It’s Time to Start Thinking Creatively about Thanksgiving

This year’s festivities will be held under a new set of constraints. Let the experience design begin!

Barring a miracle, in less than two months we’ll be marking our first Thanksgiving in the time of coronavirus. Where this most American of holidays is normally beloved for its consistency, its 2020 version promises to be something quite different.

Those of us accustomed to robust gatherings of family and friends will instead face headcount limitations in the name of safety. While longing for shared poultry and side dishes, we’ll make do with individual portions and disposable cutlery. And rather than escape the late-autumn chill with warmth and coziness, we’ll more likely be stuck in someone’s backyard.

As if that weren’t enough, the most contentious election in modern history will be as recent in our collective memory as a fresh wound — or worse yet, will remain undecided. That time-honored tradition, the awkward family political debate, will await us with unprecedented intensity and rancor. Those plastic knives may end up saving lives.

And yet, there is hope. Like so many pivotal moments, this unique occasion offers a rich opportunity to think like a designer. We creative types love constraints! And…