Chp. 7
Chapter seven of “Design: A Very Short Introduction” discusses identity. I guess I should of expected with all the branding in our society that even countries would be interested in branding themselves, but it almost shocked me when I read about it in this chapter. “Among the most bizarre features of the United Kingdom as the twentieth century faded were proposals to ‘rebrand’ the national image, of how the country was viewed by foreigners, in terms of a more up-to-date concept of ‘Cool Britannia” (Haskett 86).
I also found the section on discussing cultural differences and how they affect design interesting. For example, the appliance company Whirlpool had to evolve it’s designs to adapt to different markets throughout the world. “With a lightweight ‘world washer’ introduced in 1992, it was necessary to accommodate washing 18-foot-long saris without tangling in India, and to add a soak cycle for Brazil to cater for the local belief that only pre-soaking can yield a really clean wash” (Haskett 89).
Chp. 8
“A system can be regarded as a group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements that forms, or can be considered to form, a collective entity” (Haskett 97). Imagine having to find your way around a subway station and subway route without having any signs, maps, pictures, or anything else to guide you. I’d imagine that would be pretty difficult. This chapter gives transportation as one example for its need for systems. In order to get around using a subway, signage and type need to be used in a way that users can understand. They need this to find their way to the appropriate place in order to use the subway efficiently.
I liked how the last paragraph tied into the “Cradle to Cradle” introduction regarding design and the environment. The last paragraph discusses the need for “greater compatibility between the artificial systems generated by human creativity and the systems of the biological world…”(Haskett 111). It later goes on to mention that if we could begin to understand how systems can affect each other and how certain parts of the system effect the whole, we could use design as a solution for the harmful effects these systems have.
Intro
The intro of William McDonough’s & Michael Braungart’s “Cradle to Cradle” have interested me a great deal. This book has been one of the most interesting books I’ve been assigned to read throughout college. It’s brought up a topic that I don’t usually give too much thought to, but after reading just a small amount of the book it has really persuaded me that environmental design is truly important for the sake of our future.
In no time at all the book brings up the severity of the effect of today’s products on the environment. I knew society was seriously effecting the environment, but I had no idea to what extent. “Let’s take a closer look. First, that comfortable chair you are sitting on. Did you know that the fabric contains mutagenic materials, heavy metals, dangerous chemicals, and dyes that are often labeled hazardous by regulators – except when they are presented and sold to a customer? As you shift in your seat, particles of the fabric abrade and are taken up by your nose, mouth, and lungs, hazardous materials and all” (McDonough 3).
Why are customers not warned about the hazardous materials in many of the objects we use day to day? Before this book I had never heard about the amount of dangerous materials probably put into the chairs I use everyday along with the abrasion of these particles just by using the chair. I would personally like to know about these materials that could be affecting my health.
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