By Rosy Callisto
Have you ever thought that an ordinary object, like a legal pad for example, could be anything more than just a paper? Well, that is exactly what Matt Kenyon and Douglas Easterly tried to do with their design the “Notepad”. This design looks like a normal stack of yellow legal pads. However, you just need a magnifying loupe to discover the huge value hidden behind this design. Each line consists of micro-printed text stating the names, dates, locations of the dead Iraqi citizens as a result of the US-led invasion of Iraq. Kenyon stated that this was a protest aiming to draw attention to the suffering Iraqis going unacknowledged from the US government. Kenyon runs SWAMP, Studies of Work Atmosphere and Mass Production, which addresses critical topics like the effects of global corporate operations, mass media, military-industrial complexes, and the liminal area between life and artificial life (SWAMP, n.d.). “Notepad” was initially displayed in “Talk to Me”, an exhibition in 2011 by the Museum of Modern art in Manhattan, one of the most noteworthy museums of modern art in the world, and is now part of the permanent collection of the museum. All projects displayed in the exhibition contain way more meaning than first perceived from their appearance and try to establish an emotional and intellectual connection with the audience. It must be acknowledged that all the works displayed by MoMA, are considered the best collection of modern artworks in the world.
Nowadays, the vision in design has become more broad and the features which construct a “good” design have grown as well. Traditionally, a design was perceived as “good” based solely on its visual beauty. Later on, the ability of the design to efficiently fulfill its function became a priority (Rawsthorn, 2013). However, as it can be seen from the example above, the element of aesthetic beauty is diminishing. This gave gave the floor to critical design, which as stated by Malpass (2013), “focuses on the present social, cultural, and ethical implications of design objects and makes striking comments on current economic, political, psychological concerns”. He states that design needs to break free from the constraints of the servicing industry and do more than just reinforcing global capitalist values. Good design uses relational ambiguity to lead the users to consider new beliefs, values, and question their own attitudes or activities.
In contrast to traditional design, focusing on the creation of products to make daily interactions more efficient and pleasant, provocative design aims to challenge the status quo through products that stimulate discussion (Ozkaramanliab & Desmet, 2016). It presents alternative views of the world that can be articulated in material terms, to challenge dominant ideologies and socio-cultural norms. Good design is not supposed to please everyone, but instead it challenges conventions (Nichols, 2019). Moreover, good design is original and innovative. It is honest by being useful at the same time. Good design is long-lasting and environmentally friendly (Domingo, 2019). Last, it carries symbolic and structural integrity (Rawsthorn, 2013).
References
Domingo, M. (2019, Sep). Dieter Rams: 10 Timeless Commandments for Good Design. Interaction Design Foundation. Retrieved from: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/dieter-rams-10-timeless-commandments-for-good-design
Malpass, M. (2013). Between Wit and Reason: Defining Associative, Speculative, and Critical Design in Practice, Design and Culture, 5:3, 333-356. The Journal of the Design Studies Forum. DOI: 10.2752/175470813X13705953612200
Nichols, J. (2019, Mar 25). Great Design Vs Good Design: What’s The Difference? Here’s The Truth. Medium. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/truthaboutdesign/great-design-vs-good-design-whats-the-difference-here-s-the-truth-da08557f6fdd
Ozkaramanliab, D., Desmet, P.M.A. (2016). Provocative design for unprovocative designers: Strategies for triggering personal dilemmas. The Design Research Society. Retrieved from: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:385f9d9b-c73c-46c5-a0a7-285d94af76f4
Rawsthorn, A. (2013). Hello world: where design meets life. Penguin UK, pp. 45-60.
SWAMP (n.d.). Studies of Work Atmospheres and Mass Production. Retrieved from: http://www.swamp.nu/
Making sense of art and design industries 