Keen: Joe, you seem like a swell guy, but I'm nervous about the unintended consequences of your generosity as a designer. Take the running shoe you designed for Nike, for example. I'd rather the next-generation Derek Jeters of the world wore the shoe to excel in sports rather than worry about its design. It's just one more reason for our young athletes to take their eye off the ball.
I am afraid, Joe, that design is neither important nor interesting for the majority of consumers. In the same way as I don't want to know about the physics of an engine when I drive a car, I don't want to be bothered by the design aesthetics when I wear my shoes or sit in my new loft. Consumers consume; designers design. End of story.
Duffy: I'm sorry to hear this, Andrew. Sounds like you've resigned yourself to a pretty boring existence, void of any creative expression in those areas of your life that have anything to do with design. And yes, I know there are many who feel the same way you do. It's one of the reasons our world is a pretty dreary place.
On the bright side, I do have confidence that the next generation will be much better at "designing their lives." To that end, I'd like to offer your daughter a gift certificate to nike.com so that she can design those electric orange and purple sneakers that will no doubt help brighten up your life. Just tell me where to send it.
Keen: I am afraid that you are right. I am fearful that as technology increasingly democratizes our cultural life, our kids will be more and more seduced by easy-to-use interfaces for designing their own personalized products. Lego, I understand, is already doing this. And these kids will then grow up thinking of themselves as talented designers who will go on to personalize their houses and even, given the advances in cell research, their own children.
I have to admit that even I am in the market for one really well designed product. That's a really good pair of sunglasses to protect me from the glare of all the meretricious products in our brave new world of amateur designers.
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Recent Comments | 12 Total
August 20, 2009 at 5:16am by Jesica Semon
I tend to see things going this way as well. I'm certain this won't stop at drug use and party behavior (which is actually a ridiculous qualifier as some of the best employees I've seen partied hard on the weekends). What happens when you're denied a job because of some political or religious views you espouse on blog that the HR person doesn't agree with? You know, the kind of information they aren't allowed to ask you in an interview setting. If it can't be asked in an interview they shouldn't be allowed to go looking for that info online. But, I guess you can always make your profiles private so only people you want to see them can.
August 20, 2009 at 5:16am by Jesica Semon
I tend to see things going this way as well. I'm certain this won't stop at drug use and party behavior (which is actually a ridiculous qualifier as some of the best employees I've seen partied hard on the weekends). What happens when you're denied a job because of some political or religious views you espouse on blog that the HR person doesn't agree with? You know, the kind of information they aren't allowed to ask you in an interview setting. If it can't be asked in an interview they shouldn't be allowed to go looking for that info online. But, I guess you can always make your profiles private so only people you want to see them can.