The Why Design Now exhibition is filled with an exciting array of new products, ideas, buildings, and modes of communication. The most prevalent theme I found was that of innovation and ways of dealing with current problems that would launch us into a new world in the future. Sustainability in terms of eco-effectiveness was a theme that cropped up again and again, as well as finding ways to solve social issues such as accessibilty, poverty and fair treatment of workers. Many of these projects seek to redefine sucess as a triple bottom line; celebrating social and ecological accomplishments as well as profits. These themes could be considered zeitgeist, as they are being focused on now perhaps more than ever before. Yet this could also come across as curatorial bias, since the design world is still working with unsustainable materials, manufacturing processes that have been around for decades, and traditional ideas and modes of communication.
The two most fascinating entries that I found in the Communications portion of the exhibition were the Multiple Family chairs and Etsy. A "maker" at heart, I was drawn to these entries that celebrated the handmade as opposed to the mass-manufactured. These entries reflect a desire for connection with one's objects that goes beyond simple functionality. The feel of familiarity that comes from the Multiple Family chairs may allow the user to feel more attached to it as an original object, lengthening its useful lifespan and further preventing it from reaching the landfill. Etsy accomplishes the same landfill avoidance by again establishing that connection from object to user, by achieving a closer association to the maker of the object. The user is able to have a more "authentic experience" with the unique handcrafted objects sold on Etsy than would be possible with a mass manufactured object. The originality of the pieces from each exhibition allow for greater communication, customization and personal connection from object to user.
Clothing from the Painted series and Alabama Chanin also close the gap between maker and user. Designers of Painted couture connect with its users early in the process to customize the pieces according to desired looks and experiences. Several makers collaborate on one piece, adding a variety of personal touches for a truly unrepeatable artifact. Familiarity is simultaneously achieved by invoking the tradition of Bulgarian needlepoint. Chanin's work again celebrates the maker by allowing them the majority of creative control; each piece is bought back from the artisan after the material is sold to them. The traditional techniques used to make each piece create a sense of nostalgia for the user, which helps cement that personal connection between user and object.
Other entries in the exhibition beyond the tangible product design world also seek to answer the desire for personal connection. Twitter users connect with each other all over the world, 24 hours a day, 140 characters at a time. Get-Together connects seniors with similar interests via telephone, spurring group meetings and activities. Nokia Open Studio reflects a desire for designers to connect to people of growing slum populations, who share their desires for a mobile device that would connect them to each other and the rest of the world.
Design and technology advances of the last century has, in some cases, inadvertently separated us from each other. Making authentic, tangible connections is becoming difficult. Computers, cubicles, automobiles, mass production and the like have promoted an environment of sterility and sameness that we naturally crave escape from. These designers have sought to challenge that separation both by returning to traditional crafts and by employing new technology. Clearly we have the ability and will to overcome the present issues, paving the way for a more creative, distinctive and united future.
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