SOS is the leading Product Design studio delivering solutions across multiple categories. SOS or Subject-Object-Subject is a three-step structure describing our creative process. Design itself is difficult to define but here it’s simply a Subjective projection of an original Object for another Subjectivity. It’s about making images, models and prototypes of something that does not fully exist yet. That sounds bizarre – it’s a fascinating activity and sometimes an unpredictable experience. We’re not necessarily concerned with ‘what is’ nor ‘what ought to be’ but rather with ‘what can be.’ If you cannot find a way you can always make one, discovery and invention can occur together, chance and intention can intersect. Good Design occurs when a final object is consistent with all the ideas that helped produce it. Nothing comes from nothing; nihilism.1 Something is always better than nothing. Even when something is suffering. The best products come from something, probably a vital spark or one of these striking words:

  • Design / Plan / Program / Paradigm / Preparation / Plot
  • Product / Process / Means / End
  • Rational Need / Necessity / Irrational Want / Desire / Attractor / Drive / Will
  • Curiosity / Question / Answer
  • Problems to be found / solved / worth solving
  • Problem-Solutions / Solution-Problems / Coexistent Problem-Solution / Opportunity
  • Thesis / Antithesis / Synthesis / Dialectic / Dialogue / Position / Negation / Rhetoric / Sophistry / Contradiction / Consistency / Corruption 
  • Abstract / Concrete / Transcendent/al / Immanent / Universal / Particular / Single / Plural / Multiple
  • Idea / Ideal / Essence / Substance / Spirit / Soul / Seed / Thought / Meditation / Memory / Mind / Faculty
  • Identity / Difference / Repetition / Habit / Deference / Distinguish / Individual / Conscience
  • Meaning / Society / Culture / Polity / Ethnos / Mythos / Logos / Milieu / Ethos / Morale / Story / Rite
  • Interpretation / Hermeneutic / Tran/scription/slation
  • Material / Element / Force / Pressure / Work / Labor / Energy / Heat / Power / Resource / Efficiency / Waste
  • Oikos / Economy / Market / Home / Domus / Cell / Consumption / Nutrient / Source / Store / Sink / Generation / Growth / Ecology
  • Balance / Less / More / Equal / Lack / Excess / Surplus / Profit / Debt / Supply / Demand / Scarcity / Decadence
  • Form / Shape / Effigy / Pattern / Fractal / Fit / Compatibility / Distortion / Mode / Model / Module / Transform / Template / Scheme
  • Medi/a/um / Schedule / Foundation / Bas/e/sis / Layer
  • Phainomenon / Shine / Appearance / Style / Fashion / Beauty / Sense / Nerve / Vision / Perception / Contact / Taste
  • Noumenon / Thing-in-itself / Self / Ontos
  • Action / Agency / Operation / Expression / Emotion / Mood / Communication / Exchange / Trade / Commodity / Goods / Service / Gift / Praxis
  • Function / Purpose / Aim / Target / Goal / Telos / Use / Utility / Objective
  • Concept / Connection / Joint / Continuity / Context / Container / Content / Relation / Assembly / Metaphor / Continuity / Confusion / Construct
  • Existence / Survival / Subsistence / Persistence / Determination / Annihilation
  • Being / Is-ness / Nonbeing / Belonging / Other / Another / Void / Presence / Absence
  • Phusis / Nature / Second Nature / Reserve / Root / Deracinate / Radical / Life / Death / Bios / Anthropos / Anima / Symbiosis
  • Demos / City / Monarch / Dictate / Honor / Aristos / Despot / Nation
  • Arche / Origin / Beginning / Chronos / Aeon / Age / Centre / End / Fates / History / Secular / Futures / Destinies / Eternity / Oblivion / Forgotten
  • Image / Likeness / Imitation / Mimesis / Presentation / Representation / Simulate / Copy / Fake / Genuine 
  • Monism / Dualism / Opposite / Symmetry / Asymptote / Bias / Master-Slave
  • Deception / Illusion / Spectre / Dream / Fiction / Fantasy / Magic / Possibility
  • Attitude / Posture / Direction / Vector / Search / Heuristic /  Disorientation / Discovery
  • Selection / Sort / Filter / Choice / Bifurcation / Divergence / Commitment / Decision / Node / Knot
