By Justin Dauer
174 pages, hardcover, $30
Published by Lead Hand Books
leadhandbooks.com

In Fulfillment is designer, author and design advocate Justin Dauer’s follow-up to Creative Culture: Human-Centered Interaction, Design, & Inspiration, which posited the trifecta of empathy, humility and creativity as the keys to modern design practice. Simply put, creativity on its own isn’t enough. His second book takes the exploration of our design practice a step further to look at it from another aspect, asking what is surely a question we all want the answer to: How can our work [as designers] help guide us to fulfillment as people?

It’s very much a holistic approach. As Dauer writes: “How we show up for people and things we care about are connected—by design, to our values, our inner lives.” And while my initial reaction as an uptight Brit to the author’s public self-analysis and occasional self-help wordiness was absolute horror, his openness is ultimately quite winning. Here he is writing about the effect success early in his career had on him: “I evolved—devolved, really—into a colossal asshole (and in just about a year out of art school, no less.)”

Many of the scenarios Dauer discusses will be recognizable to everyone in the design industry—first day in a new job, leading a team, going through the motions, new client meeting—and the book is peppered with real-life examples that he uses to expound on what he sees as general principles to leading a better, happier design life. It works for anyone taking stock of where they are and where they’d like to be, whether they’re new to design or have decades of experience. In the conclusion, Dauer asks: “Why are you a designer?” And that’s something worth considering—and constantly asking yourself—whether it’s your first year in design or your 50th. —Yolanda Zappaterra