The Language of Things - a brief of Chapter One

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“The Language of Things”, by Deyan Sudjic, describes how design is a manipulative language through which we relate to and understand objects, and ourselves. Sudjic considers how design communicates from basic Archetypes, and through designs in Luxury, Fashion and Art. He examines the background, context and intentions of the designers behind various significant products and designs in these areas, from the iPhone to military uniforms. By doing so he evaluates consumer psychology in the light of design, for example why people queue for days outside the Apple shop to be the first to own the latest IPhone, or why people revere certain brands over others. By trying to understand the language of things, the way all built objects are fundamentally contaminated with the designer’s intention to influence whether for art’s sake, or for a financial, intellectual, political or moral purpose, we may learn how we define ourselves and recognise the extent of our manipulation, if we choose to.

 

In Chapter One, Sudjic introduces the concept of design as a language. He reviews the history of design and how the initial functional purposes of design have been consciously hijacked by the personalities of the designer, starting with its emergence as a professional activity, around the time of the industrial revolution. At that time, in the mid-1800s, William Morris was a socialist and idealist. He disliked what he saw as the soulless mechanical and aesthetic emptiness of mass production, and led the Arts and Craft movement to create unique and inimitable designs and patterns, focusing on quality craftsmanship. Ironically however, the uniqueness and high-end craftsmanship of his designs ensured their high value, meaning that not everyone could afford to buy them. His artistic ideals betrayed his socialist ones. On the other hand, nearly a century later Raymond Loewy’s simple and sleek designs turned common products such as Coke bottles and cigarette packets into affordable objects of desire for enjoyment by the masses. Sudjic traces the journey of high design ideals to design as a vehicle for egotistic self-expression, as in Philippe Starck telling us everything about his dreams and our innermost desires in his objects. In contrast, Dieter Rams pursues inner truth and makes meaningful objects. Rams devoted his life to designing perfect objects, seeking to eliminate fashion trends with beautiful but simple designs. However he could not anticipate or overtake the development of technology and inevitable obsolescence, nor the marketeers’ constant recategorising.

 

Even though it can be argued that functionality is at the heart of design, Sudjic shows that designers have different ideas and intentions, using design to inflict their own philosophy and will on the consumer and society. Yet design is an important method for understanding society because it involves not only different shapes and form but also the influences of nationality, educational background, environment and values. Ernesto Nathan Rogers famously suggested that by carefully examining a spoon, we can understand enough about the society who made it. For example, we can recognise which car is German or French according to the design and materials. Design reveals national style, identity and values. This was very obviously revealed in the designs of the Soviet and American space capsules. Sudjic writes: “In the same way you might look at the Soviet and American space capsules that docked in Earth orbit…. and see two different national mentalities rendered in physical form… They reflect with shattering clarity two utterly different political and economic systems.” The space capsules were made for the same purpose, but they looked totally different according to the values, aspirations and experience of the societies in which they originated.

 

Through Chapter One, I can see not only the differences in how design is defined by individual designers according to their purpose, ideas, attitude and values, but also how design represents society’s values, aspirations and attitudes. When I read this book, I was wondering that where the definition of design originated and how we can understand the meaning of design, how important design is in our life. I think the Industrial Revolution was a turning point. Before the Industrial Revolution, all except the very rich did not have much choice or option about what to buy because a cottage industry produced limited products of poor quality, focusing on functionality. There was no responsibility of choice. Society didn’t have the financial or philosophical capacity nor the time to consider the possibility of the indulgent pleasure of design. However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution and improvements in economic conditions, the patterns of living and consuming began to change. Manufacturers introduced machines which could produce identical items en masse. From then on, supply began to exceed demand, and consumers began to experience choice. This also signals the beginning of personal relationship with functional objects, and the gradual start of self-conscious consumerism.

 

Manufacturers introduced product differentiation as a marketing strategy to sell their product. I think that this was the beginning of using the word “design” so that manufacturers defined Design as a method to solve problems and it used to shape, function and colour how objects are to be understood. I agree that design was a solution and colour, size, shape, function and visual reference but at some point, but the concept of design was changed by technology which is developing exponentially. With each new version we can see improved design and function of product and we want to buy it. Sudjic writes: “Possessions that stayed with us for decades could be understood as mirroring our own experiences of time passing. Now our relationship with new possessions seems so much emptier.” In the past we owned an object for a long time, we never threw it away, even if it was broken, because the object held memories and represented our experience of the past and helped define who we are. However, radical improvements in technology are changing the value of objects, promoting fast consumerism which means the consumer does not have enough time to develop any meaningful experience with or alongside an object. This has led manufacturers to reassess consumerism and consumer patterns to find a new selling strategy. They found the way is approaching customers psychologically and emotionally. Sudjic describes his purchase of a laptop that he didn’t really need: “It was a purchase based on set of seductions and manipulations that was taking place entirely in my head, rather than in physical space”.3 Customers care less about budget, design or even the extent of the function of the design. They are more interested on the story, philosophy and identity of the object according to what they think it says about them. We purchase certain designs to create an ideal identity for ourselves. Design has become a means of self-delusion. We justify our purchase behaviour according to how the object makes us feel about ourselves before ourselves and before the rest of the world. Customers want to have distinction, reveal their unique identity and represent themselves according to their idea of themselves through possessions. “And it is design that can serve as the means for creating a sense of identity - civic, collective or personal. It’s design that created national insignia, and corporate brands. These multiple definitions of design make it an endlessly fascinating, critically important, and always revealing subject”.4 Design is not about the function or object. It is the language to describe ourselves and represents identity and value.

 

I understood that design was used to enhance function or create a solution to functional problems but as time passed, the meaning of design has changed by constantly varying consumerism. Design became a language which conveys the identity and values of society and the individual. We live in complicated times, philosophically speaking. In the past art, design and commerce did not cooperate together but now art, design and commerce mix together and lead society, culture and industry. Without an understanding of design, it is difficult to understand the world. Therefore being able to read the language of things is a crucial key for understanding the world as a consumer and as a designer.