Thirty creatives gave their opinions on the following two questions:
“What single example of design inspires you most?” and “What problem should design solve next?”
Edwin Chan, Paula Scher, and Tina Roth Eisenberg (3 of 60 creatives between 2009-2010) discusses their values of design that often reflect their view of design’s overall purpose and the good it can serve.
Edwin Chan “Need vs. Want”
Chan, a notable architect, uses the Mandala as inspiration because it is a significant place in his thoughts. He thinks about the Mandala’s history and future. People are obsessed with a level of extravagance that often impedes with life’s simplistic offerings, nature. Chan works to design towards preserving what already exists by employing a simple installment to meet the general needs of the people.
Paula Scher “Anything is Possible”
“Design is interesting in its time in relationship to something else.” Along with many others, Paula Scher felt uncomfortable designating one example of design as her inspiration. Her words reflect how times change and design changes along with it.
She believes design doesn’t solve problems, problems emerge and people think about tackling it in a better way. Although her statement is very ambiguous to relate to real world examples, it is true. She doesn’t believe in putting design on a high pedestal. Problems arise and people use design to ease the situation.
Tina Roth Eisenberg “Around the World”
Tina is interested in how cultural differences influence design. She uses the example of traveling to Switzerland. In a farming community, the meticulous arrangement of firewood caught her attention. She realized this was a reflection on the culture of Switzerland to organize.
Tina references one of today’s most troubling concerns in the world: a lack of safe drinking water. She is inspired by the Life Straw’s design to change any collection of water to drinking water.