TOPICS Series.GLOBAL EYES ON DESIGN from America
Role of Design & Growing Talent in a Rapidly Changing Auto Industry-The Front Lines of American Design Education
The Ford Model T is a good example of a design that possesses all 3 aspects. Functions as intended (Logic), a vehicle that operates without a horse being something that wasn’t imagined by people (Magic) and changing lives of people, who wouldn’t be able to afford expensive automobiles designed for rich people (Music). The work of a designer is also made up of two things: their role and their function. A designer’s role is to visualize (envision) the future possibilities and their function is delivering the vision through design thinking and doing. The designer’s role wouldn’t change, but the function may change along with the technology and process.
Ford Model T
With “Logic/Magic/Music” at the
core, Humanity will become all the
more critical. How is Design
Education dealing with this?
From an educational standpoint, it is based on analysis of collected information and visualization skills. These are still extremely important. In the past 15 years, “design thinking” has been gaining importance as well. There are two objectives: 1) having the designer think deeply about the true meaning of design and 2) helping non-designers understand the meaning of design and its purpose. For this, there is a great deal of effort being put into “design research.” A good example of design research is actually one of my former students at the University of Cincinnati, Ryan Eder. He designed an exercise machine that is easy to use for everyone (Details: T.D.O. Issue 71_11) He was concerned about the value for humanity and did extensive research on exercise machines for wheelchair users. He applied the concept of “inclusive design” to make a fitness machine for people regardless of their physical handicaps. This is a design that embodies
“humanity” because the design is for everyone and therefore impacts society. In any design, ethnography※１ and empathy are the keys because understanding human beings and their needs and desires correctly is most important. A good designer should pay attention to these. Going even further,
designers need to be able to connect people, technology, user needs and so on in order to create valuable impacts.
Include Fitness Designed by Ryan Eder
