Core77

Alice Rawsthorn, design critic of the International Herald Tribune, has written a nice short essay where she tries to define the very concept of contemporary design practice, and brings in some interesting examples in the process.

She structures her argument in four sections:

1. Design and things ("the process of conceiving and creating things in the hope of making life easier and more enjoyable")


2. Design and formulas ("designers are now also working more flexibly by developing formulas to produce things that can be interpreted differently by different people, rather than finished objects")


3. Design and behavior ("design's potential to regulate our behavior" which also covers social design or service design)


4. Meaningless design ("the use of the word 'design' as a marketing ploy")

>> read article

Photo: a low-cost Ceramic Water Purifier from Potters for Peace, a U.S. nonprofit network, republished in the International Herald Tribune