Often when friends or family ask me what being a designer involves i don't know where to start because of the vast impact design has on everybodies day to day life. I find it fascinating that people are constantly purchasing items, whether it be to do a specific job or just for shear entertainment, and yet are mostly oblivious that everything about that object has gone through an extensive thought process in order to take the form that it is. Objectified really conveys the extent of which the world around us is designed in every direction we look, "a big definition of who you are as a designer, its the way you look at the world. One of the sort of curses of what you do is that you are constantly thinking, why is it like that and not like this?" as so well put by Jonathan Ive. The way in which he described designing as having a curse like trait really jumped out at me because once you are opened up to the world of design, everything you look at begins to be seen in a different light, not just as an object of use, but a sculpture of thought processes. This helps significantly in shaping you into becoming a better designer because you are always taking in things around you that the majority of people take for granted, such as different forms, how things have been made or what materials they've been made from. Ideas can be taken from all around you and used in the shaping of your own designs, "these are just things that I find interesting...these are the materials that I'm looking for an excuse to use" Marc Newson.
Its also very interesting how design can so subtly play on the psychology of the consumers that are buying the products. "General practication of design is an empty slogan. It really should not even exist." profoundly put by Paola Antonelli, explains that products are not being designed solely to execute a practical purpose. They are really being designed to grasp the attention of their consumer market. Consumers may buy an 'object of design' such as an apple product to subconsciously distinguish themselves as not being naive to the world of design and therefore being in a somewhat "exclusive" group. However they fail to realise that this 'object of design' they are purchasing, has been designed to capture this subconscious thought, so they are in fact still naive and the feeling of being in an "exclusive group" is merely a contrived perception by society as a whole. As designers we need to learn and be aware of the way in which people make a decision to purchase an item. Often this can be purely related to form, but as designers we need to know what form consumers are going to love and want before they actually know they love and want it. I think the most fascinating thing about design that is really portrayed through the documentary is that as a designer you are constantly one step ahead of the world!
Consumers could buy a set of different coloured chairs and when building them they could interchange parts of different colours ending up with unique chairs increasing emotional attachment because they have decided on the look.
The chair could come with a pack of different stencils. The user could then paint, draw or calve patterns on the chair creating their own design.
The customer is encouraged to add a personal photo into the back of the chair, which could be a portrait or a memory. Each chair would have a name assigned to each member of the family.
