The Wolf of Wall Street

The battle between Ethics and Money was brought to my attention after watching this film. I am unsure if you have been to see this film yet (I would recommend you do as it is excellent), so here is a brief introduction to the film: This is Martin Scorsese film and is based on true events surround a Wall Street stock broker, Jordan Belfort. The film explores his years running his hugely financially successful Stock Brokers where he was making for himself around $50million a year. Thats alot! Unfortunatly for Jordan, money was the controlling factor and nobody cared about ethics. You are making so much money why does anything else matter ae? That was the thinking at the time.

Why am I talking about a stock broker when I am meant to be exploring designers. Well, Jordan created his buisness from scratch. He had to design that business, so in that sense, I suppose he is a designer. His buisness model was designed by him and if it was not for those pesky ethics sneaking it, that model would have remained a succesful piece of design maybe. However, my main reason for focussing on this man is that he had another product that he created which was and is even more powerful that his business model. That is his Straight Line Persuasion method. At the time when the film is based he was using this product himself but barely knew it existed. I took until his professional and social demise brought him down for him to understand what he had.

We do not need to go into the product in detail but basically he has manifested into a package methods on which to sell anything to someone in a succesful and consistent manner. Now already, you can see issues with this product. The word persuassion rings alarm bells surronding the ethcically use of this proven product.
Using this method can bring immense benefits to any person or business, but when ethics are pushed out by the desire for dosh this product can become dangerous. Jordan Belfort discovered this for himself and is still feeling the effects of that mistake. He even discusses this issue himself. There are many clips on youtube but here is an example: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSU1GUD-NF4

He claims that his new product which teaches this method helps to prevent the lack of concideration for ethics. However, I wonder, if he used it effectively and ignored ethics, why can't anbody else. I could go onling right now, purchase his product for $1997 (which is astronomically expensive btw) learn it then start using it without consulting my ethical conscience. What stops me doing that other than me.

I think, whoever you are, when designing something you do not only have to evaluate your actions and your product for ethical soundness, you have to consider how your product can be used once in the hands of the public. For example, the Kalashnikov gun. That was designed by a man wanting to help his country but he got so engrossed in that ideal he forgot to consider its after effects. He then spent the rest of his life feeling a part of every time one of his guns were used to kill another person. So when designing we have to be aware all the time of ethics otherwise we will end up like Joran belfort or Mikhail Kalashnikov, rich maybe butcalone in jail, regretting our actions and hurting over the pain we have caused others.

The battle between Ethics and Money in design.

When looking into the role of the designer I feel it is important to explore the battleground that exists between two of the most influential factors a designer has to consider: Ethics and Money. As most "designers" work within a business money may be the ultimate goal and thus the overriding factor the designer has to consider. However, increasingly i suspect that the word ethics is being thrown around design studios and disturbing moneys control over the design process. What effect will this have on future designs and the role the designer plays within that.
My next few posts will be looking further into this topic and hopefully I will discover the way in which to perfectly balance the two. This will help us in become more succesful designers.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Last week we were introduced to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Well, that was an experience! Was not prepard for that. I do not know if you have ever seen the film, but I would recommend you give it a go…

… Did you make it through to the end? Some people love that film, but for me it has to be one of my least favourite films. Im a film guy, but that was not for me. "Really trippy" one of my course mates said. I think thats a good way to put it.
However, to the film and its makers credit, it pushed the boundaries of film. Today the film is consitenly ranked in the top 10 of films ever made. People see this as culturally significant piece of film, mainly due to the way it pushed the boundaries of the way film interacts with the senses. I suppose in this sense it is a significant piece of work but I personally will not be putting it anywhere near my top 10 films.

Discussing the film after we looked at the idea of "a box". This idea was brought up by my tutor when discussing the centinal (shown above) in the film. What was so significant about  its form and aesthetic. The designer of this, in this case, probably the director must have taken care to get this piece correct. And they did. In my opinion, this single object was the greatest part of this otherwise weird film. The design of the character shall we call it was excellent. You understood its meaning, or were at least able to explore its meaning. You never find out its purpose, I mean, its just a black cuboid. What the heck?! 

