planet of the arts p 7

vol. seven, issue no. two

INDUSTRY OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

An Ex-Emily not so well adjusted with still a few rebellious brain cells

D esigners help produce all the man-made paraphernalia which surrounds us and defines, to a ever-increasing degree, our environment. Neither product designers nor the consuraers of those products appreciate the importance of producing significantly meaningful stuff. Thus,what we see is what we get: we live not in a man-made product world incarnate, detailed, and ‘alive’ with our extraordinary cultural plurality that is the is the legacy of human existence. On the contrary, we subsist in a cold environment of products bereft of cultural significance, indifferent to the human condition that is the spirit, and .in environment frequented by the ephemeral and confusing winds of fashion. Itis however, entirely possible and desirable for designers of products to simultaneously refine and define their products both techni- cally and culturally. Be those products cars or shoes or buildings or sidewalks, the de- signer is potentially a significant lobbyist for products informed with culturally sig- nificant detail, and thus, detail which has meaning and value to humanity.

Not many people in our society think of the products they purchase, or the buildings they frequent, nor the roads they travel upon as products heavily informed by artistic, and thus, culturally-rich processes. This is be- cause these products are currently not in- formed as such. The stuff that surrounds us is produced, purchased, and thought of usually just means to various ends: cars for transportation, brushes for brushing hair, et cetera. Th2 multitude of ends or needs we fulfill witt purchased products are, in turn, the essential means of perpetuating and supporting our economy. Indeed, even the majority of the people who are engaged in the ‘artistic processes’ of industry known as design, even they donotconsider their efforts to be anything more than a marginal con- tribution to the ‘big economic picture’ thatis our ecoromic survival both as an industry-based nation and as individuals. There is however more; much more, to producing products which satisfy merely economic imperatives.

*

Consider the product used as a gift. Have you ever struggled to actually find a gift which, even if tenuously so, imparts some of the love cr appreciation you have of the person to whom you will give the gift to?

The Christmas shopping ‘daze’ is a direct result of the daunting experience of facing a plethora of absolutely meaningless stuff from which you must choose, frequently quite re- grettably so, a marginally adequate gift. And you may ask, ‘Who makes all this useless stuff? With all the technology we have today, surely they can make things as important to me as my old (whatever it is)? Shouldn’t it be easier than ever before to make ‘good’ stuff which everybody can buy and appreciate?’

We, as a society, are the ones who create the ‘useless stuff.’ This is accomplished by the pseudo-obligatory symbiotic relationship be- tween two parties: manufacturers and con- sumers.

Roughly, the people who physically make the stuff, known as manufacturers, hiredesigners to make their products not only attractive enough for people to purchase but also, de- signers are hired to design the things to be made cheaply enough to make a profit from. Designers promptly set about designing by: investigating what the current market and fashion for the productis, refining the product to actually function as intended, and also investigating the current manufacturing tech- nology by which the thing will be made. Unfortunately, designers rarely feel compelled to augment these not-insignificant aspects of a product design with a survey and the subse- quent use of cultural ‘meaning.’ Thus, the designer presents a product which departs only incrementally from the genre that fash- ion has dictated. The nature of this departure is usually, wholly the by-product of the ap- plication of a new manufacturing process (we have chrome-plastic this year, not wood-grain,

sorry.)

The other essential party involved in the crea- tion of ‘useless’ stuff is the typical, motley consumer. Somebody must purchase prod- ucts, literally, to keep our society going. One may argue that consumers purchase junk and thus perpetuate the production of junk because they have nochoice but junk. A new motto for our consumer society, prescribed as a pana- cea, might be: ‘Discretion is the better part of consumption.’ Consumers have little if any discretionary ability beyond the dictates of fashion. The ‘needs’ of daily life are rarely closely scrutinized by the average consumer. Hence, somewhat insignificant ‘needs’ or de- sires are never distinguished from deeper and more inneffible needs humans, as a species, need to fulfill. Purchases take on a lighter, more insignificant, and usually ill-defined role in the fulfilment of all the types of need we feel.

