Taking the utopian route, I would to love to believe that design is in the perpetual state of moving forward, but having some experience in the design world, I’ve come to witness that the above is not always true. Somewhat disenchanted, with my own work and that which I see around me, it is easy to lose sight of the reason why we’re designers. How do you balance the utopian ideas and virtues that we as designers’ hold with the actual practice of design? It is a dilemma I face and many before and after me will face – when adding that bright yellow for no purpose except to draw attention – I feel like I’m selling my soul to the devil; it feels like I have no morals left anymore. Here is where design can get frustrating. And here it is where it reveals it most human side.
By its definition, design is utopian – it is “no place” – it shouldn’t even exist. Like the many utopian ideas and movements we’ve witnessed through history that have taught us that seeking a utopia is worthless, disastrous even. But then why, astonishingly, is design part of our everyday lives, how are designers like Yves Behar able to actually change the world with their designs?
“Design is a never ending quest…it is in the perpetual state of becoming” (James Housefield, DES001). Reading back my notes, these words came as a remedy to a broken heart; yes, I am bound to make meaningless work sometimes, but in the recognition of my actions I am learning to become a better designer. In asking the hard questions of my work, I am embarking on a quest to make it better. I have always felt that one of the greatest beauties of life is being in the perpetual state of learning something new everyday – what if the point is not “what design is becoming”, but rather its perpetual state of becoming – of the process of learning, itself.
