Introduction
Today, an infinite array of products and built
environments surround us, attract our attention, alter our lifestyles, and
influence our choices. “We live our days surrounded by a landscape of objects”,
and we are intimately related to everything we have (Yelavich, 19). The great
furniture designer Charles Eames once said, “Eventually everything connects –
people, ideas, objects…the quality of the connections is the key to quality per
se” (Eames). The connection between people, and what surrounds them are the key
ingredients and creations which will make the world better. According to the
book Design for Life, “[the] impulse
to design varies according to needs and wishes, time and place, cultural and
social conventions, materials and technology. As an active process involving
inquiry, ingenuity, and inspiration, design can change and dramatically enhance
the quality of life”(Yelavich, 7). Designers are the contributors behind the
stage of life. With a variety of technologies and resources, they are able to devise
products which will connect people more closely.
Design & Designer
What is design?
“What is design?”
is the question that many people, especially designers, have asked themselves. The
origin of the word design was from
the Latin word designare. It is a
verb meaning to mark out, to choose, to appoint, and to designate. Ever since
this word appeared, there has been a semantic shift in its meaning. “Every word
with a long history is redefined over time, reflecting anything from the
prevailing attitudes of particular eras and commercial opportunism to
unexpected catastrophes, but few words have ended p being as ambiguous as
‘design’” (Rawsthorn, 16). Everyone has his own interpretation of the word. There
are definitions from different aspects such as functionality, aesthetics,
business, and communication. Many people believe that to design is to solve
problems, improve lives, and make life more convenient, while others assume
that design is only a tricky strategy to encourage customers to purchase. Some
may also agree that, “[design] is the planned arrangement of elements to form a
visual pattern. Depending on the field, these ‘elements’ will vary – all the
way from painted symbols to written words to windows or furniture” (Lauer, 2).
Industrial Designer Dieter Rams has his ten principles of “Good Design”. He
claims that good design is innovative, aesthetic, unobtrusive, honest,
long-lasting, thorough, environmentally friendly, with as little design as
possible (concentrating on the essential aspects), while making a product more useful
and understandable. Moreover, designer Steve Rogers made an interesting
statement about design: “designing a product is designing a relationship”. A
good relationship is based on getting to know and interact with each other. Design
is the same. It can make people understand, interact, and have a “good
relationship” with the product.
After
understanding what design is, the word designer
may not be difficult to comprehend. In general, a designer is someone who is
creative, artistic, experienced, and professional. However, a designer is not
only a creator, but also someone who can generate an intimate bond between
humans and artefacts. Designers have the skills to make products that help
people become socialized, grow closer to nature, and interact with their
immediate space and the environment. It is all about creating relationships.
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Figure 1. Design & Designer.
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Defining relationship
In his book The Inner Circle, writer Brad Meltzer
wrote, “there’s nothing more intimate in life than simply being understood. And
understanding someone else” (Meltzer). When it comes to relationships, we
generally think about the way in which two or more people are connected with
each other. There are several types of interpersonal relationships: friendship,
kinship, and intimate relationships - these are the key elements in our social
life. But when we think about design, what kind of relationship exists between
humans and artefacts? Artefacts and products have always had an important role
in our lives. From the first object we use when we get up in the morning, to the
food we consume, the smart phones we hold in our hands, or the transportation
we use to commute to school or work, all are deemed necessary to our lives.
Most of the subjects we own, use, and talk about are the products we purchase.
There is a deep bond between humans and products – an intimate relationship
that may be closer than other interpersonal relationships. With these
inseparable relationships, there are more opportunities to understand the
products and the people who design them. A designer can function as a medium
between people and artefacts, helping to create intimacy. If a product is
understood and valued, the relationship between the people and the product will
last longer. Equivalently, the more people understand the products, the more
they appreciate the creators.
Designers are the most significant way to bridge
the relationships between humans and artefacts. During three years of design
practice, we, as design students, realize that everything that we have learned
is all about connections. Over time, technology has introduced many changes to
make the world a better place. The inventions and designs of products have
altered people’s lives in both positive and negative ways. With the invention
of certain products comes convenience, dependence, and a greater sense of
safety, while the relationships between people and artefacts are becoming more
intimate than ever before.
