INTEGRATION
In the opinion of Professor Ken Friedman, an expert in the field of leadership and strategic design, the shift to global, information-based economy is forcing changes in design as profession. A shift from a crafts-oriented discipline that was initially oriented towards individual creativity and commerce, is moving to a stronger multidisciplinary profession, devoted to the conceptual and configurative implementation of meaningful living environments, products, services, systems, and brands.
Communication between design professionals and those trained in social sciences is affected by fundamental assumptions held by each discipline. On a certain level, industrial designers want to make the world a better place. They believe that objects around us enhance our daily lives by being functional, beautiful, and easy to use. In some way, they see themselves as the gatekeepers of the world’s aesthetics, while the anthropologists are taught to seek the balance of the material world around us.
90
Final_I_Hope2.indd 90
3/7/06 11:17:26 AM