I love writing and design. To me, writing and design are deeply entwined. We live in narrative—verbal and visual—and we learn through stories. As designer and writer, understanding people’s needs, desires, and cares is rooted in storytelling. Just as communication is at the heart of design, narrative is at the heart of communication.
Published 2010 © Jeanette Leagh for Carnegie Mellon University
Nick Durrant and Gill Wildman are a unique team. They’re a real-life couple who cofounded Plot, a London-based design consultancy that works with companies to develop smart, creative, and people-centered business strategies. This fall, they begin their year-long tenure as the School of Design’s Nierenberg Chairs.
“We’re settling in beautifully,” Gill says of their new residence in Shadyside, where neighbors are as friendly as they are curious. Gill and Nick meet us around the table that sits in between their work desks in their shared office in MM 206. Colorful post-it notes carrying bits of thought and insight cover portions of the otherwise white walls. Their office, which overlooks Tech Drive, feels lived in, but hints of a recent move linger. For Nick and Gill, accepting their invitation to be this year’s Nierenberg Chairs meant a significant cultural shift and personal adjustments.
“We’re big on books,” Gill says, explaining that she and Nick had to consolidate their literary collection considerably, allowing themselves to pack 30 books each, donating some and moving many others to long-term storage before leaving London.
Despite being new to town, Nick and Gill are quickly filling their agenda with classes, projects, and talks, including teaching a senior studio on designing services and systems this fall and a graduate studio on digital cities next spring. In the coming year, Nick and Gill look forward to hosting real-world design workshops, conducting exchanges with other design schools, and giving keynote speeches as part of the School of Design’s lecture series. They’re always on the lookout for “co-conspirators”—anyone who gets excited to make things—to take part in classes and design experiments.
“You can’t pigeon-hole us,” Gill smiles. “We do lots of things.” As designers, Nick and Gill start with the principle that “design is a dialogue.” Design is inherently a collaboration between designer and user. They believe design can tackle complex problems and issues because design is essentially a social process.
Nick and Gill bring with them a fresh perspective, and they warmly welcome students and faculty alike to discuss and inquire alongside them about the theories behind and practice of design in the 21st century. They see this year as an opportunity to share, learn, and reflect. They want to continue exploring what value, meaning, and purpose mean in design—hoping not for a captive audience but, rather, a chance to connect inquisitive thinkers from London to CMU (and beyond) to question, examine, and push the boundaries of design to a new place. “Design is at an interesting stage in its historical development,” Nick observes as he diagrams the ongoing conversation on a large sketchpad.
As a design team, Nick and Gill refer to their work dynamic as the “double act model.” Throughout our conversation, Nick and Gill consistently consult and confirm each other’s responses, often playfully. Their passion for thoughtful and meaningful design is clear. But Nick and Gill also know the importance of fun and disagreement in a partnership. “We fight,” Nick discloses with a grin, to which Gill jokingly quips, “You told them already?” Amidst laughter, both agree that their partnership works because they disagree. “Together, we evolve [into] something neither could do individually,” Gill explains. “All the work we do together is better than what we could do one our own.”