The power of an architectural ruin is undeniable. Ruins are romantic. They’re a bit mysterious. They’re a connection to a shared past that resonates across time and communicates across cultures. Ruins don’t usually reveal the events that destroyed a building, but they do reveal how it was built. There’s a clarity and beauty in that expression.

Architects and designers like to talk about big ideas and small details. I do too. And I like to write about them. But sometimes we both can get caught in the middle, using complex language to explain relatively simple things. That’s when you need the Ladder of Abstraction.

Every business needs clients. As many as we can handle, ideally. In pursuit of clients, we often try make our business as attractive as possible to as many people as possible. But sometimes when we do that, we erase any trace of who we are and what makes us unique.