Design a New Dawn

The terrain for design has never seemed so wide. Even in an era where some aspects of globalism is being shunned and the beauty of a diverse community are under attack, this still holds true. The essence for design to me is that of power to not only facilitate interest in a subject matter but transform the perception of a particular people.

Although possessing a myriad of natural resources and being indelible to the economic and technological development of the world, African people and the continent in general is still a greatly misconstrued one with views of poverty and backwardness still prevailing in the minds of those calling themselves ‘new age thinkers’. Design has the power to change this view. Sociologists call the slow change of action due to repeated viewing of a subject matter the Hypodermic Syringe Approach. I call the steady paradigm shift in the perception of a group of People, the effects of design.

Whether it be from the avenues of interior design, Architecture or even Stage Design in a manner that glorifies and shows truly the remarkable essence of my culture can it be respected by a global audience. As an African, this power of design to rebrand my home and as a result, rebrand my society cannot be overstated.

The tackling of crucial human challenges such as homelessness, poverty and clean energy are problems yearning not for the ravaging ‘dialogue’ of political parties or denials from scientific sceptics but for the touch of design. The design of sustainable homes providing the building with clean water through a durable rain filtration system and energy through in-built solar panels in a manner that need not be expensive is the future of design and the future of humanity.

The convergence of the ‘Microwave- Age’ which sought speed of production, to what I term the ‘Renewability-Age’ which places a premium on the positive environmental effects of an item or system, is very near. Thereby, making the relationship between design and innovation a greatly symbiotic one. In essence, Design without innovation does not represent progression but regression. It represents regression for human kind in its relations to its environment.

How can the most intelligent of species be so selfdestructive of their habitat? For design is not merely about aesthetics in the building of a home or in the construction of a product. It is about usability, renewability in relation to the environment and longevity in regard to the next generation, for we are the future of the previous generation.

For instance, the need for changes to many public buildings due to the American Disabilities Act facilitated a birth in technologies that not only made mobility easier for disabled people but able-bodied individuals as well. To have encouraged technology in design in such a visionary way would have initially saved a lot of money and served to improve lives. Altogether, if design is a vehicle of change, Technology is its engine and vice versa. This raw truth must be embraced wholeheartedly.