Journal #6: thirty conversations on design

I listened to Sean Adams, Edwin Chan, Paula Schere, Chip Kidd, Massimo Vignelli, Kiko Farkas, Paul Sahre, and Eddie Nunns. It was really interesting to hear the different answers from each designer. Some had similar thoughts, and found the most inspiring design something personal or something they really identify with such as the album cover Kiko Farkas describes, or Paul Sahre's Old Spice bottle from his grandfather. Others such as Paula Schere and Massimo Vignelli could not find one single piece that inspires them the most, rather they are inspire by everything around them, or what ever they happen to be working on at the time. I really like how Sean Adams describes his most inspirational piece to be the Declaration of Independence. I never though of it as a designed object, be he made a really good point how our government is designed and shaped by that document. It shows that everything around us is designed, and I think it is rather or not we realize it that makes this concept interesting.

I do not think I can think of one single piece that inspires me the most, because I think I am often inspired. So much around us is beautiful that I can not pick just one thing.

The second answer from most of these designers seemed to have a similar trend. Most of the designers said that we need to concentrate on minimizing waste. Our job as designers produces a lot of waste. Paul Sahre stated that we, as designers, are a big part of the problem; we do solve many problems, but we also produce problems because of our drive to constantly design better objects. Many of the designers also discussed how we need to design things people need rather than what people want. If we design only what people need, there will be a reduction in waste. This would make design more responsible. Unfortunately, designers are paid a lot of money to design things people want, and money is a big drive for designers (so they can buy expensive alcohol, as Chipp Kidd describes.) All in all, design needs to improve people's lives.

I believe too, that the next goal of design needs to be to produce things while wasting less. We could perhaps design things that do not need to be thrown away, that can be used for a very long time. I don't see this as a reality though, because producing less means less money. I think all design needs to be more environmentally conscious. I do think the whole green movement, as Edwin Chan states, is a giant fad, but I think it is a really good fad. Americans, and other societies are so wasteful, but this trend in environmental awareness will better our culture and better us as designers.