Looking at the History of Design from a Distance
A new design may be born at a turning point in human history.
Since I was a child, I have been wondering how aliens would classify people on earth if they observed us.
We tend to classify people by nationality, language, color, or gender. But what would they look like if we observed the earth from a little farther away?
If I were a classification-loving alien, I would name the Homo Sapiens living on the islands we call Japan on Earth rice-eater. I would name them rice-eater because they are so rice-loving that they naturally use the phrase “never enough rice.” There are also wheat-eater and potato-eater on the ground. Perhaps we can also count the alcohol-drinker as an independent species.
In this issue, we would like to introduce some examples that might change the landscape if we look at them from a distance.
History of Design
If you take a college course on the history of design, you will probably be taught from the story of the Industrial Revolution. In fact, that is how I have been teaching at Nagasaki University.
But what about the alien point of view?
