My sister-in-law went to see Christo’s The Gates this past week in Central Park. After seeing her photos (thanks Nita), I was struck by how The Gates create a doorway between the seen and unseen worlds. Christo’s Gates caused me to connect with many spiritual things I’m sure he never intended. As I viewed the photos of the orange colored gates lining the park with people walking under them, I was reminded of the Scripture, “fling wide you heavenly gates and prepare the way of the risen Lord.” I wonder if making the invisible visible is part of what Christians in design are to do. This visual connection between the physical and the spiritual builds bridges for people and prepares the Way. Through design, we can connect people with what is already deep within their hearts. This is not a new concept. Companies want to connect their physical product or service and ultimately their brand with their customer’s hearts. This why creative briefs focus on lifestyle, values and other non-physical attributes versus pure product or service benefits. They want to touch people’s hearts on the way to their wallets. I’d like to open wide the gates of design to do something more than sell socks or make things that eventually end up in the trash. How about you?