I can’t remember when or where I first stumbled on this video, but it was a couple years ago and I watch it again every few months.

In the summer of 2008, my wife and I took a trip to New York City. One of my favorite places we visited was the Museum of Modern Art, particularly because of the exhibition in their Architecture and Design Department at the time called “Humble Masterpieces.” The exhibition was a collection of spectacularly designed objects that don’t get the recognition they deserve due to their ubiquity as “everyday objects.” Legos. Swiss Army Knives. Zippers. Bubble wrap. Items that seem so simple, but which are examples of the perfect blend of form and function. You can see 100 of the items in the collection in the book, Humble Masterpieces: Everyday Marvels of Design, which was written by the curator of MoMA’s Architecture and Design Department, Paola Antonelli.

The humble, yet remarkably well-designed safety pin.

[Image by clovermountain via Flickr]

I came away from the exhibition with the sudden realization that everything around us has been designed. From paper clips, to drywall, to drain plugs, to Scotch tape. Someone designed it.

But taking another step back, everything around us began as an idea. Someone had a thought in their mind about how the world could be different, maybe not in a huge way, but different somehow. And if it hadn’t been for their ability to communicate that idea to others and to get people to help them realize their idea, their dream would never have become a reality, a real object.

You have ideas, I know you do. For a new website, or a new novel, or a new law, or a new process for changing a tire. Your ability to communicate those ideas to others will mean the difference between your idea’s life or death. Even if you haven’t had your great idea yet, now is the time to learn to learn to communicate so that when the idea comes, you’ll have the tools to capitalize on it. The question is, will you realize the importance of communication and make the commitment to master it?

So, will you?