Shibumi — beauty in the understated
With a flair for flamboyance over the top-ness in our society, we are due for a pendulum swing. Everything in nature ebbs and flows, so we are due for more Shibumi in the west. For us to find more beauty in the understated. The less loud. The consideration that can be felt. In design and also in our general approach to our business and relationships.
Our nervous systems receive 12 million stimuli per second, and our minds can only perceive 40 bits per second. As advertising and marketing become noisier, people are going to notice they feel more at ease with the understated brands, voices, and ideas. Our nervous systems have become hijacked by all the “stuff” of life, and it’s time to take that power back!
My good friend Jim House always says “Clear trumps Clever every time.” Shibumi is about being clear and direct. Do that, and you have peace. Minimal “drag” in your efforts. So you naturally become efficient and effective.
