12th December 2017 / Alan Moore

How poetry can help us make better things

In 1988 I was asked to design an exhibition catalogue for Cecil Collins the artist. My client The Anthony d’Offay Gallery gave me a brief, ‘could I design a catalogue that would look and feel like a jewel?’ How to make a jewel-like catalogue? I loved Cecil’s work, very English and spiritual. My thoughts turned […]

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8th December 2017 / Alan Moore

Shaker furniture and Doug Englebert what do they have in common?

A while back, I was sitting in the Shaker rocking chair I’ve owned for over 30 years along with some other Shaker furniture, boxes, a chest of drawers. The thought came to me that the Shakers somehow took common objects, a tin box, a bonnet, a house, a kitchen garden and turned them into works […]

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6th December 2017 / Alan Moore

Beautiful business conversations with Menno van Doorn Sogeti

Menno van Doorn is Director of the Sogeti Research Institute for the Analysis of New Technology (VINT). Menno shares his views on emerging technologies, Facebook anxiety, Robotic optimism, ‘machinefulness’, how AI might save us from ourselves, self driving transportation, why we need an approach to technological design that is beautiful creating happiness. Centre stage is […]

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5th December 2017 / Alan Moore

The business case for purposeful leadership

The great master of martial arts Morihei Ueshiba became deeply troubled as to his true defining purpose. So he retired into the mountains with a Zen philosopher to reflect upon his work and life. He gave up the practice of martial arts as a form of violence and created the graceful non-violent martial art of […]

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2nd December 2017 / Alan Moore

China 2025 Why Post Brexit Britain Needs Beautiful Businesses

This week I talked to a friend who is working in China. Having just come back from a three day learning journey he shared his insight “Astoundingly, beautiful craftsmanship is recognised and supported by the government at a very high level”. In fact, the government is seriously supporting this the idea – the latest PRC […]

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1st December 2017 / Alan Moore

Brunello Cucinelli the business case for purpose

Brunello Cucinelli has been making clothes very successfully since 1978. Cucinelli pays his staff more than the average wage for their jobs, insists they work no longer than eight-and-a-half hours a day, and spends around 20% of his profits on what he calls “the gift”. He also runs a oversubscribed craft school craft school, where […]

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30th November 2017 / Alan Moore

Kasegigashira Japanese Sake  beautifully made

稼ぎ頭 日本酒 Kasegigashira Japanese Sake — If you want a beautiful hedge invest in good roots, don’t go for ‘the quick fix’. I was told this as a young man, by a wise man. Some things can take the time they need. Not the time you think they need. Time, like the hedge, is earthed. Take your […]

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22nd November 2017 / Alan Moore

Beautiful business conversations with David Hieatt The Do Lectures

Why do we need more beauty in this world? And why do we need more beauty is business? Founder of The Do Lectures and Hiut Denim David Hieatt invited to me over to Cardigan Bay to talk about why I wrote Do Design: why beauty is key to everything. Starting with the observation, everything in […]

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21st November 2017 / Alan Moore

How to craft a beautiful business

The time has come for a sea change in how we think about business, the role of business in our world its impact on our society. We need to reframe business in the context of beauty. Why beauty? Beauty isn’t about pretty dresses and sunset vistas: it’s about taking common objects and experiences, and turning […]

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21st November 2017 / Alan Moore

Monocle 24 radio interview how to create beautiful businesses

Monocle Radio asked me to come and talk about beauty, and beautiful businesses. Why we make what we make and how we make it. As Emerson said, beauty gets us out of surfaces and into the foundations of things. So beautiful businesses have strong purpose and positive cultures, with products that are good to people […]

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