Asymmetrical thinking may seem elusive and unapproachable, but it doesn’t have to be.
All it takes to get the gears going is a subtle reminder to shake things up – perhaps from a source you weren’t expecting.
Take, for example, the origin story of the Magic 8 Ball. Toy maker Abe Bookman created the Syco-Seer, a crystal ball-style “miracle home fortune-teller” intended to be a divination game. What he didn’t anticipate was the 1950’s opposition to the occult.
Luckily for Bookman, Brunswick Billiards was in need of a promotional toy. They took the essence of the game and incorporated it into a billiards ball. The object was now a toy and a marketing technique – one no longer associated with witchcraft. The success of the Magic 8 Ball to this day has been a result of asymmetrical thinking at its finest.
In need of some inspiration? SJR’s Asymmetrical 8-Ball will enable you to look at your problems with a different spin, getting you moving in an asymmetrical direction. Step on up, ask it anything – you might feel unbalanced, but roll with it anyway. You might find the influx of new ideas positively bewitching.
Editorial by Naomi Barnett and Annie Epstein
Design by Namita Devadas and Brian Douglas
