Insider: Works That Work magazine

A Dutch magazine dedicated to creativity in unexpected places, Works That Work shines a light on the most ingenious – and often under-appreciated – creations of our times.

They just released their sixth issue, packed full of forgotten ideas that are worth a second look, so we caught up with editor-in-chief Peter Bil’ak to discover the secret ingredients that went into making the magazine.

In the making of this issue I…

Drank
Plenty of strong espresso from our new La Marzocco machine. The issue feels particularly strong too ; -)

Listened to
Mainly silence. It’s hard to have music in the background when one needs to put ideas in ink. But after hours, one could hear the sound of foosball from the back of the office.

Read
A lot of archival information – I got through 250 years of US patents, which makes for a curious read.

Went to
The café around the corner to process all the new information. Having plenty of breaks is the single most important element in producing something new.

Met
Quite a few writers, who will contribute to future issues of WTW.

Learned
That new doesn’t mean better; I learned a great deal about forgotten ideas that are worth a second look. Media often celebrates the latest inventions, so it was fun to look at older ideas and the reasons why they never caught on.

Was excited about
The inflatable tanks used during the Second World War. And about the only designer nominated for the Nobel piece prize.

A story of WWII inflatable army that saved thousands of lives. https://t.co/WwtDyc39Dt pic.twitter.com/2wZAWJQ0eD

— Works That Work (@WorksThatWork) November 23, 2015

Wish that I
Could speak to the creators of these forgotten inventions. Most of them are dead by now, and never saw their work put into practice.

Was most pleased by
The printed result. This issue of Works That Work is printed in four CMYK colours and three additional solid inks, to make old ideas look better in print.

And finally, everyone should buy a copy because…
You’ll discover things you never heard about, ideas that concern all of us, how to do things better, and why sometimes superior ideas are sidetracked.

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