2. For the most part, the most inspiring speakers were not the designers: Bill Strickland, community leader and humanitarian working to fight the effects of poverty in Pittsburgh; Richard Swett, architect, author, consultant and former US representative and ambassador; Bruce Lindsey of the Rural Studio architecture program of Auburn University designing and building for some of the poorest residents in Alabama... people who see needs in the world and are moving to address them.

3. Of all the designer speakers I saw, Milton Glaser's talk was the most thoughtful and passionate. This patriarch of design walked us through his thoughts and efforts to answer the question "How does design enter and impact culture?" While he had some good ideas of the designer's role in relation to civics, the design examples he shared were the sort of standard 'graphic acitivism' we always see - politically oriented buttons against President Bush and his policies, posters and postcards against racism and poverty.

His most interesting idea was a poster designed during the Republican National Convention in NYC - a call for New Yorkers to a 'silent protest.' All New Yorkers who disapproved of the President and his party's policies were to turn on all their lights for the entire night. To 'light up the sky and drive away darkness.' He did not say what the result was, so perhaps there little no reaction. But if there was, I would liked to have seen a photo...

4. Stefan Sagmeister's closing presentaion, "Design and Happiness", had the potential to address some very interesting thoughts on the role of design and the state of the human spirit, but he seemed to skirt around them. He shared designs others had created that made him happy, some qualities/circumatnces that make him happy when he designs, and some of the recent designs he has been creating.

His recent work can be seen in most design annuals and are based on truisms or proverbs that he has discovered in his live and articulated in his own way. Among them are:
Everything I do always comes back to me.
Trying to look good limits my life.
Evrybody thinks they are right.
Money does not make me happy.
Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.

The designs are visually intriguing and rather unique, but Sagmeister did not talk at all about why they looked the way they did. He also did not address why he wants to create designs around these messages and share them with the world. Especially since most of them have come from projects where he could design anything he wanted - why do this?

5. Speaking with a few of my design friends after the conference has revealed a few design thoughts that are lodged in my psyche:

a. Sagmeister's observation in 1999 that designers don't seem to believe in much (religion, politics, etc.) seems as true as ever. Therefore, we designers have to latch onto other's beliefs and passions (clients) or we just create dispassionate 'things'. Until we believe something we won't be able to create something of lasting value to the world.

b. Can Design really be a benefit to those in need? Those oppressed, impoverished or disenfranchised... if so, how?

c. I feel a direct correlation can be drawn between design and film/music/literature/art: We don't need these things to survive (not like we need air, water, shelter, love).
But on some level, we have been so moved or inspired in our spirit by these things that we would have a hard time imagining life without them. I think Design is as much a means of inspiration and sorytelling as these media are; we simply need more people exploring these options. People with passion, vision and guts.

d. There is a gigantic undercurrent today (not just in design, but in the world at large) that Science is what will create solutions to the world's problems. Observation, measurement and deduction will lead to technologies that improve life. Whatever technological advancements or dilemmas or growing pains we are experiencing right now are just an inevitable part of humankind's evolution. Progress has its price, but we can learn to adapt and survive.

I have a few problems with these assumptions. First, all science tells us is how things work, not why. Second, if we are to believe what science has discovered for us, then all there is to reality is mass/matter, time and chance. Everything else - like love, hope, fear of death - is irrelevant and meaningless in this description of reality. Thirdly, it teaches us that whatever is is right - things are the way they are meant to be and we are silly and absurd to fight against any of it.

I think design has become very closely associated to technological advancements and has therefore adopted a great many of its premises. This has devalued any sort of spiritual value design work might have. Not to mention shortening the amount of time we have to think about the purpose and ramifications of our designs...

Ok, that is more than enough for now. Post a comment or two or give me a call and we can chat about any of this to your heart's content. In the meantime, I believe creation is all about understanding meaning, people and purpose, so don't give up on it - just weigh it a bit more carefully.