"Ninety-five percent of the world's designers focus all of their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest ten percent of the world's customers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other ninety percent." - Paul Polak
Design For the Other 90% is an exhibition curated to present design solutions to address many of the world's most basic and pressing human problems. Often low-cost, simple, and created from available resources, the projects in the exhibition do not strive for aesthetic acceptance. The installation was staged outdoors in the Museum's garden. Tsang Seymour created a signage system that served the dual purpose of providing didactic information as well as a visual wayfinding path, marking edges, turns, and a sequence for the visitors.
The exhibition identity was inspired by the bold, utilitarian typography of [supermarket window signs and advertising fliers] and intended to signal a blunt, direct simplicity of message. The exhibition catalogue expanded the visual language with simply coded sections, easy to read keys, and a highly templated page grid as a system for displaying the projects and data. The design considered cost-effective printing and binding as part of its criteria as well as the desire to have a finished book that has the appearance and tactility of economy and usefulness.
Design For the Other 90% is an exhibition curated to present design solutions to address many of the world's most basic and pressing human problems. Often low-cost, simple, and created from available resources, the projects in the exhibition do not strive for aesthetic acceptance. The installation was staged outdoors in the Museum's garden. Tsang Seymour created a signage system that served the dual purpose of providing didactic information as well as a visual wayfinding path, marking edges, turns, and a sequence for the visitors.
The exhibition identity was inspired by the bold, utilitarian typography of [supermarket window signs and advertising fliers] and intended to signal a blunt, direct simplicity of message. The exhibition catalogue expanded the visual language with simply coded sections, easy to read keys, and a highly templated page grid as a system for displaying the projects and data. The design considered cost-effective printing and binding as part of its criteria as well as the desire to have a finished book that has the appearance and tactility of economy and usefulness.
The large title sign draws the visitor to the installation and marks a "beginning" point for viewing the exhibition.
UV inks printed on organic cotton duck stretched on simple frames and mounted to 4 x 4 [timbers] set in poured footings were weatherproof, used stock materials, and were durable and easy to install.
Contextual images and statistics helped visitors to understand the impact of the featured solutions on the lives of the people that they were created to serve.
The signature image of a woman drinking through a filtered straw that was used on the exhibition catalogue as well as for advertising and promotions was selected because it so simply communicated a most basic need for clean drinking water.