- The result of ill-defined needs is the produc-

tion and consumption of products which have not been imbued with what I have called ‘meaning.’ Generally speaking, anything that you relate to or can understand has some level

of meaning to you. I believe, when you come to value something, it is the realization of the singular, innate beauty of the subject which motivates you so. Thus, you may find algebra as appealing as red apples beyond, that is, the mere service these things may afford us. The many ‘keepsakes’ and eclectic things we stack upon our window panes or dressers suggests that to value something is to cherish and preserve it. Designers may act as a ‘miners’ in

the ‘mine’ that is our cultural heritage, and seek to translate and instill that heritage into the intrinsic value of products beyond ‘keep- sakes.’

It has been widely noted that we live in a disposable society but what makes the things we produce or the attitudes towards those things inherently disposable? Again, I be- lieve products which have not been designed or informed with anything more than eco- nomic or functional efficacy are indeed, in- trinsically disposable and not worth valuing. As George Bernard Shaw once noted, the work of hand-crafting pins has been usurped by machines who are able to make pins so effectively, and in such numbers, as to have reduced the expressible value of a single pin to nothing. It is therefore imperative that designers realize they must seek not only to make products which are economically and functionally viable. Designers also must endeavor to instill in their products charac- teristics and clues which re-itterate, affirm, and fulfill the subtle, perhaps even inneffible needs we all as humans share.

How does one start upon this difficult task? Just look behind us. Our human cultural heritage, regardless of specific cultures, embodies rich sources and illustrations of the common struggles that all people who have ever existed have experienced. The form that a ‘culturally-informed’ product may take will thus be drawn up in terms of both literal and allegorical references to our history. Pins will be designed with embel- lishments whose sole function is to remind us of the value of pinsor what was pin-craft. When products are integrally designed with allusions to human, functional, economic, and any other requirements of reality, these products will invariably succeed on all pre- scribed terms beyond the wildest dreams any advertising agency may try to concoct. So forget about how the shit works, or whether-or-not it will make money. Just ask yourself why somebody would care enough to value your work beyond the price tag and beyond the time in which your work will

- have faded away.

planet of the arts p7

Vol. seven, Issue no. two

INDUSTRY OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

‘An Ex-Emily not so well adjusted with still a few rebellious brain cells

Stes eterostce al the man-made paraphernalia which surrounds us and defines, to a ever-increasing degree, our environment. Neither product designers nor the consursers of those products appreciate the imporiance of producing significantly ‘meaningfvl stuff. Thus, what we see is what ‘we get: we live not in a man-made product world incumate, detailed, and ‘alive’ with ‘our extraordinary cultural plurality that is the isthe legacy of human existence. On the contrary, we subsist in a cold environment of products bereft of cultural significance, in ferent to the human condition that is the spirit, and an environment frequented by the ‘ephemeral and confusing winds of fashion. Itishowever, entirely possible and desirable for designers of products to simultaneously refine and define their products both techni- cally and culturally. Be those products cars or shoes or buildings or sidewalks, the de- signer is potentially a significant lobbyist for products informed with culturally sig- nificant detail, and thus, detail which has meaning and value to humanity.

Not many people in our society think of the products they purchase, or the buildings they frequent, nor the roads they travel upon ‘as products heavily informed by artistic, and thus, cultvrally-rich processes. This is be- cause these products are currently not in- formed as such. The stuff that surrounds us is produced, purchased, and thought of usually just means to various ends: cars for transportation, brushes for brushing hair, et cetera. The multitude of ends or needs we fulfill with purchased products are, in tum, the essential means of perpetuating and supporting our economy. Indeed, even the majority of the people who are engaged in the ‘artistic processes’ of industry known as design, even they donotconsidertheirefforts to be anything more than a marginal con- yution to the ‘big economic picture’ thatis our ecoromic survival both as an industry-based nation and as individuals. ‘There is however more’ much more, to producing products which satisfy merely ‘economic imperatives.

Consider the product used as a gift. Have you ever struggled to actually find a gift which, even if tenuously so, imparts some of the love cr appreciation you have of the person to whom you will give the gift to?

