Liberating the Cultural Variance of Global Design
1997 IDSA Design Education Conference, Washington, D.C.
April 25, 1997

Ricardo Gomes, Professor/Director
Design Center for Global Needs
Department of Design and Industry
San Francisco State University

We are rapidly approaching the fast lane of the Information and Post-Industrial era. Design and technology have been accelerating with ever greater power to promote what you design and how to better interface with it. Consequently, the design profession today must shift gears to broaden its focus and applications. It must go beyond the form and end product to encounter the intangible grasp of our rapidly expanding Culture of Immateriality and Design Variance.

Marco Diani, in his text, Immateriality Takes Command, suggests that with the advent of interface design, computer processing and computer-aided manufacturing, we are modifying the nature of the design process, accentuating "flexibility versus complexity"-- few ideas; many variations. We are moving from the conventional wisdom of good form and function, to the culture of immateriality and multiple presentations.

In our industrialized society we have passed from the time of a hands-on model, to one of an initial form, plus a field of virtual variations. Variations which stem from an already existing object, whether it be traditional or modern; local or global. Within such procedures, a whole series of new models could be derived from an established model or matrix. The objective would be to accommodate not only the conventional prescribed needs of the mainstream global markets, but the range of needs and diversity of emerging countries with low-income economies.

At present, global design has become the marketing jargon now that diversity and multiculturalism are vogue. We like to coin trendy phrases that we hope will somehow make us feel better about ourselves and what we do, since being "politically correct" is the standard in "marketing etiquette" today. This is particularly true of those among us who feel they are conscientiously "out of the loop." These self-prescribed "global designers" feel the need to "redefine, or realign" their professional gains with the vernacular of the new world order. Diversity has become one of the key indications of the changing context in which design will have to facilitate in an efficient and plausible manner. Yet, in America we are ironically struggling to counter the backlash against benefits of affirmative-action in enhancing the cultural enrichment and multiplicity of our society. Can cultural variance and technology of the postindustrial era liberate the patriarchal mold that global design has inherited from our established industrial societies.

Yes, today we have "Global Design, the Global Village,"-- or is it really the "Global Estate?" In actuality, the so-called "global village,"-- is more liken to "global feudalism." Since when do the good ole' boy, "survival of the fittest,"industrial "Gang of Seven" become, "the humble socio-communal Village People of the industrialized global society." So, what is so global and challenging about transferring one capital-intensive, market-driven product from one industrialized economy in Europe, to one in the United States, or Asia? The results consist of a fairly predictable product for next year's market-prescribed "look" in a fairly predictable seasonal environment. An environment that is relatively stable, competent and consistent in resources. Is it possible to really challenge the industrial design profession to venture beyond the homogenous comforts and resources of the status quo of having - "been there, done that..?" Can we elevate and enhance the value of design to go beyond the status of the form, the end product, and technical novelty? Is it possible, or do we want, to attempt to address diverse societal and market needs, as well as the cultural values and variance of a global society? Could we create a design evolution that could inspire another dimension of design aesthetic, form and application that would expand the boundaries of design theory, innovation and application?

There is a great concern that the saturation of global marketplaces, with its global identity, has resulted in the standardization of many products. Such uniformity has consequently subordinated and stagnated the unique values of products that have represented the identity and values of smaller, typically non-western, countries. Consequently, many so-called "global products" leave no place for cultural variance.

A move by the design profession to expand the focus of design education and practice to promote products that reflect cultural variance, does not mean that the profession should embellish commercial products with new forms of "faux-culture," or cultural styling. A "consciousness of style" was manifested by a consumer-based society whose cultural perception and concern for comfort and well being created a market of distinction lifestyle. What came about in this society was a genre that promoted a diversification that stimulated "conspicuous consumption." What has been perceived as "comfort" and well being in a contemporary industrialized society thus was marketed globally as the standard that all other diverse cultures and societies were compelled to follow draw and comparisons.

