Glenn

I agree that production culture is immense and has a terrifying momentum
that seems to blindly gather impetus regardless. This culture also projects
an incredible self-assured confidence that when a (usually self generated)
problem gets big enough some one will solve it & clean up the mess
(DESIGNERS?).

 It also seems that individual voices only squeak a protest in its path
before they are crushed (usually by the realisation of our own complicity as
we drive our car home or buy that good new thing). I like to think of the
economic benefit of environmentally responsible design because in terms of
globalisation theory if it is cheaper it will eventually be the global norm.
I think that this gives some little hope but short-term profit greed often
counters this opportunity.

Environmental responsibility (I believe) relies on the public truth/private
truth aspects of behaviour related to the environment.(this relates to
Keiths earlier comment also) The public truth can be easily subverted by a
private truth, while private truths endure public truths in part because
they often reside (unexamined) under layered habitual acts. Until
environmental responsibility is instituted at the level of private truth as
it often is in Indigenous cultures we will have continuing environmental
degradation.

Your comments relate directly to a canon…environmental texts should surely
be central as a Contextual/environmental Studies unit similar to those in
Architecture and engineering streams.

The thing I love about design is that it has always been contextually
responsive out of necessity & therefore the methodology and theory adapt to
environmental ethics quite easily. The intergenerational value added aspects
of design products also match well to environmental ethics concerning the
formulation of an ethical framework based on intergenerational
justice…designers are accustomed to these aims/responsibilities we need to
broaden their ambit & application.

Some texts that I think might be appropriate are (surely there are others
more well known)

Smith, M. J., (1998) Ecologism. Towards Ecological Citizenship. Open
University Press, Buckingham UK

Callicott, J. B., (1999) Beyond the Land Ethic. More essays in environmental
philosophy. State University of New York Press, New York USA

Wann, D., (1996) Deep Design: Pathways to a livable future. Island Press,
Washington DC


Regards

Norm


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the only thing that Socrates
claims to know anything about is love.  Apparently, he was a rather
emotional guy--more than most philosophers today.By the way, his
theory of design and interactive design was also quite passionate--more
than most design theories today.

Totally agree with this.

Who cares about the theoretical values of design in a profession aimed
directly
towards sales?

Loewy beat out the Bauhaus in his legacy of change for change's sake. Where
did
the word marketing sit with Gropius for example?

Are we simply analysing a "talent, skillset or ability" nowadays directed
towards the increasingly more profitable ability to create land-fill?

The replies will surely mention Papanek and wind-up radios, green design
theories, etc. But that is not what is really happening - how many new
toothbrushes did you throw away last year - each one very cleverly designed?

What was the last 'green' injection molding anyone, anywhere purchased?

Please answer that and stay fashionable.

Glenn Johnson






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