Welcome to Industrial Design
The intended audience in these two articles appeared to be polar opposite in many cases. In “A Brief History of Industrial Design and Interaction Design”, it was apparent that this reading was not intended to speak to a diverse group of designers. However, the second article was very much grounded on the basis of race and the racialization of industrial design. Understanding, the historical context and origins of where design started on the basis of race, in African American culture and society. It was quite eye-opening to compare the two as they share many of the similar topics of design, however, simultaneously, distance themselves in unique ways through the rhetoric and language of each piece.
In “A Brief History of Industrial Design and Interaction Design”, King and Cheng highlight the significance of the intent behind industrial design. The intention being, that there was an encompassing vision for serving a large consumer group and audience that would benefit from the cross-functionality of the design. For example, they explain, “Driven by this change in technology, the field of industrial design emerged to specialize in the design of commercial products that appealed to a broad audience and could be manufactured at scale. In contrast to the craftsmen of the past, these designers were challenged with meeting the needs of a large population, balancing functionality, aesthetics, ergonomics, durability, cost, manufacturability, and marketability” (King and Cheng 1).
Similarly, in the “Black People Made America” reading, it explains the history of design and products that were successfully founded by African Americans. It speaks less on the ideology, function and purpose of the creative and iteration process of the design, but the direct facts about the different sectors and areas of successful innovation by African Americans. Both readings suggest that design history is essential for understanding the way in which we think about the world, the consumer and the product. It is a universal effort to successfully launch a product and innovate. Both articles break down the use for design, in business, fashion, technology and for people and they both give in depth examples of each section of design which is helpful in corresponding a product to its origin and design intention.
