Saturday, September 13, 2008

Task 5: Video Reflections, Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff

Major take home messages from the video would be that the money from the products that are sold, do not pay for everything that went into the process of making it, such as people who manufacture the goods are not getting paid enough in some countries. Although all we see is the buying and selling of goods, there is so much more to the process of getting a product to the buyer. 

As the video is not so much about industrial design, but more the bigger picture, it suggests that our products that we design should strive towards being more environmentally friendly and avoid designing objects that are planned for obsolescence. We should influence the consumers to steer away from this want for products that are to be bought then disposed of, even if it is perfectly useful, by designing things that are timeless, and would be appreciated in many years to come. An example of bad design towards the environment are those juice packs mentioned in the video and how they are made of inseparable materials such as foil and paper or something all merged together, making it impossible to recycle. The part about obsolescence, both planned and perceived is also warning the viewer against consumerism, and constantly buying things unnecessarily.

My opinion about design has changed by giving me an insight into the bigger picture, and how the design of a product affects the world, and this linear cycle that we must develop to become a cyclic cycle. The problem with the cycle is that we are using up all our resources and destroying our planet. It shows why the whole design world is becoming more environmentally friendly. 

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