enxame

The super hero of the twenty-first century is slow
or
I will save the World

First of all, we need to understand what design is and what a designer is. It is important to frame a historical ground to better understand in which point of evolution it is, as well its mission and its focus. It is also essential that we realize its role in contemporary societies and its concerns, worries and ethical values. Most of all, it is imperative that we recognize the needs of our globalized world today and identify strategies to avoid the predicted dark scenarios of the future. We need to build a better world in the twenty-first century. We need a super hero. Who can help us? Who can save the Earth?

The words "design" and "designer" are a relatively recent creation. They result, as it is known, of the enlargement and increase of complexity of the artistic world creation as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. That revolution, has created the identification of a new territory of tasks and functions, closer to industry, and demanding the investigation of new matters and techniques, the rehearsal in new ways more and more in teamwork.

Today, understanding the mission of design demands that we identify its target. The concept of object, in the Western world, is a result of the Industrial Revolution. Since then, what is considered a product, or commodity, would assume not only in its functionality, but also goal, in its meaning and also in its own value, the status of object, becoming itself definitely a sign. The perception of the outlines and codes of the global trends is exponentiate by the unquestionable importance of the globalized economy where the actual praxis of design is framed. In this context, we should understand the world as the object-limit of design once its projective nature aims act, not only on the object, considered individually, but mostly on the world (Moura, 2005).

Design is a basic question in the contemporary culture because of its expansive as well its imperative character. We should start from the assumption that we are in an age of “total design” (Cruz, 2002). The recognition of the increasingly expansive character of design is, in general, identified with an enhancement of almost all the things to a social and cultural discursively. But, “total design” is, inversely, the process for which the productions and accomplishments of the culture tend to present themselves as affected for almost an inevitability and immediateness, proper of the nature. The age of “design total” is, therefore, the age where everything or almost everything is seem to be the result of a natural history, being at the same time, however, entirely intentioned, entirely conceived and entirely designed. That is, the culture, in its state of “total design” is the culture in the age of the deletion of the border between natural and artificial, the moment where, what it is entirely intentioned for the man, it is tend to present itself as purely natural.

The designers, also artists and no mere problem solution providers through the creation of objects strictly appropriate to the requested functions, are gaining increasing importance as coordinator of the problem solving process as innovation and new technologies become more significant in the design process. The ethical function is today considered by the most conscious designers as part of the totality of the aspects of utilitarian order to safeguard, once the design is understood as project activity for the man in the world, for the values in him framed, social, biological, psychological, ergonomic, cultural, and aesthetic, among others. The increasing complexities and demands for multi-disciplinary teamwork in the product development process demand a more holistic approach, which is one of the modern industrial designers’ greatest attributes.

To realize the ethical impact of designers, we must identify what effects they are capable to introduce in our lives. To identify these possible effects, it is essential to understand what designers actually do. This is not easy because design is a multi faceted activity that includes a wide range of different approaches and methods. Where others may use linear methods, designers use a more fluent non-categorical approach. Design can be understood as an effective mode of management once it solve problems, but in a rather special way (Wood, 2003). While scientists and technologist focus on the physical aspects of social metabolisms, with the aim of avoiding environmental catastrophes, other social actors, including designers, should focus on supporting a transition towards a more sustainable system, avoiding major social (and therefore cultural, political and economical) catastrophes.

According to some studies, sustainability in a long term future is only possible if resource consumption on the planet is reduced by 10 times. In others words, the production and consumption system needs to become ten times more efficient in the use of resources. Technological development does not seem to be sufficient to produce such a dramatic efficiency improvement. Such a change calls for new development of models, involving substantial social and cultural changes. The design strategies framed in this perspective should refer to new scenarios, outlining new ways of living and new cultural and social models. For this reason, the debate on design for sustainability should be based on a higher awareness of social and cultural processes, rather than on a pure technology driven logic (Morelli, 2001).

Unlimited growth on our limited earth is not possible. The report “The Limits to Growth” to the Club of Rome in 1972 concluded that “If the present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production, and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached sometime within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.”

The crude oil price will be in 2020 five times more expensive then it is now, as its reserves will decrease to become insignificant in 2050. Typical for the leaving trend of material mass consumption was a careless treatment of the global resources. Especially those areas depending on petrol are facing increasing problems. We are forced to look for new and sustainable concepts to avoid an upcoming catastrophic development. Sustainability can be achieved through simultaneous and equal application of , economic and social aims (Hardt, 2006).

Table 1 - The seven ages of man and economic motivation

Source: Murray, Will (2000) Brand Storm, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, UK

The British movement Arts and Crafts paved the way for the Deutscher Werkbund (1907-1935) and later for the Bauhaus (1919-1933) to ensure that successful industries realised the value of embedding artistic endeavour alongside technological progress into their mass produced products. Since 200 years ago design has been successfully converting financial, technical, human and natural capital into materialised, and more recently, de-materialised products and services for the ‘consumer’ and ‘knowledge’ economies. Design is the key agent of change, but especially in its more recent years, has been an agent of acceleration. Designers have been the great enabler of the exponential speed of change that has occurred in man’s desire and ability to creat e new economic models which affect the practical fabric and philosophy of everyday human life.

From the green consumerism, which briefly surfaced in the late 1980's in Europe and the USA, emerged an ongoing debate on Design for Sustainability (DfS). DfS has evolved from earlier debates on 'green' design, 'eco-design' and 'sustainable design'. Despite differences of opinion, there is universal agreement that DfS is concerned with addressing the role of design in moving towards more sustainable development. The trinity of sustainable development is economic viability, environmental responsibility and social responsibility, the Economy-Environment-Society (EES) model, or as it is often mentioned 'the triple bottom line'.

