”IMAGINE all the people living life in PEACE”—John Lennon.

Artwork by Jim Keller.

Peace is not just the absence of war; it is a process, an active role that we all participate in. Peace is not undertaken alone; it is about communities, neighbors, and countries living next to each other. In design, “negative space” is actually something positive. It is the space that is activated by the elements that surround it. It doesn’t actually exist when there’s nothing next to it. Designers work hard to keep negative space alive. We don’t just want to fill every page up; we want to leave space for breathing, taking a break from everything else, and for peace.

The OmniMax logo (above) that we designed features artwork using “negative” space. The only way you see the center shape is when it is adjacent to the spaces around it. It only thrives when it is in harmony with its neighbors.

So, let’s be deliberate in our pursuit of peace in 2024. Let’s look for ways to define ourselves in the community with our neighbors.

In John Lennon’s words,

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one