We are being extolled to simply change our consumer choices, without altering our consumer habits. Slactivism—the idea that we can solve this problem without really doing much of anything—is rampant
“The real problem is that we lack the imagination to conceive of a new future.”
Alex Stefen
The elephant in the room is over consumption.
Designers aren’t scientists. For the most part, designers are trained to create beautiful things. But as a profession, aren’t designers always looking for opportunities to play a larger role? Don’t we pride ourselves on our inquisitive little minds, our unusual way of looking at things? Wouldn’t truly beautiful things work in sync with nature? As design teams expand to include ever-wider disciplines, should we make room for scientists, anthropologists, policymakers, planners and activists? Is there a way for design to connect to something more meaningful than consumer frippery? Will design’s quest for meaning cultivate cultural or scientific inroads? Will our struggle for deeper meaning inspire us to envision a future that works in harmony with the earth?
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