Design has the capacity to amplify, inform, unite and organize people. Successful design impacts people and sticks with them through efficient communication. It also could be our biggest tool in limiting the effects of climate change.
Beyond just impactful communication, design also has the power to make quality, lasting goods for the masses. This can be seen in many countries, but Russia in particular really took this ideology to the extreme. At the turn of the 20th century, Russian civilians were in dire need of a new government. One that served the people and didn’t leave them to starve. Ideas on collective good, action, and change permeated every asset of society. Even Art. During this time traditional art didn’t have a place in Russian society, and this is what gave rise to Russian constructivism. Most of the traditional artists went into product development at the industrial scale. They sought to take steps towards a better future through making goods for and rallying the people.
In the United States, we can see that design can also be used to make production costs easier while not sacrificing the integrity of the product. After the second world war, Charles and Ray Eames designed the molded plastic chair. The entire seat of the chair is one molded piece of plastic, or fiberglass, which makes the production really easy. Also plastic offers a wide range of possibilities for standardized, well made goods.
However plastic production has been proven to contribute to climate change. The worst thing about plastic though is its inability to be broken down naturally. This is why sustainable construction and production is such a necessity today. There is a dire need for change in our stewardship of this planet, and as a designer, we have to impact society and make a market for sustainable design.
