What is Good? | Design Reader

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WHAT IS GOOD?

Design Reader

The challenge was to expose critical thinking, on a subject of our choice, by editing previously published content, which should be materialized in a printed editorial object: a Design Reader. A Designer's visual exercise as an Author, Editor, Mediator and Producer.

The outcome arises from the reflection about the examples presented during the showcase, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, where the characteristics adjacent to each of the categories was debated. The most unsettling observation was the lack of a differentiation between fully fundamented projects — form, medium and message — and others where Design, (dis)oriented by trends, is only synonymous with beautification. The purpose of this manifesto was to get people back to thinking more about what we do, how we do it and why.

O desafio era expor pensamento crítico, sobre um assunto à nossa escolha, através da edição de conteúdo previamente publicado, que deveria ser materializada num objecto editorial impresso: um Design Reader. Um exercício visual do Designer enquanto Autor, Editor, Mediador e Produtor.

O resultado surge da reflexão sobre os exemplos apresentados durante a mostra, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, onde se debateu quais as características adjacentes a cada uma das categorias. A observação mais inquietante foi a inexistência de uma diferenciação entre projectos totalmente fundamentados — forma, meio e mensagem — e outros em que o Design, (des)orientado por tendências, seja apenas sinónimo de um embelezamento superficial. O objectivo deste manifesto era levar as pessoas a repensar meticulosamente sobre o que fazemos, como o fazemos e porquê.

“I’m currently thinking — asking myself — whether we’re not entering a time where this question, “Is it good or not good?”, is maybe becoming more important again”.

Mateo Kries (Vitra Design Museum Director) in “Rams” (Hustwit, G.)