How does the author end up in Valhalla?

He says he tripped on a rock one day, hit his head on the floor and woke up in Valhalla. He offers the story as the reason for his absence of almost one year.

What does he find there?

Ancestral gods wearing suits and ties, having an executive meeting about how they would spend their yearly marketing budget.

How does the story end?

Loki tells him there is no such thing as a marketing budget around there, snaps his finger and sends him directly to planet Earth again. The author calls it the day he got kicked from Valhalla for being an annoying designer.

Concept

Valhalla

What is Valhalla in the Agency editorial?

Valhalla is, in Norse mythology, the great hall where Odin receives the warriors who died in battle. In the Agency editorial it is the setting of a comic fable: the author says he woke up there, found the gods in an executive meeting and took the opportunity to conduct some user research.

In short

In the myths, Valhalla, from the Old Norse for hall of the slain, is Odin's hall in Asgard. Design.3 opens with the author apologizing for almost a year of absence: he tripped on a rock, hit his head and woke up in Valhalla. There he finds ancestral gods wearing suits and ties, discussing their yearly marketing budget, and interviews Freya, Thor, Zeus, Odin and Loki about their experiences. Loki snaps his finger and sends him back to planet Earth.

Key facts

How does the author end up in Valhalla?: He says he tripped on a rock one day, hit his head on the floor and woke up in Valhalla. He offers the story as the reason for his absence of almost one year.
What does he find there?: Ancestral gods wearing suits and ties, having an executive meeting about how they would spend their yearly marketing budget.
How does the story end?: Loki tells him there is no such thing as a marketing budget around there, snaps his finger and sends him directly to planet Earth again. The author calls it the day he got kicked from Valhalla for being an annoying designer.

What is Valhalla?

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the majestic hall ruled by the god Odin, in the realm of Asgard. The name comes from the Old Norse Valhöll, hall of the slain: according to the myths, warriors who die in combat are taken there to feast and to prepare for the final battle of the gods. In everyday language the word is also used for any place of honour or reward.

How does Valhalla appear in the Agency editorial?

Design.3 uses Valhalla as the stage of its introduction. As a good UX designer, the author writes, he took the opportunity to conduct some user research and take notes for his readers. Each god answers a question about experience: Freya about seeing the future, Thor about the short grip of his hammer, Zeus about his troubles with Hera, and Odin, addressed as the manager of Valhalla, about a scale from 0 to 10.

The scene is a joke with a purpose. Thor's complaint that the makers of his hammer didn't consider his size is a lesson in ergonomics before the word appears, and the interviews imitate the user research that the article later describes as part of the designer's work. The author concludes that he got his research, though.

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Design.3 - The Disciplines of DesignMay 7, 2024Read the edition

Also from these editions: concepts

Also from these editions: terms

Related terms

Ambrosianoun: The mythical food or drink of the ancient Greek Olympian gods, believed to confer longevity and immortality. Metaphorically, it describes any dish, beverage, or experience of exquisite flavor and pleasure.
Mjolnirnoun: In Norse mythology, the hammer of the god Thor, forged by dwarfs and known for its short handle. It is the weapon with which he defends gods and humans.
Sophrosynenoun: An ancient Greek philosophical ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind. It embodies temperance, moderation, self-control, and a balanced harmony in thoughts and actions.
Yggdrasilnoun: In Norse mythology, the immense sacred tree, an ash, whose branches and roots connect the nine worlds and hold the universe together.