Wednesday, April 02, 2008
No Logo: No Jobs
Sometimes I really have to rethink what made me want to become a designer in the first place, and readings like this latest one definitely keep me questioning what it is I'm doing. There's a reason why I try very hard to make sure what people think I do is not solely marketing driven. I know that the odds favor that I'll end up working in some design firm or another advertising consumer wants, rather than society's needs, but I still stand by what I said in the earlier post about the Beirut reading. I want to do what I can to get to the point where I can design for things that are meaningful to me. I know this doesn't really say all that much about the reading itself, but if you've read it, you'll probably understand my frustration. So many of today's corporations are falling into that Nike mode of being entirely a branding company, but at what cost?? They spend millions in order to make millions, but to make sure they keep their profits as high as possible, they try to skirt around paying those factory workers in the Cavite zone their $6 a day! Anyway maybe I'll add more if we discuss the reading in class, but I just had to vent some frustrations while it was still fresh in my mind. Thanks T-Gal for assigning a depressing reading! However things like this are important to keep in the back of your mind so you try not to forget what's really going on in the world, design related or otherwise, so it was definitely worth the read.
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6 comments:
call me an ignorant American, but I don't mind that companies have the desire to focus on design. As long as the money earned is fed into their research process or design concepts. In all honesty it's way too big of an idea for me to ever wrap my head around. If they're becoming successful, and people are getting pissed off because they feed their success, more power to them. People are supporting the "art scene."
i'm pretty sure design vs product is a false dichotomy here. at least i didn't get that from the klein readings. nike designers are doubtless getting paid a hell of a lot more than nike sweatshop workers but nike makes enough money to pay both of them well; that giant disparity is really feeding executive paychecks and profit margins that keep the shareholders happy.
i guess that means two things for us. one is that it's the fault of the way businesses are structured, and not of the work we do. the other is that we can choose to be complicit in it or not.
but if may 1st or whenever is the zero hour for not ever accepting anything besides a design job anymore, then you lose that choice. either way the people in the cavite netherworld zone are not gonna feel very different based on whether you're doing something you find "meaningful." they especially will not care if you do something you'll feel guilty about, and then feel guilty about it. their situation is part of the status quo and i think really your only choice is whether to participate in that.
I love pretty things. Whether it's my toothpaste, or my balsamic vinegar, I like to be surrounded by pretty things. It makes me happy, it makes me feel peaceful, and best of all, it inspires me. Design can be/should be/and is, superior to product. Design creates the brand and the brand creates the product. The product supports the company and the company supports the product. Without design, all products would be the same and I would spend my life standing in the lotion isle trying to decipher one product from the other. I'm with Garret.
Dean I know where you’re coming from, and the frustration. Honestly the reason I choose design as my major was because the lecture they gave are freshman year said that we’d get to use all sort of media (like photography), but also because I liked the idea that I could work on projects that would be seen by the masses.
But as for the reading being depressing, I guess that could be right. But I see it as something that’s just clarifying how things are now. And giving us a chance to figure out what our priorities are. And some of want to challenge how things are it’s best to know exactly what we’re up against.
Also throwing it out there. No one can say that our answer to Tyler’s question in class is that right one or not. The question and the article where given to use think harder on things we hold important to use, and based on what we come up with will give the answer to where you should go with your career.
I also think it’s interesting that on the blog more are saying that design is more important then the produced, while in class it seemed (which I could have been hearing wrong) that opinion wasn’t as strong, or maybe I was talking to much.
But guess for me I’m also going to use as post to say that in blog or class discussion we’re not looking for Queen pageant answer here. It’s time for use to open our minds and ideas to those around use and their thoughts and get a better understanding the way they think. Thought at times it might be irritating to listen to others cause our opinions might be completely opposite from one anther. It’s important to give your thoughts and listen to others. I mean how else do you expect grow not only as a designer but also as a person?
So on that note for me I sit think that the produce is more important. Yes design is going to help get the product out there. Honestly I think this whole “we’re selling an experience” thing is bullshit. I don’t think you can sell an experience through design. I mean for example I bought some Tazo tea, the bottle and label was telling me that I was about to have a refreshing organic experience that teased nice. I ended up with the after taste of grossness. Now the fault does lay on me for not think harder before my purchase and it did reminded me that labels can lie. Honestly I hardly ever buy because of how something looks, my factors are based on price and necessity. And I know a bunch of people that do the something, come on why else would sit have things like Wal-Mart? But when my budget allows it like try something different and that has a nice label on it. But never has been a time that I have tried one these and suddenly was smacked in face with “the experience.” In fact most of time I’m a little disappointed that I spent the money on that item, nested of going with what I normally do and having a little more money in my pocket.
Sometimes for me design can be just anther way form people to try and rub their social status in every ones face. Who cares what you look like, are you nice? Can I get along with you? That’s what matters to me.
But any how I’m going to stop here cause you should all know I can go on for ever and never really come to a solid conclusion.
lindz i agree with you in a couple different aspects. where have we come to in a society that everything we buy has to be pretty. or what we surround ourselves with has to be pretty. yes as visual creative people sometimes we are drawn to those things naturally. But lets think about it, 100 years ago there wasn't a high level of design that made you want one product over the other just for the experience. people were purchasing their daily necessities from a market, they bought what they needed to survive, period.
In some ways i think that the product drives the design and vis versa. almost as if the two are equal. now i am not saying that applies to 100% of products out there thats for sure. if you have a certain kind of flavor of tea then how will you as a designer differentiate from an 'original' flavor of tea. that is an example of how a product can determine design.
I am on the 50/50 side of it though, i really can't make up my mind.
I don't think it is sad that we have come to be a society that likes pretty things. We should be thankful, we are designers. If we didn't need pretty things, we wouldn't necessarily need good looking design. I take pride in my appreciativeness for other design forms, i.e. furniture, packaging, industrial. I can not just say I like pretty posters, but not care about anything else. Nor could I say that I just like pretty cars, and again, not care about anything else. Having a heightened sense of visual awareness makes this impossible.
To say that "creating an experience" is bullshit, is absolutely mind boggling to me. Are you saying that you never have experienced excitement over the way something was packaged, or felt your heart race a little bit faster when you saw a brilliant type face such as Archer (ha)? Every morning when I grab for my maca and cacao powder in the freezer, I can't help but internally smile from the beauty of the simplistic brown bags. Opening my closet and seeing a row of perfectly lined wooden hangers puts me at ease and calms my anxiety. When I reach for my Dr. Brunners soap and see the words "fair trade", I can't help but feel good about myself and the choices I am making. These are just a few of the hundreds of feelings I have a day. Ultimately, these feelings are a result of the products I choose to surround myself with and in my mind these are all experiences.
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