And why design is really about communicating solutions.
Published in Domus Magazine (Jun. 2013, p. 98–105), Louise Schouwenberg’s “Why Design Doesn’t Need to Perform” is a well articulated response to Timo de Rijk’s article “This Mine Sweeper is Life Threatening” (NRC handelsblad, Feb. 2013) and yet it is more than that.
While arguing against a strictly functionalist criteria in which a designed work is judged according to its usefulness or its ability to solve problems, Schouwenberg outlines the role of design and designers today:
“Design solves fundamental problems. Design represents how people want to live. Design possesses the power to embellish, facilitate and discipline our behaviour. Design can wave a moralistic finger, design can incorporate critique, and design can represent sheer fun. Design reflects who we are in the here and now, as it represents our age and the social, cultural and technological context in which it is born and functions. …
How to analyze design like a pro, and what to look for when searching for meaning in everyday objects.
Some time ago, through a circle of friends and colleagues who were involved in that project, I followed the Materia Cork project by EXPERIMENTADESIGN and Amorim . From the 12 designed works that make the collection of ‘Materia. Cork by Amorim’ the Aro centerpieces by Miguel Vieira Baptista stand out from the rest. I cannot say it is the best design, because there is no quantitative way to determine which design is best — only which marketing campaign and ads preform better. …
On a small hill in Portugal, near the Atlantic, Men have settled maybe 2000, maybe 10000 years ago. Looking on the village of Obidos, today, you cannot resist the beauty, the inspiration, and the imagination that this place evokes. You may think on how lucky and successful this place must be. A place that never failed and survived till this day, gone through wars, strife and hunger and what more. Yet, this romantic conception of success is far from the truth. For 2000 years these houses have been building and growing on top of each other. …
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