Figure 1 – DfS EES model (theory)

Source: Fuad-Luke, Alastair (2003),
Well-being, design and the well-being of design,
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/susdesign/SDN/seminars/5th%20meeting/Alastair%20Fuad-Luke.pdf

Economy is a constraint to DfS in the EES model. If designers continue a 'business as usual approach' they will continue to serve interests which control the economic model. In short, designers will continue as enablers of industry, the adjective 'designer' will be synonymous with 'stylist'. On the one hand, examination of statements from a cross section of the design community, albeit entirely from the 'developed' world, provides cause for celebration once one in five of the interviewed designers recognised the DfS debate. On the other hand, DfS appears to have failed to cement itself into the vision of most of the world's leading and emergent designers, as most designers, even including those with DfS issues, seemed to place themselves entirely within the system of the ‘consumer’ and ‘knowledge’ economy models.

Figure 2 – DfS EES model (practice)

Source: Fuad-Luke, Alastair (2003),
Well-being, design and the well-being of design,
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/research/susdesign/SDN/seminars/5th%20meeting/Alastair%20Fuad-Luke.pdf

Designers have shown consistent concern for design which improves our lives, but to date most of their energy has been applied to oiling the wheels of various economic models. Most designers frequently voice frustration over their focus constraints, directed to economies, to markets, and to consumers. To create new focus for design it is essential to, initially, remove the constraint of the economic marketplace which tends to dominate the model. Then, inspired by Victor Papanek and Ezio Manzini, it is necessary to create several focus which centre on the ethical concept of 'wellbeing': the environmental wellbeing, the sociocultural wellbeing and the wellbeing of individuals. The new design model will not only “save the world” but also “save designers”.

The new design model can search much wider for its definitions of wellbeing, while the economic marketplace equates the concept of individual wellbeing with material acquisition. The new design model can represent the voices of all stakeholders, while the conversation about environmental and sociocultural wellbeing in the economic marketplace is largely couched the financial stakeholders. The message of a design which balances individual, socio-economic and environmental wellbeing, will be different from the current commercial interests which, used to foster the idea of the creation of identity through consumption, is exploited to meet the desires of ownership and status.

The new design model for the twenty-first century fits the title of 'slow design' (Fuad-Luke, 2002). It is 'slow' because this model is free from the time constraint of the economic matter, avoiding to compete within the technological progress field, branding and commercial globalisation, taking design beyond the needs of the marketplace. Its role is to balance the wellbeing between sociocultural, individual and environment dimensions. Instead of celebrating the smallest, biggest, fastest, it celebrates the de commodification of time, balancing booth Earth and anthropocentric needs.

The sceptics will argue that it is not possible to remove economic constraints from this model. But slow design is about minimising negative impacts on the environment and society while optimising performance and well-being. The satisfaction of human needs is achieved through economic interests gathered around products, services and buildings. New products and buildings in the spirit of slow design are already becoming commercial reality (table 2). Therefore, it has a lot to do with competitiveness, hence it focus out of economic constraints.

Table 2 – examples of success sustainable design projects

Source: Otto, Beatrice, Design Council,
http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/en/About-Design/Business-Essentials/Sustainability/Examples

Designers have now the opportunity to undress the suit label of stylists and enablers of commercial gain. Slow design restores the debate on the role of design in the twenty-first century to secure a better present and a more sustainable future, even though it focus on the 'present continuous' rather than on the future. Its success lays down on its relevance to the wellbeing of humanity and the global environment.

Slow design and the age of total design provide the necessary ground to designers experience real freedom. It improves our lives, as well our societies and cultures simultaneous, and contributes to restore the health of our environment while it begins the process of regenerating humankind and the planet. Designers have now the opportunity to dress the suit of super hero and lead the changing to a better world.

References

Fuad-Luke, Alaister (2002): ‘slow design’ – a paradigm shift in design philosophy?, internet source http://www.thinkcycle.com/tc-filesystem/download/development_by_design_2002/publication_slow_design_a_paradigm_shift_in_design_philosophy/dyd02%20final%20paper.pdf?version_id=40026
Consulted 25, February, 2007

Moura, Catarina (2005): O desígnio do design, Universidade da Beira Interior, internet source http://www.bocc.ubi.pt/pag/moura-catarina-designio-design.pdf
Consulted 25, February, 2007

Morelli, Nicola (2001): Design for Social Responsibility and Market Oriented Design: Convergences and Divergences, Aalborg University, internet source http://www.thinkcycle.org/tc-ilesystem/download/design_for_development/publication:_design_for_social_responsibility_and_market_oriented_design:_convergences_and_divergences/morelli?version_id=57581
Consulted 25, February, 2007

Wood, John (2003): The Wisdom of Nature = The Nature of Wisdom, University of London, internet source http://attainable-utopias.org/new/material/papers/wood_barcelona_2003.pdf
Consulted 25, February, 2007

Cruz, Maria Teresa (2002): O Artificial ou a Era do Design Total, On-line Magazine of Arts, Culture and Technology, number 7, internet source http://www.interact.com.pt/interact7/ensaio/ensaio4.html
Consulted 25, February, 2007

Hardt, Michael (2006): Trend Navigation, internet source, http://www.michael-hardt.com/PDF/design-consultant/TrendNavigation.pdf
Consulted 25, February, 2007

Meadows, Donella H, Meadows, Dennis l., Randers, Jorgen, Behrens III, William W. (1972): The Limits to Growth, Abstract established by Eduard Pestel. A Report to The Club of Rome (1972), internet source http://www.clubofrome.org/docs/limits.rtf
Consulted 25, February, 2007

// publicada por enxame @ 12:19 da manhã 1 Comentários