Human V.S Human
Human bonding, the
process of developing an interpersonal and intimate relationship, is one of the
most important elements for designers to consider when designing products for
people. A common example would be the
devising of the smart phone. This indispensable item of daily life has changed
people’s lives. Before, people used telephones only to phone a specific place.
But thanks to the smart phone, people can reach someone immediately by voice,
text, or webcam. However, although the universality of smart phones keeps us
connected, it alienates us. There is less face-to-face contact now. Even when
in the company of others, people spend time on their phones rather than in
conversation. Therefore, in order to improve this situation, several products
have intentionally been designed to create contacts and connections between
people.
COZY COZY was a project done by two third-year Industrial
Design students at ECU. It was designed as a private secret retreat for their
co-creator, who is a gifted and confident boy, but with occasional issues of overwhelming
stress when with his peers in the classroom environment. To help him to release
the pressure, the two design students made a cloak with a big hood that easily
stores in a bag attached to a classroom chair. When the boy is stressed, he is
able to put the cloak on for comfort and privacy. A key feature of COZY COZY is the emotion pins. These
have been designed to let the boy show a particular emotion at any particular
moment without actually saying it out loud. This project not only provides an
intimate space for the child, but also creates a friendly contact between others
with learning difficulties.
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Figure 2. COZY COZY was designed to provide an intimate space and create a friendly contact.
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Another instance
of creating close relations between people is a project called Intimate. Done by a third year
Industrial Design student of ECU, the idea of this project was to create an
intimate space for couples to enjoy a moment with each other. This set of
ponchos has several features for the two people to play with: Velcro loops and
hooks in the front, switchable pockets, and enlarged hoods on each poncho with
Velcro loops and hooks to create an intimate space to become aware of each
other’s scent. Because the participants are too busy attaching the loops and
hugging each other, there is no time for them to access any “technologies” such
as their phones, which gives them time to look at each other closely, talk to
each other in murmurs, and enjoy close physical contact.
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Figure 3. The "intimate" project concept testing.
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In this era of people being
more intimate with their smart phones than with other people, the element of “human
bonding” for designers is more significant than ever.
The natural world
is vital for the well-being of humans. We have long used natural resources to
build our environment. However, the excess of consumption in this area has
caused many environmental issues, such as climate change, ozone depletion, and
water pollution. In order to protect and improve our damaged earth, we need to
seriously consider the reincarnation of the artefacts we have produced. How can
the notion of reincarnation be integral to all designs? How can we reuse
products to help people now and in the future? The idea of “green” products is
one avenue to help solve current environmental issues. Existing recycling
strategies are not a sustainable solution; they are the very last step of the
three R’s waste management solutions. Therefore, several professionals from
different fields have come up with solutions.
Biomimicry is one
of the brilliant findings from science writer Janine M. Benyus. In Benyus’s
book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by
Nature, she describes that nature should serve as model, as measure, and as
mentor. Humans should use the science of biomimicry to learn from the natural
world, rather than extract from it. One of the studies she mentions is the
possibility of finding natural cures, as chimps do. According to experts such
as the primatologist Glander, professor of anthropology Katherine Milton, Doyle
McKey and his colleagues, and anthropologist Richard Wrangham and his colleague
Peter Waterman, chimps are wild connoisseurs who know how to implement “smart
eating”. They found out that “smart eating is more than just avoiding or
minimizing encounters with nasty toxins; it’s finding the proper mix of
nutrients and building blocks that the body needs” (Benyus, 151). So how do animals
choose certain plants as medicine that helps them feel better? From his
research, Richard Wrangham claims that “there are probably physiological,
behavioral, and cultural aspects to the phenomenon of curative eating” (Benyus,
168). Although Wrangham and other scientists admitted that animal
self-medication has not yet been proven, people “should not abandon the
possibility that there’s some wisdom here that we could learn from” (Benyus,
182). Another example that Benyus presented during her TED Talks in England in
2009 was about “how nature repels bacteria”. There is a type of shark called
Galapagos Shark that has no bacteria on its surface. This slow-moving shark has
pattern on its skin denticles to keep bacteria from being able to land and
adhere. A company called Sharklet Technologies is using this “technology” on
the surfaces of hospitals, which “is better than dousing it with anti-bacterials
or harsh cleansers that many, many organisms are now becoming drug resistant”
(Benyus, TED Talks).
