I had this article saved as a draft for a review and summary, but since it’s a bit multi-faceted and not very long, I suggest you check it out. In the meantime, here are some of Ann’s nuggets from the Core77 piece:
“Perhaps the central implication of a “low product” scenario is that designers could help articulate a new “social language.” A new language would rely largely on inner growth and improved social contexts as a means to well being, rather than material goods and individual purchases. What will we do instead of shop? Alternatives include things like self-provisioning (DIY), sharing, or community provisioning. Interestingly, a non-purchase solution doesn’t have to mean a non-design solution, as these emerging categories indicate:” [see article for examples]
“The bottom line, if you’ll excuse the pun, is that designers need to see and understand the economy before they can grapple with how to organize their own work. Unfortunately most discussions of sustainable design gloss over the workings of the economy (my own book deals with it substantially and, I like to think, accessibly in design terms). Designers alone can’t bring about a steady state economy, but we can begin to use the economy for sustainable ends, rather than letting the economy use us solely for economic growth. This challenge requires us to simultaneously deal with the daily realities of the high product context (where we typically try to make existing consumerism more efficient), while simultaneously plotting moves towards the low product context.”
For more of Anne’s thoughts, check out her blog: Design Activism
