In the corporate world, there’s this unspoken rule that enthusiasm should be hidden
Corporate enthusiasm, by some unspoken rule, is supposed to stay hidden — filed away behind neutral tones and careful hedging. We’ve never understood that. Twenty years of design work, 80+ awards, and 128 projects later, we’re still the studio that treats genuine excitement as a feature, not a liability. The corporate enthusiasm unspoken rule isn’t just a cultural quirk — it’s a design problem, and we treat it as one.
When I do something well, I get genuinely excited. There’s a special kind of satisfaction when a project turns out better than expected — especially when you’ve poured in extra hours of testing and refinement, and you can finally hold the finished product in your hands.
But then comes the client’s response: “OK, confirmed.”
No exclamation point. No “Wow, great job.” Just a short acknowledgment.
And I can’t help but wonder — where’s the excitement on their side? Do they actually feel it but choose not to show it? Or have they learned, over time, that in business, emotions are something you keep tucked away?
In the corporate world, there’s this unspoken rule that enthusiasm should be hidden, replaced with neutral, efficient responses. Maybe they believe that’s what professionalism looks like.
“If you are the only one who is excited, you are probably working for some damn wrong people!”
— Gregor Žakelj
You can’t always control how others respond — but you can control your own sense of pride. And you can set the tone by showing your excitement openly. When you’ve done great work, celebrate it — and encourage others to celebrate with you. The more you lead with genuine appreciation and emotion, the more likely it is to come back your way.
Why the Corporate Enthusiasm Unspoken Rule Is a Design Failure Worth Naming
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