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4b
Figure 4 a-b. Janine Benyus talking about biomimicry.
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To this end, there
is an artist named Natalie Jeremijenko has done a project with the
Environmental Health Clinic + Lab: NoPark. It is a mini-public green space
planted with low-growth mosses and grasses in the middle of New York City.
According to the artist, “[these] micro engineered green spaces prevent storm water
runoff, use foliage to stabilize the soil, and to provide a durable low-maintenance
surface cover” (NoPark). This project successfully improves the quality of
water by removing the asphalt to create an engineered micro landscape which not
only intercepts the pollutants before they enter the harbour, but also gives
communities a bit more “green” to decorate the streets.
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Figure 5. Natalie Jeremijenko's NoPark.
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The final
instance is a new design which just won a Lexus Design Award. Called the
“Ooho”, created by a team of U.K.-based design students, it is a biodegradable,
edible, and transparent blob-like container that can hold water. According to
CTVNews.ca, the designers of the Ooho “made the double-membrane gelatinous
container using a popular culinary technique known as ‘spherification’”.
Moreover, this edible blob may replace plastic water bottles because it is
cheaper than producing plastic bottles. One of the designers Garcia Rodrigo
says that “it’s an alternative when we can’t carry these types of (reusable)
containers with us and we have to use something that has to be thrown away...
…, how can we do it in the most efficient way possible? ” (CTVNews.ca).
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| 6a |
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| 6b Figure 6 a-b. The "Ooho" is a biodegradable and edible container. |
“The work of
shaping space is full of implications about our relations to each other and to
nature at any given time” (Yelavich, 91). Humans and space have a significantly
intimate connection – we live together in a giant space - Earth. There is, and
always has been, an instinctive fight for places to settle in and to make
“home”. We also create and build spaces for different activities - offices, shopping malls, gyms, libraries,
schools, hospitals, etc. These personal spaces have become an integral element
of human life; without them, it would be difficult to exist. With our growing
global population, we need to think about creating more useful spaces, and how
people use space in different ways.
German artist
Rebecca Horn has her own theory about space: “the interrelation of space and
desire, the desire of owning the room, and the desire for ‘a room of one’s
own’” (Bruno, 126). According to the book Public
Intimacy: Architecture and the Visual Arts by Giuliana Bruno, Horn “makes
space by mapping out the topos of femininity” – the room as internal
architecture – a womb. Describing the female’s womb as an architectural site,
Rebecca Horn provides a new idea for designers to think about humans and space.
One example is an
interesting product made by designer Olivia Decaris. The Drop Series is a
series of tent-like structures that ”aim to bring intimacy, privacy, and
concentration” among family members (Fairs). They contain a dining structure
that would gather family members around the dining table, a Working Drop for a workstation,
and a Sleeping Drop adopting the shape of a standard mattress. One feature is
that the Drop illuminates during the night, offering an intimate space in
restaurants and other public places. This product not only provides private
areas, but also offers a fresh idea about using distinct spaces.
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Figure 7 a-b.
Olivia Decaris's The Drop Series is a series of tent-like structure that provides an intimate space.
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Another project
that related to humans and space was done by three third year ECU design
students. It was an installation-based project regarding to a new recycling
system. At the New Westminster Skystrain Station, the students chose a space
which they felt would most attract people’s attention. The spot between Safeway
and the Skytrain entrance was their final decision because it was the most
accessible area for people coming from different pathways. The design concept
was to create an eye-catching installation which would change people’s thoughts
about the usual recycling station: dark-coloured, dirty, smelly bins. They
decided to use colourful umbrellas and triangular-shaped bins. Based on the
location, the three streams and colours they used were brown for landfill bin,
blue for refundables, and yellow for the paper stream. Adding clear and
understandable graphics and text on the bins was also necessary. From the
testing, the students observed that the visual interest alone caused people to
look twice. Some people were attracted by the umbrellas, and stopped to see the
installation. As a result, the students realized that how important the role of
the spaces was in that installation. If they had not considered the location
thoroughly, they might not have had a satisfying outcome; people would not
notice that a recycling station could be interesting and beautiful, and be
encouraged to stop to do more recycling.
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Figure 8. New West Skytrain Station Installation.
