FIVE PEOPLE BORN EVERY SECOND
Five people are born every second(Worldometers, 2014) and each person born is an amalgamation of varying features of those that ‘made’ them. Each person is comprised different intellects depending on what they are subjected to. Each person will have different life experiences, different crushes different first kisses. If each person has these, than they hopefully have what is referred to as a personality. If each person has a personality, how is it that as designers we can enforce our design on them without consideration to their personality? Why don’t we provide enough opportunity through versatility in our design that tailors our design to the users wants and desires? Why do we reserve the right to make assumptions about what we think looks nice and then expect people to buy it? Instead of this purging of concepts and creating more things, why don’t we allow room for manufacturing at a local level with the intention of customisation in the design specifics? Often designers fail to include the user in the design process. Co-design is essential to many designers as Baum contends “to make a perfect bike, its rider must be present in the design”. (Baum, 2014). The exclusion of the user is what causes excess
in items, as there is no level of sentimentality built into the design. Dieter Rams contends that if we continue such design behaviour “our current situation will cause future generations to shudder” (Brassier, 2014) The Industrial Revolution marked a move from hand production processes and craftsmanship into machine-aided manufacturing. It was indeed “a revolution which…changed the whole of civil society” (Engels, 1845). As we evolved and moved through the industrial revolution we picked up new skills and discarded others developing our understanding of new technologies. However, in the midst of all this growing and shedding it can be said that our eventual mutation in the design world has left us incomplete. It is here that we can find opportunity to revisit, the dedicated craftsmanship, and the ‘tailor-made’ aspect on a contemporary level. We are finding ourselves in a ‘one size fits most’ style of thinking and forcing our products onto people instead of creating for them. Our pieces of work are often personal, as they are essentially an extension of the designer; right from the initial embryonic conceptual stage in our head, through to the end tangible outcomes. However, as we navigate our way to the future “it has become more accepted that customers are willing to pay more for products that cater to their individual size, taste, style, need, or expression.”(Du, 1998) Broadly speaking it seems that we have failed to utilise our skill set, to personalise products to the individual. This is hindering our ability to offer an heirloom quality to our product. However, 2 there are of course exceptions….
injury and in depth alterations required to his bicycle Baum was able to reference this knowledge in his own creations (Bannerman, 2013). Such complete immersion in his work is what is responsible for his thorough understanding of bicycles allowing him to fully customise his product to physical measurements of each client. Not only is the design completely customised, “all stages of manufacturing from C.A.D., to tube mitring, to butting and to painting are completed in-house” allowing for complete control.
Darren Baum
Darren Baum from ‘Baum Cycles’ Baum is a made to order bicycle shop based in Geelong. Darren Baum employs six people to undertake the task of creating customised bicycles that are made to order according to each customer’s specifications. Expressing the design intentions, Baum argues “Every rider is unique, and a bicycle can only improve a rider’s performance if it respects their individual differences.” From suffering a serious leg injury from being hit by a car, Baum spent countless hours in his garage essentially creating a specialised cycle that would minimize the impacts of his injury on his riding. Through understanding the biomechanics of his
Of course there are limitations to the versatility in the cycles which work off formulas that incorporating the Design by Customers notions. “Design by customers “ does not give customers a free hand to design in a vacuum. Instead, the process of Design by Customers guides customers to navigate through the capabilities of a company and define the best alternative that can meet the cost, schedule and functional requirements of the customers”(Du, 1998) There is execptional value found in this level of customisation as Baum states about the process -“Every detail of our bikes is ours, so that every nuance of your bike will be yours.” There is much to be learnt in this process of designing as Baum puts it “sometimes I’m a teacher and sometimes I’m a student”(Bannerman, 2013) highlighting that learning isn’t about age. 3
clients being able to “select leather from the hide ensuring (their) desired aesthetic is achieved.”(Lynch, 2014b) The development of TBC1 was created with the luxury of leather married to the desirable aspects of customisation. Lynch articulates “There’s something romantic about how leather allows each owner to create their own story, whether it’s a coffee stain from a Sunday morning breakfast a scratch from a pet or just wrinkles exposing age and time” (Upfront, 2014)
