while simultaneously breaking molds and expressing innovation project after project. But with so many cutting edge choices amidst the traditional strongholds, how does one plan the perfect menu or an award-winning building without getting overwhelmed by all the potential options? The solution: the slot machine.
The Thanksgiving Dinner Generator by Saveur magazine operates like a traditional slot machine, leaving your dinner simply up to chance. Randomizing food options at the click of a button, the spinning categories land on five final culinary selections that become your Thanksgiving menu. You might be a winner with the traditional fixings, or you might end up with a more avant-garde version of this annual feast; it is luck of the draw here. But unless you’re willing take your chances and spin again, your celebratory meal is what it is. In the holiday frenzy, it may cut down on time and stress for the cook’s decisions, but there’s no guarantee the chef will get what he or she wants.
Image credit: Fastco Design
This got us thinking. What if designers had a magic wheel we could spin? The categories of program, form, landscape, interiors, and materiality would spin around and around, landing on a final set – a non-negotiable combination that could not be altered by client decisions, meetings, budget constraints, or code requirements. This would certainly reduce project timelines and stress levels, but would design without choice really be design at all? Would the control-loving designer personality be able to relinquish their creative grip and vision, leaving the future of their creation up to a spinning wheel?
Now for some, this might be the perfect solution. But since we’re not the gambling type, this Thanksgiving, we are thankful that design choices are limited only by a designer’s imagination, and not mandated by a random machine. Because, after all, the beauty in any art form – whether it be culinary or architectural – is most impactful when there is a human element and mindful preparation molding and defining its existence.
Happy Thanksgiving to our clients and colleagues! Check out our favorite blogs from past Thanksgivings: