Joe Doucet's design studio, Joe Doucet & Partners, creates through a lens of sustainability and innovation, aiming to "transform objects into obsessions, products into paragons & businesses into brands." The studio's intentionality – its obvious belief that every idea or product should be beautiful and meaningful – could not resonate with us more.

Here we ask Doucet what's been on his mind lately.

What’s the best compliment you received recently?

I was carded buying beer. I’m certain it was just store policy, but I chose to take it as a compliment.

What’s the last thing you read?

I just finished reading “Kafka on the Shore” by Haruki Murakami. It's one of those journeys you take in reading where you have absolutely no idea what the next page will bring.

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What book do you want to read next?

Dyslexia is a challenge I face when it come to reading, however, I love books. Audible is my savior on a daily basis. It allows me to read a dozen books a month. Next up on my list is “12 Notes” by Quincy Jones.

A quote that’s meaningful to you?

“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.” ― Chuck Close

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Best gift you’ve ever given?

Apart from my family, the most precious thing to me to either give or receive is time and thoughtfulness.

Where do you want to travel to next?

I’m fortunate in that my work has taken me most places I’d like to go. Holidays have taken care of the rest. I would, however, love to spend some time in Africa. As a human I get a sense it must be like going home.

What would you buy, if money weren’t an issue?

I’d build a house on a beach, exactly the way I would like it to be.

What hobby would you take up, if you had the time?

Kyūdō. Japanese archery.

What is the funniest thing you’ve seen lately?

My sense of humor appreciates the absurd and inappropriate. Humor is the last refuge of freedom. I can’t point to something specific, but likely it would offend a significant percentage of readers.

One good recipe we should make?

I make my own chocolate. So easy and tasty:

50% Cacao Butter. 30% Cacao Powder and 20% Pure Cane Sugar.

Delicious.

If you could build an extension of your own mind, what would it look like? How would it work?

My mind is somewhat chaotic. I can only bring order by deep focus on my work. An extension would be of little use, I’m afraid. A few more hours in the day would be quite helpful, though.

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