We were sent a very intriguing link from good Mod Squad friend, Mark Hertzberg (who writes the Wright in Racine blog and wrote the Wright in Racine book). The link is to an article by International Herald Tribune
writer Alice Rawsthorn titled: "iPhone's magic touch becomes design's
gold standard for 2007."
While talking about what made the iPhone such a design phenom in '07, Ms. Rawsthorn also poignantly looks at the worrisome trend of good design being unsustainably created for the minority of people in the world. As stated in the article:
While Apple's rivals play catch-up, they'd do well to reflect on the other new component of "good design" where Apple fares less well - sustainability. With a few honorable exceptions, the story of sustainable, ethical or guilt-free (call it what you will) design has been embarrassingly flimsy. That's why 90 percent of design is destined for the 10 percent of the global population that needs it least (the privileged minority) and why so much of that stuff is designed, made, sold and discarded with little or no thought for the environmental consequences.
So, kudos to Apple for great design, but a "tsk, tsk" for ignoring the path of ethical and egalitarian design (might explain the sudden iPhone price drop and Jobs' 'Green Apology" letter of this year, also.)
So how's this for a New Year's resolution? The design community can do
what it does best in 2008: Take up the challenge before it, and solve
it with creative gusto! If any company can do it, it's Apple. Read the
article for yourself and find out who else is on the 2007 Naughty and
Nice Design List.
Photo copyright Doug Rosa, Apple
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