We all know it when we feel it.

 

Certain places just feel alive. They can be old or new, rustic or chic, maximalist or minimalist – but they share an indisputable “aliveness.”

 

This quality doesn’t emerge by accident. In each case it results from the intense focus of a small team, bringing ideas to the physical world.

 

But it’s more than ideas. It’s a process – a process of trying ideas, discarding ideas, iterating on ideas – and then allowing those ideas to lead to new and unexpected outcomes. 

 

In Alive By Design,  you’ll find remarkable examples of aliveness, all created by friends of Automatic. We’re thankful for them and for their efforts in making our world a bit more vivid.

 

We believe one introduction can change your life. The people behind these projects have changed ours for the better, and our hope is this book will lead to introductions that do the same for yours.