Do you see the focus of design changing for your generation?
Yes, but the role of design has been in a constant state of evolution throughout history and I see my generation as no different. Just as designers in the 20th century aimed to create value through form and content, we, the designers of the future, are working to expand the meaning and role design plays in our lives. There was a time when design was defined by products or a visual aesthetic but I believe that the future of design lies not in physical objects but rather the creation of experience, transformation and community - to disciplines as far-reaching as climate change and economics. Organizations like Project H Design and Architects for Humanity are already leading the way in this refocusing and I believe this is only the beginning of a much larger movement.
Is sustainability taught as a design discipline or is it integrated into every course?
No, unfortunately I do not see it taught as either right now - but thankfully this is evolving very fast. Institutions are always slow to adopt change, and design schools are no exception. As the ideas of sustainability and environmental consciousness mature through grass roots growth in online communities like Core77, Treehugger, Design Observer and Planet Green, I believe educational models will shift and sustainability will begin to see adoption into most courses. It is only a matter of time before these concepts will find permanence in courses based not on trends but rather necessity - a societal need to deal with the issues at hand.
What do you see as the growth areas in design in the next decade or two?
Certainly issues to do with our climate - renewable energy, green design with respect to consumer goods and commercial and residential development but also social entrepreneurship and enterprise. I believe the the growth we will witness in design will be two-fold: how to address the monumental challenges we face as a society but also how to harness the amazing potential that collaboration and community can provide through increased ventures between designers, engineers, business people, and scientists.
Do you really think that design can solve the problems of the world? If so, why?
Yes, but its not “design” per se, that can solve these problems, I am certainly not one to think that posters will somehow find a solution to the climate crisis. However I do believe that an integrated approach, by bringing together multiple disciplines to seriously tackle with a shared purpose utilizing a creative process and holistic thinking akin to design could, and does, play a major role in solving the major challenges of the world. Providence is a great example of this integration in action on a community scale. The Adobe 21 project, a collaboration between non-profit (Community Works RI and the US Green Building Council) and for-profit organizations (Stack Design Build, Distill Studio, Cutler & Company, and V Street Media) has made strides in creating new jobs, increasing the supply of efficient affordable housing and promoting energy conservation on a neighborhood-wide scale. There is a lot of talk of these type of pursuits: “design thinking,” design “strategy,” but until design can collaborate in an equal partnership with other disciplines it will continue to be a veneer for aesthetic and lack the real depth of problem solving.
Do you that design studios as we know them today will continue to be viable? Or do you see some kind of collaborative global model emerging?
Like any sector of the economy, the keys to the future of survival and viability are based on flexibility, agility, and providing value. Design studios are no different than manufacturers, advertising agencies, and higher education. Those who embrace and welcome change while positioning themselves in a meaningful way that can guide their clients to not just a profitable endpoint, but also a leadership position, will not only survive but flourish. If the financial crisis and the recession have done anything for us they have expedited the acceptance of change by both individuals and institutions just to survive. Already you are seeing more of this change occurring by bringing multiple disciplines to the table, shared work environments, and creative approaches to freelancers and consultants.
Any thoughts on mobile communications - will it be used for design? Will it become its own design specialty?
I think that mobile communications will no doubt continue to have a larger central role in our lives in the coming years. Working as an interface design intern for Apple this summer, I was able to see first hand the evolution of the iPhone design as its own specialty. Just like any other new technological platform before it, mobile communications devices demand a new way of thinking and a new design approach to make them truly exceptional. So, while I don’t think it will be its own “design specialty,” design for mobile communications certainly demands a new way of thinking about interaction and experience. Two of our speakers at this year’s conference, Jan Chipchase of the Nokia Research Center, and Ken Banks of Kiwanja, are trailblazers in designing mobile technologies and systems to rethink community in the developed and developing world - I am really looking forward hearing their experiences and where they see us going in the future.
Why should today’s design students care - why not simply focus on branding and designing cool consumer products?
I think it is critical that students “care” because we are moving into an era of responsibility and openness. I don’t think any of this is mutually exclusive anymore - by caring, what a young designer is really doing is investing in their own future. By broadening the scope and breaking down the compartmentalization of ideas like branding and advertising, and welcoming concepts of integration, collaboration and synthesis into their work, designers are opening the door to get involved with and serve an even bigger community. Students today have the opportunity to be role models with our “why not” attitude and a passion that we can actually make a difference in the world while we are still in school. Any serious student today should have keep issues of environmental and social design in mind, after all, its our future.