Adam Lynch Adam Lynch is a Melbourne based industrial designer. Thus far he has created numerous works worth mentioning but some of his most recent creations really showcase his depth of knowledge of the design industry. The works significance lies in the understanding of the complex nature of the design market place and the growing value of customisation. In an effort to separate oneself from the others today it is imperative to offer value on multiple levels. Adam Lynch in his piece TBC1 demonstrates how customisation can be applied by having
Worth mentioning is of course the fact that Lynch has been able to develop such an expansive product range at the age of 23. This exposes the concept of experience coming with age as redundant in the case of Lynch. Lynch strives to push himself and states “I just want to get ahead” (Lynch, 2014a). To me personally this speaks volumes about ones character and endeavour. To me this proves concepts of age are really excuses. The two part catalytic process of hard work and continuous learning are activated through Lynch; producing incredible outcomes. Recently in an article undertaken by Australian design blog ‘The Design Files’, Lynch explained the dynamics of the Dowel Jones partnership with Dale Hardiman- “We don’t develop a product or a range off an idea of form or colour, but around a manufacturing process that we believe we can achieve in Australia,’(Corso, 2014) Such considerable thought and expansive knowledge of the possibilities to manufacture locally is admirable considering the ease and temptation to produce overseas. The diligence in planning and finding a way to manufacture locally is a skill that as a designer I would love to tie in to every one of my future designs. 4
recyclable” (Hurst, 2014)
Joost Bakker Joost Bakker is a Melbourne based designer who uses local produce in every one of his design outcomes. When dissecting who exactly Bakker is, it becomes hard to categorise him into a specific allotment as he operates on multiple interdisciplinary levels. Bakkers works are so inspirational and driven that his mere presence has been described as “igniting in everyone present a sense of urgent enthusiasm for whatever he happens to be campaigning for that day.”(Feagins, 2014). Bakker took on new opportunities that were presented to him, developing from an incredible artiistic flare in the arena of floristry. From floristry Bakker has grown into one of Australia’s leading sustainable designers. Bakkers’ most notable work includes cafes/restaurants that stand out as beacons to society as being exemplary in their design process and sustainable outcomes. Each of these cafes and indeed “any business’ in the BUILTbyjoost name all have materials must be natural/non toxic and endlessly
Most recently Bakkers work on his café ‘Brothl’ (formerly known as Silo) really exhibits his incredible lateral thinking. Within the contents of Brothl one will find nutrient rich, completely waste free, closed loop food. “There is no cardboard, no packaging, no waste,”(Miletic, 2012). Any waste that is produced (scrap) is placed into a dehydrator that creates fertiliser to go onto the crops that make more food. The decision and thought process involved in this type of demonstration to society of the potential applications of sustainability is obviously thought provoking and down right inspirational Bakker describes Silo as having been “designed in reverse, starting with waste production and working back from there.” (Miletic, 2012) Inadvertently Joost conducted a basic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) truly embodying that concept that “it is at the design stage where much can be done to improve a product’s environmental performance”. (Welford, 1999) When you sit down in ‘Brothl’ and have your 100% waste free food, essentially you are eating Bakkers concept. The intent is to make the customer reconsider’ the everyday phenomenon of eating. Joost does stress to people “I don’t believe in telling people what to do. I’m more comfortable collaborating with like-minded people who share a similar philosophy. And if I can inspire people to think and act differently, what more can be said?” (Crafti, 2011) 5
From each of these individuals there isn’t a need to push their designs for financial gains, (of course this is nice as it allows more prolific designs); rather, in each of these designers you will find a sense of urgency. A sense of urgency to share their design with the world that comes with a message to the broader community. Their work essentially tells a narrative about the direction of design in terms of customisation and the responsibility designers carry in terms of sustainability. Sustainability shouldn’t been considered an afterthought, nor a burden but rather a gift. As designers we have an opportunity to make an impact and it’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. To what extent our impact is, is at our own volition. We can work many hours in an effort to make changes or we can work very little and aimlessly. At the end of the day toward the receding of our lives (and others hairlines) when we ask ourselves “how did we do?” I feel that the results will be in CAPS LOCKS, situated slightly upward in our line of sight. In an effort to apply meaning to what we do as designers, it would be wise to consider those that are following us and design so that those born in the next five seconds can build on what we do now. This is an opportunity to consider sustainability in everything we undertake and create with the end user in mind throughout our whole design process.
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