Video Reflection 5

Annie Leonard :: "The story of Stuff"

Well that was definitely one of the most depressing things I've ever witnessed. Belonging to a demographic of young and emerging designers, it poses a challenge. We have to change consumers attitudes through our designs. This will ultimately make for a new way of life. A way of life that considers the future of humanity, the environment and how we interact and with work with it. Like Yves Behar said, if we can change our values, we can change the companies we work for, and hopefully change the world.
I see that we have a choice. We can take the easy path and create materialistic comfort products that don't challenge the false consumerist values that have been established by corporations. We can continue to make products that are detrimental during production, during consumption and after their planned/perceived obsolescence. Or we can create products that are harmonious with the environment, use sustainable materials and means of manufacture, and work in unison with the consumer, actually bettering their lives, instead of merely appearring to.

I believe the major message in this movie is that consumerism now undermines fundamental, moral, humanitarian values. This consumerism offers no consideration to the detrimental effects it has on the environment and users wellbeing. Money is power, and the corporations providing our products hold all the power. Governments put in place to monitor and sustain the wellbeing of people are heirarchically lower, hence consumerist domination.
Monotinous advertising constantly tells users to upgrade using fear tactics. The fear of being left behind, or inferior to peers who do sport the most cutting edge products is a mechanism used to discard the old and sell the new. The result is further harmful production and manufacture, and more waste.

Attitudes towards design have a profound impact on the ideas discussed in this video. Because corporations have all the money, there is much to be made in product design that has ultimate detrimental impact on the world, because this is the established standard. Whereas designing products environmentally and humanitarian sound is an overall minority. These products may seem to be less appealing than consumerist driven and advertisement beautified products at first, and due to their market niche being minor, there is little money involved. However, with a strong following, and by educating people about the state of the world currently, we can reverse these standards, and start towards repairing some of the mistakes that have been made.

Our design predecessors relinquished concern for the future and now we are responsible for fixing mistakes, mistakes that have folourished over time without intervention to a point where the highest worldly powers are funding and supporting false values that disregard concern for morality and good. I believe that with education, determination and inspiration major ideals can be changed for the better. As a designer I see it as my responsibility to do something positive, and in saying that, I believe it can be achieved. It won't be easy and everyone must work together. If we can do this, we can change the world, make peoples lives better and revisit the simple values that are the most beautiful.