Funnily enough, it might be getting better.
Whilst fame and fortune continue to suck great chunks of airtime in the guise of entertainment, there’s a bit of an undercurrent of socially aware programming lurking around. I’ve recently professed my admiration for Jamie Oliver on this blog, but last night’s viewing schedule threw up some fascinating options:
• Trinny and Susannah Undress the Nation – reasonably self-important and self-appointed lifestyle gurus actually seem to help real couples. Kitchen sink psychology all the way but with the best of interests at heart.
• How to Look Good Naked – see above
• The Secret Millionaire – Self-made millionaires live for two weeks undercover in ordinary – if extreme – urban communities. Experiencing the harsh realities of modern life for the majority for once, they ferret out opportunities to act as benefactor to the community.
• Dumped – Eco-survivor. A bunch of people is left to fend for themselves for 3 weeks in a household rubbish dump. Emphasis placed strongly on highlighting the amount of damage we all do to the world everyday. Responsible. Entertasning. Fascinating.
Obviously it’s questionable as to the true value of all this and of course it’s all pretty self-serving for those involved, but at the end of the day it’s a damn sight more positive than 95% of commercially made viewing.
Anything that highlights the needs of the majority of normal people instead of the wants of a few clearly abnormal people is all good by us.
Long may it continue.
I love a short holiday in Tasmania. Come to think of it Tassie is one of the most beautiful places on earth. And unfortunately a battleground of the two most dynamic opposing forces of modern times – greed v green. One letter makes all the difference.
So it was my pleasure to be in Hobart to join The Green Institute – an organisation which aims to take up the challenge of supporting the green side. Certainly against the backdrop of the ‘global financial crisis’ it seems that the forces of sustainabilty are gathering even more rapidly to defend against the darkness of extreme capitalism. The old terminology of Fat Cats and plunderers is well and truly back in lexicon.
So how can design help?
The objective of The Green Institute is a simple one – to provide a place where green ideas and thought leadership feel at home. It’s a place where design thinking can become design do-ing, joining the growing global trend towards actioning big ideas with practical action – better design for the greater good.
How refreshing to join a group of people with a genuine objective to make a difference, across a day spent discussing ways of improving society’s response to climate change, biodiversity, cultural diversity through ideas translated into action.
Lighting the Green Flame under some very self-interested rear-ends. Come to think of it, after the kicking some have received in the last couple of weeks, the heat may be soothing.
A question often asked of design students, or more accurately a question often asked by design students – “Who are your design heroes?”
Well there’s the obvious graphic design ones – Müller-Brockmann, Paul Rand, Ken Garland, Wim Crouwell, Otl Aicher etc.
There’s the slightly less obvious, more expansive view of the design world ones – Bill Moggridge (and IDEO et al), I.D. Magazine, Chris Cunningham, Mike Mills, James Dyson etc and then there’s the cultural ones – James Bond, Louis Theroux, Kevin Shields, Eric Cantona, my Dad (actually, they’re not design heroes, but so what they are my heroes)
Well now, much to my surprise there’s a new hero in town, top of the charts, Number One with a bullet. Take a bow…Jamie Oliver.
Not many would associate celebrity chefs with design (or heroics come to that) but Jamie Oliver’s ascent from annoying cartoon rogue to genuine advocate for social change should be a lesson to us all. His ability to question the world around him, and use his own position and skills to manifest a powerful social conscience in others is a wonderful thing.
First we had Fifteen (nice idea, great cause, low risk), then School Dinners (marvelous idea, great cause, high risk) and now Ministry of Food (brilliant idea, great cause, giant risk). Jamie’s principles are all in the right place:
1. Light a fire under the complacent arses of those holding the gates closed
2. Use your profile to defend your right to do so
3. Use your skills to make things better for normal everyday folk
Great stuff.
But what’s that got to do with design?
What he does with food, we aim to do with design – Better services, better resources, better results. Less problems, less hassle, less stress.
Using our skills to make the world a better place for normal people is what we’re all about – and it looks like he is too.
