OUGD601 - Extended Essay Reading - Design for Society by Nigel Whiteley

Notes and Quotes

pg 1

- After the recession designers were considered part of a societal problem rather than a solution

pg 2

- designers are now rethinking their practice because of wider understanding / acknowledgement of the implications of design on society

- new designers are now rethinking their practice because of wider understanding of the link between design and societal problems

- systems become normal because we live within it

pg 3

- design as a whole needs to consider the effects it can have, as well as societal problems

redesign and repackaging are within a system based on limitless growth and desire

- our current economic system relies on growth and desire, which redesign fuels / is part of

consumer led design aims to be desirable – consumer led design plays on human desires rather than needs

- consumers are never satisfied and want more from products – the market creates desires that are met temporarily by a constant supply of new products

- we now need to understand that resources used to create products are not endless

- ethics have been challenged over the effect that design and the market have on the environment

- consumer led design encourages materialism and makes consumers unfulfilled

in consumerism, materialism becomes dominant and more societal values are lessened

pg 5

- design publications rarely bring up the industries values and what this says about designers and society as a whole

- writers on design have been satisfied with providing space for debate about design practice

Chapter 2. Green Design

pg 47.

- green has been used as a means of selling products

- helped draw attention to environmental issues

- a rethink on a designer’s effect on society was needed – ethical stance

pg 50.

- green consumers purchase based on environmental credentials that cause little to no damage

pg 51.

- this kind of action is specific and direct making it easily understood for the consumer rather than being general and vague

- green products have become part of the mainstream rather than niche products

- greater amounts of people have awareness of environmental issues

pg 52.

- a ‘pale green’ consumer has sympathies but is not totally committed

- not many people base every purchase on the environment

- if define green consumers as basing every purchase on environmental factors there are not many ‘greens’ however if based on people who consider it, it is on the increase

- consumers are put off by this radical approach and don’t feel they can help despite wanting to

pg. 53.

- consumers do not see that that large change is needed for environmental sustainability

pg 54.

- only able to support ‘Green’ fully because it has been financially successful

pg 55.

- suggests there are only extreme views on how to solve green problems either stop consuming or solve through using the market.

- taxing makes it financially unfeasible to have ungreen products

- suggests financial incentive is needed for the consumer to buy green products

- Green policies take a back seat to other policies in politics

pg 59.

- Greens view on society are opposite to current capitalist views 

- what we need and want is hard to define in current consumerist culture where we have everything

- do we actually want all of these things or are manufacturers and advertisers taking advantage of consumers by making up these needs or aspirations up to get the consumer to purchase their products

pg 60.

- green ethos is quality over quantity

- some products are not needed and encourage a materialistic society which is detrimental to an individual’s health

pg 61

- many products do not meet expectation and go to waste

- we should avoid items that will not be used

- new products are marketed to improve earlier products

- there is a need to move forward and stay up to date

pg 62

- constantly improved convenience products encourage consumerism

- there is a focus on the financial aspect of the product rather than environmental impact

pg 65

- there is oversight when looking at the effect of production processes on people

pg 70

- wood has the potential to be sustainable whereas others will run out

- there needs to be a rethink on how we extract / get materials

- material living standards will have to come down to be sustainable

pg 71

- designers educating the client and public pressure is needed to change consumerist retailers

pg 72

- designers are key to the recycling of single use plastics

pg 73

- the durability of plastic can be seen as beneficial because its long life makes it energy efficient

- biodegradability is not an effective solution to the plastic problem

- biodegradability may not be as useful as other methods

- reuse and recycling in war time suggests society can adapt

pg 80

- what is recycled paper? Deinked and 85 – 90 % paper fibre

- some recycled paper is the same quality as new

pg 81

- designers are responsible for choosing material (paper)

- a coherent labelling system for recycled paper is needed

- messages that are sent out by industry and design is contradictory to benefitting / helping the environment, which has repercussions for us

pg 82

- designers have connections with both sides of the product system - designers are the middlemen within the product cycle – designers have connections with both consumers and producers

- designers need to think about the environment first

pg 83

- designers have ignored the effects of design on the environment

- end of use activities need to be considered for packaging

- some issues make it difficult for designers to make informed choices

- materials and clients are problems on the road to sustainability

pg 84

- legislation and public pressure are needed

- green values may be used as a marketing ploy

pg 85

- companies are waiting for public need / want of environmental packaging as they don’t want it to hurt profits

- change to more sustainable materials would affect aesthetic and finish

pg 86

- green design could be a new aesthetic

- green design has come in stages. To get to the mainstream environmentally friendly products are introduced, competition increases, then obvious green icons are removed to become mainstream

- green seen as less effective

- green aesthetic has become mainstream

- green design has a less folksy perception

pg 90

- different green aesthetics are used to appeal to different target audiences

- even if recycled materials are used in packaging less of these must be used - within green - design less material must be used even if they are recycled materials

there are similarities between green and modernist design