Contemporary Industrial Design

I don't remember exactly when the topic was brought up, but the idea of whether designers of mass produced products were artists or not was definitely mentioned in passing. I just finished watching a documentary film entitled "Objectified" and I was consistently reminded of discussions on art we have each class period.

This 2009 release gives us a look into the minds of contemporary industrial designers from around the globe and the worlds they create for us all. The film poses many differing perspectives on the field, which lead to the fact that this concentration of thought has tremendous potential. The potential to influence policy even and act as a reference point for policymakers in their decisions because of designers knowledge of what is best for people. Contemporary designers even say they know more about what the consumer needs than the consumer does.

As each of the various designers spoke, I saw them touching on the different definitions of art we have discussed so far. If we are to go by Tolstoy's view of art, that it creates emotion which communicates to others, then we might say that these designers are most certainly artists. Many designers view their work in this way and the objects they create are not simply things, by physical vehicles for emotion and memory. This can be thought of simply when you think of someone with an object; your father and his chair or your mother with her knitting needles.

Design used to be based entirely on aesthetics, but now this is not the case. It is more about a communication between the designer and the users. The Dirt Devil Kurv is an obvious example of how aesthetics and rationality have blended, with a design that looks appealing, is ergonomically appealing and works well.

Based off of Plato's direct evolution that goes from form, to craftsperson, to artist, contemporary design strays from this model, as does contemporary visual art. The contemporary industrial designer takes a form intended for mass production, like a chair or cup and intends to communicate on a human level through the design to the user.

The movie begins with the idea that this new thought on design is a blend of the traditional design theories with an elitist mindset, where the designers feels they know more about what the user needs than the user does.

Q: Is it elitist to think that as the designer you know more about what the consumer needs than the consumer?