  • Logic / Premise / Assumption / Lemma / Hypothesis / Expectation / Surprise / Deduction / Induction / Abduction / Inference / Conclusion / Science 
  • Sign / Signal / Icon / Symbol / Symptom / Index / Language / Grammar / Glossary / Code / Syntax / Reference
  • Word / Noun / Name / Nomenclature / Verbum / Adjective / Conjunction / Preposition / Determiner / Fix / Tense / Exclamation
  • New / Novus / Novel / Innovation / Old / Obsoletus / Worn-out / Young / Begotten / Born / Perish / Innate
  • Gen/ius/ealogy/esis/ocide/us / Eugenics / Species / Lineage / Descent / Ancestor / Progeny / Ascent / Link / Chain / Evolution / Revolution / Instinct
  • Family / House / Servant / Folk / Blood / People / Kin / Heir / Kith / Friend / Neighbor
  • Author / Auteur / Authenticity / Authority / Graphe / Draught / Text / Script 
  • Change / Flow / Flux2 / Emanation / Motion / Gradient / Inertia / Rate / Regulation / Metabole / Circuit / Cycle / Sta/te/sis/tistic / Permanence1
  • Space / Place / Location / Ground / Topology / Environment / Worlds / Situation / Scene / Stranger / Xenos / Alienation
  • In/tens/ion/ity / Wu wei / Indifference / Apathy / Ad hoc / Improvisation / Accident / Error / Default / Defect / Failure / Strength
  • Cause / Chance / Potentia / Actual / Virtual / Probability / Risk / Contingency
  • One / Many / Part/y / Whole / System / Total / Emergenc/e/y / Organ / Organization
  • Common / Uncommon / Composite / Mix / Unity / Division / Break / Share / Intersect / Cut
  • Stability / Harmony / Concord / Agreement / Contract
  • Effect / Impression / Affect / Influence / Impact / Response / Control
  • Hindsight / Insight / Foresight / Providence / Prudence / Intuition / Hunch / Guess
  • Property / Possession / Quality / Characteristic / Behavior / Predicate / Parameter / Variable / Feature / Motif / Detail / Bundle
  • Knowledge / Episteme / Intellect / Ignorance / Know-how / Skill / Know-that3 / Fact / Counterfactual / Evidence / Proof / Test / Theory
  • Truth / Belief / Justification / Justice / Faith / Fidelity / Trust / Doxa
  • Craft / Art / Muse / Make / Build / Ready-made / Made-ready / Apparatus / Repair / Manufacture / Creation / Construction / Destruction / Poiesis
  • Tool / Technique / Technology / Method / Instrument / Invention / Contrivance / Weapon / Double-edge / Biface
  • Market-Demand-Pull / Technology-Invention-Push4
  • Machine / Mechanism / Robot / Automat/ic/on / Manual / Labor Saving Device / Manage / Hand / Fist
  • Calculation / Calibration / Reckoning / Ratio / Accounting / Inventory / Computation / Prophecy
  • Body / Corpus / Extension / Incorporation / Incorporeal
  • Requirement / Specification / Boundary / Border / Frame / Margin / Constraint / Capacity / Freedom / Absolute
  • Limit / Finitude / Infinity / Set / Group / Simple / Complex
  • Nomos / Law / Rule / Right / Bill / Crime / Sin / Public / Private / Guide / Principle / Standard / Custom / Deviation / Normal / Autonomy
  • Number / Degree / Series / Order / Sequence / Class / Caste / Rank / Tax / Grade / Measure / Dimension / Dat/a/um / Tolerance
  • Point /  Line /  Curve /  Circle / Edge /  Face / Surface /  Solid /  Section /  Scale / Size / Proportion
  • Chaos / Mess / Disorder / Noise/ Entropy / Friction / Resistance / Irreversible / Strife / Discord / Mix-up / Confusion
  • Perfection / Flaw / Purity / Refinement / Sublime / Complete / Full / Devine / Hieros / Theos
  • Category / Type / Sort / Brand / Mark / Industry / Sector / Discipline / Genre
  • Comfort / Fear / Grief / Passion / Pathos / Disgust / Resentment / Malice / Care / Cure / Safety / Convenience / Cleanliness / Hygiene / Health
  • Madness / Idiot / Absurd / Miracle / Wonder / Wander / Shock
  • Game / Competition / Play / Win / Loss / Advance / War / Withdraw / Impasse / Rise-Fall / Vic/tim/tor
  • Trade-off / Risk-Cost-benefit / Compromise / Sacrifice / Sacred

Regardless of your Reason for getting started, we believe all things matter. The Design process is the first and last critical stage to create and destroy the most Value.5

1 Parmenides,  2 Heraclitus,  3 Gilbert Ryle (1949), 4 L. B. Archer (1974), 5 perceived value in its many guises