I will let you explore this film and come to your own conclusions about the significance and meaning of the use of this shape. I dont actually think I need to speculate myself. I think it is best if you explore it yourself. Once you have done that, do what we did and explore the idea of "the box" in design elsewhere. I am going to explore the designer as a box… (dont know what i mean by that yet, but im going to find out).

I also intend to blog about a number of films within this blog page. As we can see from this film, there is alot we can learn and take from films when concidering design, and even the question: "Are you a designer?

Watch this space….

Superstar Designers.

Often when we picture a "designer" we visualise the arty type, with a fancy studio full of strange objects and a head just as strange. We see the daft concepts, funkily formed, but hopelessly useless as a product. We may laugh with glee at these designers, but are we just laughing with ignorance? That is the question I have proposed to myself.

The question was challenged when we explored the designer Marc Newson - The Urban Spaceman. I would recommend you watch this programme created by the BBC a few years ago...

Before watching this film I was certain that Marc Newson was another Philippe Starck say, a seemingly pretentious designer with designs of little merit. However, as the documentary, and my additional research played out I began to understand the man better. I am still unimpressed by much of his work such as the chair shown above - his famous Lockheed Lounge, 1986. This is really just my personal opinion of the aesthetics. But what does impress me is the mans passion, his passion for his designs. A passion which is felt for every single detail of every single design. Is this passion the factor that makes him a "superstar designer"? 

Jonathan Ive (Apple Inc) said: "I think Marc is fairly peerless now. Marc's forms are often imitated, but what other designers seldom imitate is his preoccupation with materials and processes. You have to start with an understanding of the material. Often your innovation is just coming up with a new way to use material."

What allowed this man become famous in the world of art and design to such an extent that one of his pieces holds the record for the highest price paid for a single piece of furniture. I think his success is a combination of his passion, hard work and a wee bit luck.
But what happens if you do not come across this luck? That should not matter… you will just have to put more of the hard work in!! Simple as that. You don't have to be a superstar designer to be a designer. That may sound silly, but it makes sense to think about it. Often people are detered by the world of "design" due to this preconception of the designer type, but I know that this is not what the worls of "design" is like. 


However… that is the next question I suppose: What do you have to design to qualify as a designer? That then begs the question: What is designed? I would say everything almost, which in turn begs the question: Is everybody a designer?
I will be exploring all of this in much greater detail over the next few weeks...

The Demise of Skilled Manufacture.

In recent years the number of skilled craftsmen has decreased to dangerously low levels. The reasoning behind this is fairly obvious: mass manufacture, huge corporations fixated on maximum profit and modern technologies eliminating the need for these workers. However, a reason that is often overlooked is the lack of skilled workers that now exist. This may have been initiated by lack of demand for thier skills, but increasingly in industry the reverse exists. The demand is there, but the skills are not. This is turning many companies even more towards automated, low skilled manufacturing methods.

How can we solve this?

Craig Whittet (Programme Leader, Product Design Engineering, Glasgow School of Art) suggests that the way we treat and pay our apprentices may be the way to address this. For example, in the UK, the current minimum wage for a 19 year old apprentice is only £2.68. Compare this to £3.72 for a non apprentice. This can, and does leave apprentices feeling worthless, and their qualified seniors feeling devalued. Why would a 16 year old persue a career in skilled manufacture when they could simply work in a call centre for much more pay and minimal effort? If we raised the minimum wage for skilled manufacture trainees we may just spark new enthusiasm amongst the younger members of society to persue a career in skilled manufacture. This enthusiasm would hopefully spread into the potential employers who may see the value in the skills available greater than the cost savings of an automated factory.

Also discussed was the brand image of a company and its potential to thrive from skilled manufacture. This may be all we need to safe the skills of a craftsman. An interesting example is the company Brooks saddles. They are a company that relies on skilled craftsmen to manufacture their product. It takes 3 days to make 1 saddle! Unfortunately, poor marketing almost ended this company a few years ago. But then came Selle Royal, an Italian company who could see the potential of exploting the traditional image of these skilled craftsmen. This transformed the company so that they are now seen as one of the top quality saddle manufacturers in the world. But, more importantly than that is the fact that this boost made the workers feel valued again.

Take a look at this, the story of Brooks saddles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9w-y24Waz4