Curiosities… Design & Technology. Film by Loviisa Mellin.
On invitation of Design Indaba, I am delighted to share ideas, thoughts and observations with the captive Design Indaba online audience. It is one of the exciting times we are living in and there are tremendous possibilities on our planet and beyond that need engagement. Indeed it’s happening… design thinking and action. Design Indaba is one such example.
Design ought to address the real needs of all living and non-living beings. Looking at the fascinating possibilities out there, especially in countries like Brazil, India, China and South Africa where the geographical-geopolitical conditions and unique cultural settings require a refreshingly new approach to design.
We are excited by industrial design and its positive impact on humanity. We truly believe in plural human expressions and would not confine to any specific approach to design in the 21st century and beyond.
We all know that the link between the industrial and the humanitarian is important. But it is indeed a relatively new chapter to be written in the field of design. Design & Technology is synonymous in many ways, however technology for the sake of technology does not mean much unless it is applied in a context. The benefits one could get from its contribution are endless.
Over the last years we have been discussing with Marva Griffin the topic dear to our hearts – Design & Technology and its impact on people around the world. One could get on with several issues and talk about design and technology in a wider sense. However, we felt we needed to start the conversation with smaller projects – projects that are done within a personal context.
Loviisa Mellin of Kettu Bisnis Productions put together a team of creative people and collaborated with us in making the short film Curiosities… Design & Technology, which was first presented at the Cosmit, during the 2012 Milan Furniture Fair. Now we would like to share it with you.
We have always believed that design can create positive change, if it has substance and a meaningful purpose, technological innovation and, above all, a new cultural expression and/or provocation and a lot more that can not be put into words.
However, the real challenge we have today is not design and/or technology and its applications, but equal opportunity to access this technology and design. We have fascinating minds - especially in the developing world - where, given access to technology, they will create amazing culturally-specific designs and truly human plural expressions.
The challenge is to make it happen with political and industrial will. As our dear friend, master designer, late Ole Palsby used to say: “Design is a political statement.”
Above: Image: Ole Palsby. Photo: Satyendra Pakhalé, Amsterdam.
