The Next Design Chapter
How will the cultural shifts of today shape the design of the future?
LED Wallpaper Designed by Ingo Maurer. Made by Architects Paper, a brand of A.S. Création Tapeten AG, Wiehl, Germany. Designed 2011. Paper, LEDs, electrical components. Gift of Vesna Todorovic Sacks and Howard J. Sacks
The birth of Collab at the Philadelphia Museum of Art coincided with a major cultural shift, where design and art were moving away from post-war modernism, and into a more contemporary realm that was more inclusive of futuristic materials and concepts. In the late 1960s and all through the ‘70s, plastics were all the rage, as were warm color palettes and exaggerated textures. And then Postmodernism came along with its excess, and paying homage to historical forms. Minimalism came arrived along soon after to counteract Postmodernism, reminding us that whenever there is a cultural trend (or point), another one comes around: (the counterpoint). These cultural shifts always are reactionary to things happening in the world, whether they be political, global, social, or o-economic, etc. So it’s important to examine design in context of the times.
Today we are witnessing a new major cultural shift, where the Digital Age is upon us, colliding with the Natural World— (the one we knew before Climate Change and digitization). This new world is exciting and yet stressful at the same time. On one hand, we love the advances of technology to change how we communicate and consume. However, we suffer great loss when we give away our humanity to technology. How can we become more human in the presence of digital life and artificial intelligence? How much tech is too much? Where are the boundaries?
We cannot have a discussion about digital life today without talking about nature and biophilia. They are the point and counterpoint to each one another. After recent years of global turmoil, both mankind and nature are in dire need of renewal. Scientists are predicting that if we do not address and reverse climate change within the next 10-12 years, the earth will be beyond repair and all of our eco-systems that depend on each other will begin or continue to fail. And with what of younger generations living life in the cloud and online? , Willdo they even care about nature , especially if they grew up on more connected to devices than and not than to the world outside? Do we have empathy anymore for ourselves or for and nature?
So what does this all have to do with design? Designers address the challenges of mankind to make the world a better place. They solve problems using design at all scales, whether it be creating buildings that are inclusive and easy to navigate, or household objects that make it easy for people to cut vegetables or and clean your their homes. Design is everywhere: , in our clothing, our kitchens, our workplaces, and our schools, etc. And while many people think the role of design is to make the world a better looking and more useful place, designers proudly will proudly let you know that while that this is partly true, their main top priority is to serve humanity for the greater good.
The next chapter of design will be critical for man’s survival in this new hybrid world.
Today we are living in between two extremes. The next chapter of design will be critical for man’s survival in this new hybrid world. As a society, we have big issues to address, such as globalization, diversity, sustainability, and the circular economy, and urbanization. The world has become so polarized, and we live in a time of great disparity discord and conflict. One thing is clear, however: , and that is when looking at culture today, we have multiple visions of the future. For many of us, we live in between the polarities, caught between these two opposing visions. And many of us call for unity and a desire to live as one, hoping for common ground to build a more secure future. This is what design does best, it seeks answers to create a path forward.
