Via Chris Carrick, a great 10-step program from Allan Chochinov's presentation at Compostmodern on how to design impossible things (I'm very good at #6).

1. Acknowledge privilege: Being a designer does not give you the right to be a crapmaker.

2. Use the word "consequence": Talk about the implications of your actions.

3. Question authority: Don't wait for permission.

4. Surround yourself with the awesomest people you can: Go to parties, drink wine, make friends.

5. Don't play fair: If making something gorgeous will get your clients on board, do it.

6. Be intentionally dumb: Start with the most obvious and ridiculous solutions.

7. Redistribute (then reduce reuse and recycle): Find materials that are already out there first.

8. Broaden your market: Think beyond your audience.

9. indulge discursive design: Do something that's wildly inappropriate .

10 Talk to anyone who will listen: Get the word out.

I want to post an insightful analysis right around here, but I'm tired and have two more backlogs to sift through (this is the last of my post backlog for the time being) before I go to sleep tonight. So I'll end with my favorite sentence from the article.

Designers think they're in the artifact business, says Allan, but they're not, they're in the consequence business.