I was so easily disappointed, and I really didn't want to be. In fact, this was one of those rare occasions (similar to Episode One) where I went into a room expecting to like everything, or at the very least, the vast majority and instead felt worse for the experience. I enjoyed Dwell magazine when I had a subscription, I get Inhabitat daily emails (and weekly, which I can't seem to stop), I enjoyed the book Worldchanging (which was destroyed in the great flood of '07), I am completely in love with decentralized digital design production, oh hell, it doesn't even have to be digital, I love things that have been thought about and designed.
And I DO enjoy Dwell. It is sort of the vanilla/chocolate twist cone of design magazines. Just enough "normalcy" to make it tangible/accessible with just enough "strange" to make it exciting. I believe Dwell has introduced what design means to millions of people who wouldn't have taken the time and effort to seek it out on their own. Granted, it isn't much more than a changing Ikea catalog, I mean, there isn't much of a stance being taken, no one will be offended by pretty pictures and product placement, which is fine. I'm not expecting a cerebral twist on what "thoughtful" is all the time, sometimes I just like some eyecandy. Heck, any magazine that illustrates the importance of hiring professional designers to design things is alright in my book.
It is just that I wanted the lecture to have more import. The first half hour wasn't bad at all. Discussions on product transparency, utilizing information as empowerment, utilizing social media as community building to creating design communities and funding opportunities (community based investments), talking about invading and conquering food deserts and redefining consumerism by "sharing" were all good topics. I was into almost every nuanced word. My notebook reads like a grocery list of sites and projects to research.
The built projects were the downfall. As soon as we got to "architecture" I lost all interest, which is strange really. There was such a suspect application of sustainable (very rural seeming projects) and after reading Lloyd Alter's piece regarding Prefabricated Housing in Treehugger (I knew as soon as I started appreciating it, it would be a bust) I found the lack of critique horrendous to endure. So what? So I knew I shouldn't have expected more but I really wanted to hear some thoughts on how a modern commune worked, how the Yum Yum Farm live work house was more than pretty pictures, how horizontal wooden slats were incorporated THIS TIME in a NEW and EXCITING way.
Sigh, I wanted more. I wanted a lecture on design to be about the intent, the impetus, the resultant, the validation more than just the pretty. The sugary sweets always leave you hungry for something of substance.
Sarah Rich stated that she would put her presentation up on Slideshare (which is good because some was cropped by the projector). As soon as it is up I will link to it for you. Otherwise check on your own. Search for "sarah rich".
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