Victor Papanek "Design for the Real World" book.
I read "Design for the Real World" by Victor Papanek in russian through last summer and i'm still under great impression about it. Moreover, the author is so convincing in his viewpoints that now i need to find and read something completely opposite to restore the balance in my mind.
As i understand it, the real world for Victor Papanek is the world of developing countries and countries of the third world. He is certain about the idea that any human concidering him- or herself a Designer must contribute to find decisions against danger, hunger, deseases, poverty, misery e t.c. for those people who have needs, not just wishes or desires. At least 1/10 of its time might ennoble the designer's soul, so to say.
His first main project that brought him to fame was hand-made radio station, the receiver in the image below. He was concerned about uneducated people who didn't even have newspapers or TV to be informed about current situation in their country/town, didn't know their rights and where suffering through this. Thus he started era of truly functional design that was far away from glossy prestige world. By the way, Victor Papanek is extremely opponent to the worlds of fashion or fine art, claiming them in antihumanity and excess.
In his book he describes variety of methods for coming up with useful ideas. Most of them are from practice in university with his students and from successful projects. Starting from meticulous observing the nature to speculating on stream of consciousness. For instance, the structure of winged seads of different plants might be used in areas where traditional helicopters are inappropriate. Thus he organised artificial systems against fertile soils washing off, breeding and feeding species under threat of extinction and more.
Speaking about research he draws attention to deep cultural features of locals that must be concidered while designing anything. For example, if african women have been carrying burdens on their heads for centuries a designer shouldn't create new shopping cart for them, but come up with some support in order their skulls and necks didn't get that damaged.
As for aesthetics, he doesn't bother too much for explaining how to dial with it. Look-&-feel, shape and form are in minor of his attention. Though he brings up some scientific case with rats who's brains develop dependently from surrounding atmosphere.
Besides great ammount of advices and techniques of how to research and work efficiently he applies huge effort to incline reader in favor of his ideas. He like customises reader's mind to think more about people's real needs. After this book you would feel a bit ashamed designing "just another cute toaster".
As i understand it, the real world for Victor Papanek is the world of developing countries and countries of the third world. He is certain about the idea that any human concidering him- or herself a Designer must contribute to find decisions against danger, hunger, deseases, poverty, misery e t.c. for those people who have needs, not just wishes or desires. At least 1/10 of its time might ennoble the designer's soul, so to say.
His first main project that brought him to fame was hand-made radio station, the receiver in the image below. He was concerned about uneducated people who didn't even have newspapers or TV to be informed about current situation in their country/town, didn't know their rights and where suffering through this. Thus he started era of truly functional design that was far away from glossy prestige world. By the way, Victor Papanek is extremely opponent to the worlds of fashion or fine art, claiming them in antihumanity and excess.
In his book he describes variety of methods for coming up with useful ideas. Most of them are from practice in university with his students and from successful projects. Starting from meticulous observing the nature to speculating on stream of consciousness. For instance, the structure of winged seads of different plants might be used in areas where traditional helicopters are inappropriate. Thus he organised artificial systems against fertile soils washing off, breeding and feeding species under threat of extinction and more.
Speaking about research he draws attention to deep cultural features of locals that must be concidered while designing anything. For example, if african women have been carrying burdens on their heads for centuries a designer shouldn't create new shopping cart for them, but come up with some support in order their skulls and necks didn't get that damaged.
As for aesthetics, he doesn't bother too much for explaining how to dial with it. Look-&-feel, shape and form are in minor of his attention. Though he brings up some scientific case with rats who's brains develop dependently from surrounding atmosphere.
Besides great ammount of advices and techniques of how to research and work efficiently he applies huge effort to incline reader in favor of his ideas. He like customises reader's mind to think more about people's real needs. After this book you would feel a bit ashamed designing "just another cute toaster".
I'd advised you to get a counterweight and read "Designing for people" by Henry Dreyfuss - Papanek has lots of interesting points, but he sounds too over-critical when it comes to some points of design (As if he failed to succeed in a certain aspects). Also, development of technology comes to a point when it becomes impossible to duplicate high-tech goods with cheap alternatives (well, I'd like to see a "wi-fi access point for a third world", that would cost 9 cents, for example) - so design of the "another cute toaster" should not be a shame. People are different, so there must be a wide range of choises rather than a unified model. (It is just a question of the balance, of course, and I do not mean to say that Papanek's point of view is wrong. Just do not take it as an absolute truth)
ОтветитьУдалитьCool, thanx!
ОтветитьУдалитьI can safely say only one thing, this book teaches us to be a real designer and featuring imposed upon marketing and advertising needs from real. But accept it as a the truth or not, it seems to very individually)
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