Objectified

A Reflection on society’s complex relationship with manufactured objects and the people who design them; what we can we learn about who we are, and who we want to be from the objects with which we surround ourselves.

Objectified gives the audience a look at the role of industrial design in society. It shows how our relationship with manufactured objects has been formed and in turn, the people who design these objects have been able to envision and implement ways for us to function.

Many elements contribute to the way in which a product is conceived, marketed and used. The driving ideas behind all these elements continue to evolve, such that by analyzing our products over time we see a reflection of our society and our values over time. Karim Rashid's thinking on the dispensation of electronic goods is particularly interesting: "If the average shelf life of a high-tech object is less than eleven months, why on Earth does anything have to be built to be permanent? It should be all 100% disposable. You know, I think my laptop should be made of cardboard, or my mobile phone could be a piece of cardboard, or it could just be made out of something like sugarcane or bioplastic."

What becomes clear is there is a real sense of optimism among the design world; a belief in the potential for improvement. Does this simply reflect the humanistic desire for improvement, or is this reflective of the economic push for ever-increasing efficiency?

Designers, discontent with current products and systems are proposing many products to facilitate societal change and betterment, however ironically they are feeding into an economic system that is constantly criticized for being unsustainable and therefore detrimental to society.

Thus as a society our relationship with manufactured products and their designers is indeed complex. Are we the consumer-based society, slaves to marketing, craving the newest and most exclusive items? Are we emerging into a “green” era where sustainability will take priority? Is our relationship with products becoming more involved? Or will our interaction with products become more seamless?

Confusingly the answer to all these questions it seems is yes!

If then, society’s awareness and appreciation for design is indeed increasing, perhaps with enough emphasis on design, we can continue these trends while facilitating positive improvements for the environment, the economy, and our society as a whole. For example, our consumerism will drive the economy, while our eco-friendly products and systems behind delivering these products will not aversely effect the environment. Or our awareness of good design will make us more involved in the products we buy but the interaction will be easier and simpler. This is the utopia most designers dream of. Perhaps then the real question is will we ever fulfill this dream?