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The last instance
comes from Montreal, Canada. Cossette’s “Moment of Warmth” campaign for
Duracell included the creation of a bus shelter which would be warmed up by
having commuters “join hands in order to complete a circuit” (Robinson). In the
advertisement by Duracell, one person places her hand on the instructed spot on
the bus shelter wall to trigger the circuit, and another person touches the
spot at the other side of the wall. They then hold each other’s hand to
activate heaters. The resultant hot air coming down from the top of the bus
shelter brings a smile to everyone. This public space offers an intimate
relationship not only between people and space, but also between people and
people. “Heat powered by human connection. It’s a little bit beautiful”
(Robinson).
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| 9a |
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| 9bFigure 9 a-b. "Moment of Warmth" in Montreal. |
In this era of
mass production where everything is planned and designed, designers have become
a powerful medium to link people and artefacts. Every decision and step
designers make during the process of making objects affect people’s response
and ensuing relations with the products. Our relationships with people, nature,
and space are closely bound up with the products we own. Today, the designers’
role of creating products that connect people and arteftacts is vital.
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Figure 10. Intimacy.
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Reference
- Benyus, Janine M.. Biomimicry: innovation inspired by nature. New York: Morrow, 1997. Print.
- Bruno, Giuliana. Public intimacy: architecture and the visual arts. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2007. Print.
- "Dieter Rams: ten principles for good design." Vitsœ. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. <https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design>.
- Eames, Charles, Carla Hartman, and Eames Demetrios. 100 quotes by Charles Eames. Santa Monica, CA: Eames Office, 2007. Print.
- Fairs, Marcus. "Dezeen." Dezeen The Drop Series by Olivia Decaris Comments. N.p., 29 June 2009. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. <http://www.dezeen.com/2009/06/29/the-drop-series-by-olivia-decaris/>.
- "Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in action | Transcript | TED.com." TED.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2014. <https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action/transcript#t-414579>.
- Lauer, David A.. Design basics. 3 ed. New York: Charlyce Jones Owen, 1990. Print.
- Leung, Marlene . "Can this edible blob replace plastic water bottles?." CTVNews. N.p., 6 Apr. 2014. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/can-this-edible-blob-replace-plastic-water-bottles-1.1763196>.
- Meltzer, Brad. The inner circle. New York: Grand Central Pub., 2011. Print.
- "NoPark." x design project. N.p., 28 July 2008. Web. 9 Apr. 2014. <http://www.environmentalhealthclinic.net/nopark>.
- Rawsthorn, Alice. Hello world: where design meets life. England: the Penguin Group, 2013. Print.
- Riley, Britta . "Britta Riley: A garden in my apartment | Transcript | TED.com." TED. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. <https://www.ted.com/talks/britta_riley_a_garden_in_my_apartment/transcript#t-342327>.
- Robinson, Tina. "Duracell bus shelter heats up when you hold hands." Yahoo News Canada. N.p., 15 Mar. 2014. Web. 6 Apr. 2014. <https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-buzz/duracell-bus-shelter-heats-hold-hands-182030820.html>.
- Yelavich, Susan, and Stephen Doyle. Design for life: our daily lives, the spaces we shape, and the ways we communicate, as seen through the collections of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. New York: Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution:, 1997. Print.
Image References
Figure 1. Design & Designer: http://www.thid.com.au/eames-the-architect-and-the-painter/.
Figure 2. COZY COZY, Wei Fan (Vicky) Chu (2013).
Figure 3. a-b. Intimate, Wei Fan (Vicky) Chu (2014).
Figure 4. a-b. Janine Benyus: https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_action/transcript#t-209656.
Figure 5. NoPark: http://www.studiogblog.com/plants/no-park-emergency-gardens/.
Figure 6. a-b. The "Ooho": http://www.brit.co/ooho-edible-water-blob/.
Figure 7. a-b. The Drop Series: http://www.designbuzz.com/the-drop-series-encourages-privacy-and-intimacy-within-the-family/.
Figure 8. New West Skytrain Station Installation, Wei Fan (Vicky) Chu (2013).
Figure 9. a-b. "Moment of Warmth",
a: http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/duracell-moments-warmth/.
b: http://thinktanklondonblog.com/2014/03/18/moments-of-warmth/.
Figure 10. Intimacy: http://bridalmusings.com/2012/10/playful-intimate-beach-bicycles-swings-engagement-shoot-the-red-balloon-photography/.
