Designs of the year… and beyond!
Want a peek into what the future will be like?
The Designs of the Year exhibition shows us what kind of world we can live in if we take risks and work together.
We’re lucky enough that our Firefly Learning office in London is located just down the road from the prestigious Design Museum in Kensington, so naturally I visited the Beazley Designs of the year 2017 exhibition at the first chance.
It was an exhibition of Design in its truest sense; not a display of the most beautiful creations of the past year, but the most courageous solutions to problems faced by people every day around the world. The exhibition awards the most significant designs across the fields of architecture, digital, fashion, graphics, product and transport. Designs that through belief and determination, have progressed from concept to reality.
I’ve visited this exhibition in previous years, but this year’s offering hosted the most moving experience for me so far. The winning designs addressed some of the strongest themes of dissatisfaction with our global culture that we have seen bubble to the surface over the last year.
Designs such as the Pussyhat, the Refugee Nation Flag and the Brexit Postcards, represent solidarity in political protest. Air-Ink’s printer ink derived from air pollution, Ecoalf’s clothing woven from ocean waste, and Ikea’s flat-pack furniture without screws, demonstrate the creative opportunities in resourcefulness and sustainability. Google’s new female emojis representing a variety of careers, Scewo’s wheelchair that can climb stairs, and the Nike Pro hijab, look towards a world that is inclusive of everyone, where diversity can be celebrated.
The show was both humbling and uplifting, shining a spotlight on how influential design is on culture. As designers we learn the skills to understand people, communicate effectively, how to build and get things done. The things we choose to make can either maintain the status quo, or we can use these skills to amplify the voice of change.
