Pink defines design as “utility enhanced by significance.” (p70) Good design is now accessible to most. Businesses utilize design as a way to stand-out, and according to Pink, good design has the potential to “change the world.” Man has been a designer since the dawn of time, though, for the most part, only the affluent could truly afford to possess objects with that certain little je ne sais quoi which set them, as a result of their possessions, apart from the rest of society. In the conceptual age, famous designers are pairing with mainstream businesses, bringing the design element to mass merchandise and making good design assessable to all. The entire model of business has changed to reflect a population that seeks to standout, to be different from everyone else. The future of design has the power to make the quality of life better. Research has shown the design of medical settings has a direct correlation to health and healing.
As I reflected on this chapter, it dawned on me that I have
personally experienced this shift in the accessibility of design. I know it
shows my age, LOL, but I clearly recall Brooke Shields and,” You want to
know what comes between me and my
Calvins? Nothing!”
Everyone I knew had to have a pair of designer
jeans. I’m not sure that there was anything that made them any better than the
Levi’s I normally wore, but I too, gave in to the appeal of having something
that was designer. Over the course of the past thirty years I
have observed famous designers have lending their magic touch to everything
from Perrier bottles to hand-held vacuums.
I agree with Pink, quoting John Heskett, “Design, stripped to
its essence, can be defined as the human nature to shape and make our
environment in ways without president in nature, to serve our needs and to give
meaning to our lives.” (p 69) The type
of clothing or possessions a person wears or possesses gives us clues about
their identity. Even my kindergarten students make observations about dress /
lifestyle when they participate in VTS discussions. Because they are so closely
entwined, it is easy to see the relationship between Design and visual
literacy. Students of the conceptual age need the skills to be both the producers
and consumers of design.
I love that you mentioned the connotation of the word Designer. I think that it is so important that we start teaching the ideas of Design when our students are young so that they can grow up recognizing elements in their environment that were designed for a purpose/function. I think that too often my students do not pay attention to their environment or objects that they are obsessed with. It is interesting to think that without innovators like Steve Jobs, we wouldn't be where we are today, especially with our reliance on technology and it's easy to use design. I want my students to be aware of their surroundings so they can be active participants in their culture.
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