It is quite often the norm that these global products are assimilated into other cultures, becoming status quo gadgets, or playthings -- "objects of desire." Fair and equitable access to the global marketplace of diverse products has been compromised by the hoarding of the global village by the free-enterprising landlords. Freedom of the global consumer has been reduced to selecting already existing archetypes, or "packaged personalities" in order to establish ones identity in the conventional industrialized society.

How does one, as post-industrial theoretician Tufan Orel stated, "Personalize their living surroundings," in this post-industrial society of yesterday's left-over prescribed standards? Designers can begin to address this question by promoting design applications in a broader, more encompassing macro-level. A level that constitutes a more holistic approach to design participation, cross-disciplinary and inclusiveness -- not in a specialized manner.

The idea and technology of variance can facilitate the fulfillment of individuals personal needs, as well as society's need to promote cultural identity. Multicultural variance in design will create a product environment that will not be dominated solely by the archetypes and values of the established industrialized euro-centric markets of distinction.

Esther Mahlangu, a well-known South African Ndebele mural painter, was invited by BMW to "customize" their mass produced BMW 5 series, a la Swatch, along with contemporary pop art icons, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichenstein, Frank Stella and others, as part of a "BMW Art Car Collection." This "Art Collection" was exhibited in the prestigious showrooms of the art world, the Louvre and Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Whitney Museum in New York.

Ms. Mahlangu's BMW 525i was adorned with the significant traditional patterns and colors that characterize the houses and beadwork of the Ndebele people. Ironically, the surfaces of this mass produced status symbol, the ultimate driving machine, was transformed to the high art status of the "ultimate work of art." Unfortunately the cultural vernacular of her token crossover acceptance into the markets of distinction did not depreciate the value of the Township Beamer. It did not make it affordable to the township locals or the artist, nor did it bring relief to the difficult socio-political hardship and economic status of this brilliant artistic tradition. However, it did demonstrate, courtesy of the humble hand-crafted tradition of a Ndebele South African woman, the variant possibilities of cultural infusion into the mainstream of industrial standards.

French industrial product theoretician Abraham Moles, writes about a "variational creativity "in which designers will be confronting the current fundamental concept of "initial form plus variations." A theory that recognizes an often methodical variation of possible forms with respect to given parameters. In his writings, Tufan Orel, a French social scientist, reminds us, as we approach the next millennium, that mass customization and diversity are not new. Almost a century ago, Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogues were offering a variety of different products derived from a single matrix model. For example, MW could offer 131 variations on a product based on the diversification according to the criteria of age, sex, and status.

Today, CAD/CIM and the information technology can further facilitate and enhance the efficiency and quality of small-scale industries, flexible manufacturing, and a diversified custom marketing approach. Orel points out that this concept of the diversification, or "customization," of an industrial product was proposed by Gaetano Pesce in the production of a series of seats with random details. The idea for the manufacture of "non-serialized products" had been proposed in the production of non-serialized GM Saturns automobiles that would employ methods of random production and offering custom specification orders to individuals. This custom nonserialized approach, which could be facilitated through the reprogramming of Computer Integrated Manufacturing assembly lines, would also be advantageous to minimizing inventory and facilitating service.

We can avoid the conventional superficial application of this technology that has only been used as window dressing for product design, by capitalizing on the genius of its flexibility. We could use the features of this technological variance to address broader and greater needs that would be more appropriate on a technical or cultural scale for a designated economy or marketplace.

The Post-Industrial society will be a cultural society in which designers will play a leading role. In an industrial society products that were "standardized" are now "customized" in a post-industrial society. Likewise, designers and processes that were "exclusive" and "professional" will be "inclusive" and "participatory." The designer of the future will be a coordinator, navigator and director of life and living. The designer is in a pivotal position to interpret and influence the manner in which modern living is facilitated. It is the designer, whose holistic understanding of creativity provides the greatest sensitivity to, and the strongest dynamic connections with society. The designer has the greatest responsibility to the representation, communication and harmony of the culture through the identity of its everyday objects and environment.

We shall therefore conclude that the quality and truthfulness of "global design" will invariably improve with a more direct relationship established between global societies, culture, personality and production processes.