FRIEZE ART FAIR NEW YORK 2012
MILAN 2012: SALONE INTERNAZIONALE DEL MOBILE
MILAN 2012: SATELLITE EXHIBITIONS
MILAN 2012: BRERA DESIGN DISTRICT
An article in the Times entitled "From the Pen of a Giant of Industrial Design" looks at Brooks Stevens, a prominent industrial designer of the last century and one of the original nine founders, along with Raymond Loewy, of the IDSA. Stevens opened up his first design firm in the 1930s and went on to design everything from logos to consumer products to automobiles, including the ridiculous but iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile seen above.
As for that planned obsolescence stuff, the Times depressingly notes:
A speech [Stevens] gave at an advertising conference in 1954 was titled "planned obsolescence," and while he didn't coin the phrase, he is said to have popularized it. More significant, he had faith in the concept; for that he was reviled by some.To Mr. Stevens, however, planned obsolescence was a positive. He was a practical-minded champion of commerce and felt that satisfying the consumer's desire for something new and different was a good thing, even if that desire moved people to buy a little sooner than might be necessary.
Comments
one of the main philosophies behind ID is planned obsolescence....make something desirable so people want it even though they don't need it...in Brooks's words, "the desire to own something a little newer and a little better, a little sooner than necessary. I simply meant you didn't have to wear a pair of shoes until you wore holes right through the soles"...You also have to realize that Brooks was practicing during a different time - eco design wasn't exactly a prominent concept.
If you are like me you have a house full of Apple products. First there was a Nano, then a video, then 2 iPhones, and another Nano, followed by a Touch (for the daughter) and a iPad on the way. Each one did something a little better so we had to upgrade even though we didn't really need too. Sounds like planned obsolescence is a very successful business model for the kings of design.
Unfortunately the notion of planed obsolescence is rooted in industrial design(mostly as a marketing tool). BUT!!! one of the fortunate things is that industrial design really isn't that old of a profession. Who's to say that we can't depart from our shallow roots? Anyways, as for what Mike said, Apple is the king of planned obsolescence. Always releasing products that have only a few new features...when we all know that other comparable products have already been on the market with those very same features and most cases, more. Apple is just extremely good at marketing them as "new features" and implementing them fluidly.