Hello, Dag!
You conclude your post saying that ..." we should act as designer and ask our clients what they think".
Very true, indeed! But the core problem that is seldom tackled in a satisfactory manner prior to designing is precisely that of WHO are our clients, and WHAT do they really think.
Years ago, with some French fellows in Paris, we conceived of "clients" of industrial/product designers to be regrouped into five categories, besides the category of the order-giver (financier, promoter, industrialist, procurer):
1. the purchaser of the product, 2. the direct operator, 3. the para-operator, 4. the direct beneficiary,
and 5. the counter-beneficiary (those for whom the product is rather a source of some kind of nuisance)
Methodically asking what ALL those clients "think" prior to designing anything, that is part of the research work that in most cases is not, very little, or un-rigorously done by those who call themselves designers.
Season greetings to you too, and perhaps a good resolution to embark on a more rigorous Design research project in the coming year!
François
Montréal
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De : Dag Holmgren [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Envoyé : 17 décembre 2006 08:58
À : FrFrancois-Xavier Nsenga
Cc : [log in to unmask]
Objet : Re: product design vs. industrial design
Hi List!
From my point of view I think that François is having a point!
I do agree that the Industry - the client - do not care about the titles. As professor in Industrial Design, teaching Industrial design (Master level) at School of Engineering in Jönköping Sweden we decided to use the title in Swedish "Teknisk Design" witch in English are "Technical Design". I am aver that the English translation is poor but from our point of view we use this title to show the background of our students. The have to have a Bachelor in mechanical engineering to be accepted in the course.
We could also use the title Industrial Design but we did not do that. We hereby show that our student have a technical background an not from art.
After finished school and working for a some years this is no longer relevant it will of course depend on the individual person.
Of some reason this debate is always occupied the design community but not our client.
Perhaps we should act as designer and ask our client what they think!?
Al the best
Dag Holmgren
P.S. I wish you al a Very Merry Christmas and thanks for this year!
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