‘The Christmas shopping ‘daze’ is a direct result of the daunting experience of facing a plethora of absolutely meaningless stuff from which you must choose, frequently quite re- grettably so, a marginally adequate gift. And you may ask, ‘Who makes all this useless stuff? With all the technology we have today, surely they can make things as important to ‘meas my old (whatever itis)? Shouldn’tit be ‘easier than ever before to make ‘good’ stuff which everybody can buy and appreciate?”

We, as a society, are the ones who create the ‘useless stuff.” This is accomplished by the pseudo-obligatory symbioticrelationship be- ‘tween two parties: manufacturers and con- sumers.

Roughly, the people who physicallymake the stuff, known as manufacturers, hiredesigners to make their products not only attractive enough for people to purchase but also, de- signers are hired to design the things to be made cheaply enough to make a profit from. Designers promptly set about designing by: investigating what the current market and fashion forthe productis, refining the product to actually function as intended, and also investigating the current manufacturing tech- nology by which the thing will be made. ‘Unfortunately, designersrarely feel compelled to augment these not-insignificant aspects of product design with a survey and the subse- quent use of cultural ‘meaning,’ Thus, the designer presents a product which departs only incrementally from the genre that fash- ion has dictated. The nature of this departure is usually, wholly the by-product of the ap- plication of anew manufacturingprocess (we havechrome-plastic this year, not wood-grain, sorry.)

‘The other essential party involved in the crea- tion of ‘useless’ stuff is the typical, motley consumer. Somebody must purchase prod- ucts, literally, to keep our society going. One ‘may argue that consumers purchase junk and thus perpetuate the production of junk because they haveno choice butjunk. A new motto for ‘our consumer society, prescribed as a pana- cea, might be: ‘Discretion is the better part of consumption.’ Consumers have little if any discretionary ability beyond the dictates of fashion, The ‘needs’ of daily life are rarely closely scrutinized by the average consumer. Hence, somewhat insignificant ‘needs’ or de- sires are never distinguished from deeper and ‘more inneffible needs humans, as a species, need to fulfill. Purchases take on a lighter, more insignificant, and usually ill-defined role in the fulfilment of all the types of need

we feel.

The result of ill-defined needs is the produc- tion and consumption of products which have not been imbued with what I have called ‘meaning.’ Generally speaking, anything that yourelate to orcan understand has some level

of meaning to you. I believe, when youcome to value something, itis the realization of the singular, innate beauty of the subject which motivates you so. Thus, you may find algebra as appealing as red apples beyond, thatis, the mere service these things may afford us. The many ‘keepsakes’ and eclectic thingswe stack upon our window panes or dressers suggests that to value something is to cherish and preserveit. Designers may actas ‘miners’ in

the ‘mine’ that is our cultural heritage, and seek to translate and instill that heritage into the intrinsic value of products beyond ‘keep- sakes.”

Tt has been widely noted that we live in a disposable society but whatmakes the things we produce or the attitudes towards those things inherently disposable? Again, I be- lieve products which have not been designed or informed with anything more than eco- nomic or functional efficacy are indeed, in- trinsically disposable and not worth valuing. ‘As George Bernard Shaw once noted, the ‘work of hand-crafting pins has been usurped by machines who are able to make pins so effectively, and in such numbers, as to have reduced the expressible value of a single pin to nothing, It is therefore imperative that designers realize they must seek not only to make products which are economically and functionally viable. Designers also must ‘endeavor to instill in their products charac- teristics and clues which re-itterate, affirm, and fulfill the subtle, perhaps even inneffible needs we all as humans share.

How does one start upon this difficult task? Just look behind us. Our human cultural heritage, regardless of specific cultures, embodies rich sources and illustrations of the common struggles that all people who have ever existed have experienced. The form that a ‘culturally-informed’ product may take will thus be drawn up in terms of both literal and allegorical references to our history. Pins will be designed with embel- lishments whose sole function is to remind us of the value of pinsor what was pin-craft. ‘When products are integrally designed with allusions to human, functional, economic, and any other requirements of reality, these products will invariably succeed on all pre- scribed terms beyond the wildestdreams any advertising agency may try to concoct. So forget about how the shit works, or whether-or-riot it will make money. Just ask yourself why somebody would care enough to value your work beyond the price tag and beyond the time in which your work will have faded away.