Useless Projects: Catalyst for Creative Ideas
A not so useless approach to foster innovation
As a designer and branding guy, I typically work within the constraints and guidelines of a project. It’s helpful for creating a cohesive and compelling campaign or brand identity and staying on target. But, it often limits creative potential. Eventually, I decided to kick off a creative incubator called Useless Projects as a side project, inspired by a quote from design icon Charles Eames:
"My dream is to have people working on useless projects. These have the germ of new concepts."
The idea is, the fewer constraints we’re exposed to, the more authentic the artwork becomes. While this may not be commercially viable right away, that’s not the point.
I want to initiate something that can bleed into future concepts—a platform, an incubator, where designers can show not what is, but what could be. It’s about experimenting with styles and elements you wouldn’t typically see in corporate communications. Raw, unfiltered, experimental, crazy, provocative. Useless Projects —maybe not so useless after all.
Interview with Marc Posch: The Useless Projects Concept
Marc, why does this Charles Eames quote inspire you so much?
Before we talk about "useless" projects, let’s take a moment to look at a "useful" one. In a typical project, a designer’s creative potential often sits buried, like a dormant hydrogen atom, as compromises and decisions by committee guide the client/creative relationship. Many of the ideas that ignite excitement in the designer are worn down by these forces. That’s a typical "useful" project.
And Useless Projects?
On the flip side, Useless Projects let a designer kick around that hydrogen atom, exploring ideas far removed from commerce, without the pressures that force compromise. When you free yourself from these pressures, your creative genius can rise to the surface again. Over time, these seemingly "useless" projects lead to fresh ways of thinking and help designers grow—both practically and metaphysically, as writer Maria Popova would say. And in the end, clients benefit from the designer’s exploration, even if the projects don’t seem "useful" at first.
Can you give an example?
Sure. In the past, Google encouraged its employees to use part of their workday for passion projects—without requiring them to align with the company’s strategic goals. One of the outcomes was Gmail, one of the most used apps outside of their search engine.
You’re also a strong advocate for designers to take on these "useless" projects, right?
Absolutely. I want to push myself, and I want to push others too. Selfishly, I also want to be inspired by them—to see what they’re capable of without the client/creative relationship setting boundaries. I want to be wowed.
It sounds like you’re trying to tap into the source that made you fall in love with design in the first place—the feeling you had when you were studying design in school.
I think you always have to return to the source. That’s where you recharge and remind yourself why you love what you do. It’s where the freedom is. Art school had that quality, yes, but so does the real world if we pause and step away from daily tasks.
Working on Useless Projects brings me back to the source. Especially now, with AI, we have access to incredible new tools that allow us to explore fantastic ideas—ideas that may eventually bleed into real projects. Ultimately, this helps me better serve my clients when I return to the client-creative relationship.