Before I started taking design classes I did not grasp to the fullest extent how much design is intertwined with our society. I would say that I may of had a much smaller notion of it, and was obviously yearning to learn more through my classes. I appreciate good design so much better now, I see it everywhere!!! Its almost cataclysmic, from the layout of a hotel lobby, or a fashion spread in a magazine, even new product packaging. I feel that I have a bigger appreciation for functional design though, seeing something created that fulfills a greater purpose in society, is I feel, the utmost return for a designer. Like currently with the Green trend, products that are created from sustainable materials, or reclaimed materials I feel set a moral standard that we should be taking care of our earth. And that we should be aware of where our products are coming from and where they will eventually go.
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| Sustainable shopping bag made from rice bag and an old pair of jeans. |
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| Side View |
In a previous class I learned this lesson through a Challenge assignment where we had to study where plastic bags where being made from and where they would go. I learned that they were being made with a lot of petroleum oil, and after a couple of uses, then they would be tossed and end up in the dump for a thousand years before breaking down, or fly away and get caught in a tree, or float into the ocean and create more havoc there. After learning the sad truth, we continued our assignment by making a sturdy reusable shopping bag from sustainable materials. There were a lot of creative bag design submissions that the class completed, like a book turned bag, and a basmati rice bag, and some made of fabric samples. This is the type of design that I feel provides a practical solution to a large problem. Through this assignment I was able to indirectly educate people about the purpose behind the design and they loved hearing about it. My family friends would see me carrying the bag that I had made and they asked me, "What is that?" "Why did you make it?" and "How can I make one?" Their curiosity and minds opened up to the idea of functional design, because it made sense. I hope that in the future my designs still grab peoples attention and provoke dialogue.
