Philosophy of Life & Design

The following writings describe my beliefs and understandings of certain issues.  These insights have a decided affect on the way I approach life and my design work.

Why DESIGN

One’s thoughts and actions do not simply manifest themselves from abstraction into existence.  They are actually reactions to experiences which have happened upon the body in balance with the theory that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  The form they take is based on the perspective of the individual.  One’s perspective is altered (I did not say “changes” because that would not convey the reactionary nature of one’s perception), by the evolution of core thoughts and beliefs to which we cling in efforts to explain and understand our existence.  These beliefs are affected by our respective upbringings, pop culture, and notable experiences in our lives.  This all stems from the architecture of the brain, and thus one’s perception, being based upon sensory stimuli.  Our output (actions, thoughts, expressions), therefore, is based directly upon the amount and nature of the input received by the body’s sensory systems (sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch).

It is sight that I believe to be the dominant sense because it seems to code and sort our thoughts and actions for storage until later recall.  I believe the process of design is a further attempt of people to structure their surroundings and ultimately their perceptions and lives to personal preferences and/or what they believe will be the most conducive to their goals.  The ideals of design to me are to mirror the beauty, simplicity, and functionality of nature.  Therefore, it is to this pursuit which I would like to strive.  I also believe that since every tactile object was designed by someone, the realm of possibilities for this profession is as infinite as the mind allows or is capable of.  It is here where I believe I have found my niche, and it is my hope and goal that as I age and my perspective evolves, I may instill in my work some of my personal beliefs and suppositions of nature, the world and existence itself.  This attribute of design allows people to communicate without words and in a sense see the thoughts of the creator/designer in concrete form.  It is this functionality based on purpose and pure, expressive communication that I believe to be the beautiful nexus which is “design.”

Designing a Future

Design, like many other fields, has its own language, and its goals and ideals can be difficult to express to anyone beyond related fields.  It is dynamic, moving between fleeting styles and rational functionalism.  We tend to see its products only, while its true essence remains hidden and changing.  Products could be either fine art or kitsch, vividly colored or monochromatic, and composed of an infinite combination of materials, shapes, and textures.  The unifying strand for those who passionately pursue design disciplines is a celebration of the marvel experienced in the process of creation.  I believe Erik Adigard, founder of M.A.D design studio, provides a broader and less abstract definition of design that all can understand.  “Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things.  It’s a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy,” states Adigard.  Though industrial designers may work for companies with concrete goals to design specific items for contracted jobs, we are truly artists at heart.  Leo Tolstoy claims that, “Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling that the artist has experienced.”  I believe that these conveyed feelings such as hope and future centered optimism distinguish design from any other occupation.

Rather than a more monotonous office job, design work allows for one to seek jobs, projects, or parameters which allow for an overlap between a designer’s personal goals and morals and the task’s requirements.  Charles Eames’ diagram, “What is design,” utilizes amoebic forms and basic hatching to emphasize the collaboration and consensus involved in design.  Multiple parties with varying and changing interests participate in this process from designer to firm to client, but there should be some areas of agreement.  Eames believes good design to be the pursuit of this evolving ideal.  Unfortunately, the economy is forcing some designers to take a broader range of jobs outside of their concentration.  However, “design” insights can be beneficial in any field as all work-related tasks are designed to create products or services that provide value to consumers.  This is accomplished by improving their environments or adding convenience to required everyday tasks.  “Good design” will result when designers are able to strike such a balance between exterior problems like one’s employer or clients’ demands and internal motivations like stylistic preferences or more emotive or spiritual ideals.

Dutch printmaker M.C. Escher stated it well when he said that, “We adore chaos because we love to produce order.”  It is this desire for harmony in the midst of chaos that led to the first written language and the invention of tools as well as the creation of art and architecture.  More modern social concerns in design include population density, sustainability, and renewable power.  One of the beauties of design is that such problems may often be solved in multiple ways.  This speaks to the great breadth of designers today and the wealth of their different goals, styles, and designs.  Late 18^th century English poet William Cowper described this richness of meaning when he said that, “Variety’s the very spice of life. That gives it all its flavour.”  Despite the varying importance designers place on aesthetics versus functionality (though they should not be mutually exclusive), all are in some way seeking to improve the items and environments with which we surround ourselves.  Though we may never truly understand why we are here, we can use design to structure our lives in a way more conducive to our success, both as individuals and as cultural or societal wholes.  It is our hope as designers that many of the world’s problems, both physical and psychological, may be abated by a better understanding and evolution of our surroundings and the roles we play within them.  It is not as if designers are claiming to know what is best for all though some movements may do exactly that.  Many of our inspirations are drawn from nature and even from some pre-coded appreciations for symmetry and certain proportioned forms.  This gives an almost spiritual aspect to design which I see embodied in many of the simple, clean, and pure Asian designs or the natural craft and humanity expressed by some Scandinavian designs.

Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw stated that, “Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.”  Many events and trends have come to pass or developed causing people to question, “What has happened to the world?”  The only certainty seems that the world will continue to grow in size and complexity.  Completely new issues arise while other age old problems remain.  As population density increases and digital technologies more fully cover the globe, future designers are some of the few with the power to change such a world.  As long as we are required to wait for problems to manifest before addressing them, we will always be playing catch-up.  Advanced design theory incorporating earlier forecasting of more distant market and global trends, better and more closely integrated systems’ design, and a balanced appreciation for both history and today’s constantly evolving contexts is necessary to right wrongs yet un-made.  It is my sincerest desire to be one of the designers of the future on this forefront of study and design.  Too much fanfare has been blanketed over every material work of known designers, while the true gifts are the insights their works can give us about ourselves or the world.  Michelangelo described this ability to see what could be saying, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”  Thus as designers it is not truly ourselves who determine our potential, but our ability to recognize the good in the world, to transform or replicate it, and to create environments that allow all things to grow without conflict.  Surely it is possible that future generations may one day thank those that have come before them and celebrate in their triumphs.

Product Design

The visual element seems to have monopolized designers’ attention and efforts.  This may be due to a number of factors including the vividness of colors and perspective, the glancing and distractible nature of the eye, the brain’s overconfidence in what it sees, or the fact that it has a greater range than any other sense.  In any case, it seems that it would be one of the most functionally debilitating senses to lose.  However, it is not the only aspect of product design that need be considered.  Shallow understandings have selected this sense to work in when no such choice need be made.  The best products will address the true nature of the need they resolve as well as satisfying the client in both mind and body.  The body should be stimulated through as many complimentary sensory inputs as possible while the mind is enriched and refreshed by the ethos a product embodies.

Due to the long range of eyesight, we can see a product from some distance away while other senses require closer proximity if not direct contact.  Therefore, our first experience with a product is its appearance.  Our brain’s creation of a new file name and location reflect this initial impression and visceral blush of what it thinks is to come.  Despite the human ego’s strong affinity to judge, our superseding curiosity and hard-wired quest for meaning bid us pause.  We are called to investigate further and it is at this time that the other senses become involved.  When they are not addressed at all or are determined to be lacking, a stale impression in the brain may then erode our initial visual excitement.

Even when all sensory inputs have been considered and crafted, successful product design is incomplete.  As the client or end user continues to use the item and reflects on the experience, the mind becomes more deeply involved.  Consideration of this future contemplation and analysis is one factor lacking in many companies cutting costs to the point of the detriment of their products.  However, the cost of its consideration at the point of product conception is negligible as it demands deeper thought over financial outlay.  The way to accomplish this is to understand that the physical product is only part of what is being delivered to the client.  The way non-visual sensory interactions support the initial visual platform, the artistry and harmony with which all contribute to the composition, and the product ethos they seem to convey, and the environment in which the product is delivered and used are all part of the whole.  Such a holistic approach to product design will lead to objects which leave people feeling fulfilled.  Comfort, familiarity, facilitation of one’s actions, and support of a person’s core understandings of the world will shift perception of the object.  The brain will personify it, translating its inanimate use into a more organic relationship.  These new file allocations give products a more dynamic nature in which they can be forgiven of minor faults and maintain interest over longer periods of time.  However, too successful a product is nothing to fear as people’s fickle nature is also inherent.  Success of previous products will not dissuade them from wanting the “next new thing.”  It will in fact have built their emotional reserve, instilling them with a confidence to venture on to new purchases.

As things are

One thing I have noticed is that things are not always as they seem.  There is a difference between an honest and sincere understanding of a problem and the simpler belief that there is a problem.  One develops from a more qualitative feeling of atmospheric disease into an exploration and rational reflection on the source and nature of an issue.  The other is a more spontaneous whim of our internal critic that yet another thing is not as is should be about the world.  In order to be realized and successful designers or individuals we should strive for the first of these as it correlates more strongly with meaning and sets things up in a way that allows us to really address them.  However, I would guess that the second is far more common as society and human’s own nature has shown that it is far too easy for us to criticize others, blame the system, and shirk responsibility.  Despite the fact that notions of the second kind often lead to cursory understandings and modifications that fail to improve much, it can raise awareness that there are many things wrong with society today.  Realizing this reality, we can now begin to try to decipher what is going wrong between our individual ideals and the real world of our business goals, primitive motivations and actions, and compromises.  Acceptance of the frequency of errors and a willingness to talk about them moves us from the more passive role of critic into the activators of change mentioned in the first type which drive meaningful exploration that inevitably leads to positive progressive change.

The circuitous route of this article reveals the true nature of human thought and experience as dynamic, wayward, and transforming.  As our technology and the overwhelming mass of sensory data we must wade through to accomplish our goals grows, the highly contextual nature of life allows us all too frequently to get lost along the way and forget where we are trying to go.  To break this cycle we must learn to value the curiosity of each failure in its own right, rather than quickly ascribing it as common problem #37 and dealing with it accordingly.  Such deeper understandings will allow us to see that it not the particular manifestations of a problem which are common and repetitive but the motivations and psychological issues from which many seemingly unrelated problems stem.  Respecting the complexity of modern life, discovering ideals worth following, and making informed decisions are all easy things one can do to improve the quality of one’s endeavors if they do not end up simplifying life as well.  The main point is that a willingness and determination to understand things more truly will help to remove the fog of ignorance, denial, and indifference that has settled around our civilizations.  Furthermore, the subsequent new ability to see things more clearly will allow us to improve the efficiency of our actions and systems as well by working with the true nature of things, rather than against.  Society’s approach to self-improvement must give way from self assurance and will power to one that can gain self-awareness and insight by an honest acceptance of its failures and a willingness to move forward together into a brighter tomorrow.

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