Design's Pull to the Middle: Aporva Baxi on Resisting Mediocrity
Aporva Baxi, co-founder and ECD of DixonBaxi, cautions against settling for the 'design middle ground' in an article for It's Nice That. He observes that while the quality of creative work is on the rise, this trend can hinder true originality. The widespread availability of design tools has led to a homogenization of outputs, making uniqueness less common. Baxi explains how a series of 'reasonable decisions' can gradually steer projects towards the center. He cites a case study involving DixonBaxi’s collaboration with Roli, where they discovered a straightforward, human identity in keyboard keys. To counteract mediocrity, they launched SuperFutures, enabling staff to engage in self-directed initiatives. Baxi stresses the need to embrace curiosity and strive for distinctive creations.
Key facts
- Aporva Baxi is co-founder and ECD of DixonBaxi, a global brand agency.
- Baxi wrote an article for It's Nice That titled 'Good isn't good enough: beware the design middle ground.'
- The article argues that design is flattening and becoming less weird.
- Baxi states that the democratisation of creativity has made originality rarer.
- DixonBaxi worked on an identity for Roli, a music technology company.
- The Roli project initially explored five distinct directions that felt musical but not like Roli.
- DixonBaxi developed SuperFutures, an invention engine where every employee gets two to four weeks for self-directed projects.
- Baxi warns that the danger isn't burnout but going numb and calling it professionalism.
Entities
Artists
- Aporva Baxi
Institutions
- DixonBaxi
- It's Nice That
- Roli
Locations
- South London
- London
- United Kingdom