In the “Thirty conversations on design” we have all those great designers speaking of a myriad of themes associated with designs. They spoke of their sources of inspiration and the problems design needs to address. When it comes to thinking of design most of the time our thoughts go to products and objects that we use every day. Many of these designers too spoke of the need to give attention to certain products in the realm of ecology, sustainable energy, housing, transportation, communication, etc. However what I liked in some of those conversations was how some of those designers chose to speak of the “human person” as being at the centre of the issue of Design.
Deborah Adler, for example, speaks of the importance of the “The Heart” in design. She says that the designers’ strength should not be defined by their aesthetic or their style, but by thinking of the person at the heart of the design; how that design can meet the needs and solve problems of people. It is putting human beings at the centre of the design process.
Edwin Chan too emphasizes on the humanistic aspect of design. He is an architect who is inspired much by the Buddhist concept of “Mandala“. Though he claims to be non-religious, he gives a lot of importance to spirituality. His inspiration – the Mandalas – reflect exactly that. He talked about the importance of balancing survival with quality of life. This requires minimizing waste, and controlling wants. Where does design come in? He says that designers should help to minimize waste through whatever they design; and this of course without losing quality. The ultimate goal is to find the essence of who we really are. I do feel that Chan really has an important point that needs to be taken into consideration for the survival of humanity, in the real sense of the word.
Joe Duffy also has some similar point to make when he speaks about nature being inspiration for design. Massimo Vignelli (Choices, Choices, 2009) too goes along with that humanistic view when he says that designing should be “for people”, meeting their needs rather than wants.
But watching Chip Kidd‘s comment titled “This is Who I Am” (2009) before all other shorts, I was hoping to have some serious stuff about design. But I was quite disappointed. However in between he had some real nuggets to offer. One of the things he said makes a lot of sense, and I feel is extremely important as far as design is concerned: the need to develop an identity. Design ultimately flows from identity and leads to identity. One needs to take oneself seriously to achieve this. I liked the way the interview was visualized For the first half of the movie – there were just caricatures/drawings of the designer with his voice-over. A nice way of talking about the need for true identity – not caricatures! Ironically, the interview with Chip Kidd has this message written into it subliminally – that human beings needs to take the prime place in the design process: not caricatures of human beings, but ‘real’ human beings as we all are destined to be.