Why Design?
Design is about imagining the future. Just as poor design replicates the present and merely reflects a material society; good design extends beyond this narrow, immediate frame. The challenge facing humanity is not as much about designing how to make sustainable products, but about designing how to unmake unsustainable ones. Our current material wants will be replaced by greater desires which do not lead to material consumption - and these desires will be created by design. Thus, the greatest designers of today will be remembered for the ability to imagine a less materialist future which is more alluring and enduring than the present.
Associate Professor Ralph Horne
Director, Centre for Design — RMIT University
Related Links
Centre for Design — www.rmit.edu.au/cfd
11 September 2009