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This is the first of five editions of a conversation between myself and Satyendra Pakhalé about various concerns on creation, ideas, point of views and processes surrounding design. We hope that we will be able to bring forward ideas that could lead to development of better and more desirous creation. Design that creates difference and meaning for companies, organisations and for the individual. Design that can reshape our ideas. Please feel free to comment everything we are talking about. We believe in mind sharing and would love to get your insights.
As it looks today the five different editions (first one starts today) of the conversation will touch the following topics:
1. humanistic and cultural values
2. sustainability
3. sensorial products
4. material innovation
5. iconic design
First I would like to make a short introduction of my conversation partner Satyendra Pakhalé:
Satyendra Pakhalé is an international designer and cultural nomad based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. After completing his Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Design in India and Advanced Product Design in Switzerland, he worked at Philips Design - creating new products and scenarios for new business creations, among others in the areas of digital communication and transportation.
In 1998 he set up his own design practice in Amsterdam. Since then he has been working on his own projects and on projects for diverse industries in many different countries. Renowned companies such as Alessi, Italy; Bosa, Italy; Cappellini, Italy; Colombo Design, Italy; C-Sam, USA/UK; CorUnum, The Netherlands; Curvet, Italy; De Vecchi, Italy; Erreti, Italy; Offecct, Sweden; Magis, Italy; Moroso, Italy; RSVP, Italy; SCA, Sweden; Tubes, Italy; Väveriet, Sweden; and organizations like Material ConneXion (USA) rank among his clients.
The design work of Satyendra Pakhalé are in several public collections, among others Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam and Centre Pompidou, Paris. Recently he has been invited to art-direct and head the Master programme in Design for Humanity and Sustainable Living at Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Since 2005 Satyendra Pakhalé has been advisor on the Board of Directors of the Ambassadors Board, Design & Technology community chain mission, Eindhoven, NL.
OK - let's start the conversation:
David Carlson (DC)
Satyendra, please let me know a little more about your recent invitation to art-direct and Head the Master of Design for Humanity and Sustainable Living at the Design Academy Eindhoven.
Satyendra Pakhalé (SP)
Almost two years ago I was asked by Li Edelkoort, Board of Director and Chair woman of Design Academy Eindhoven to consider to head the Masters programme in Design for Humanity.
Then I was not so sure as I was extremely busy with several projects with my practice and perhaps the time was not so right for me. Then, a bit more than a year later, the education director along with Li Edelkoort suggested me again, and that made me think. After considerable deliberation over last summer vacation, I decided to accept to Art-direct and head the Masters of Design for Humanity. The nice thing about it is that it has been organized in a new way- that means I do not have any conventional responsibilities with the institution. It's all being taken care by the programme coordinator along with the department coordinator. This situation makes the best use of my time and tries to get the best possible results in a given time. I am like a consultant to give a creative vision on design faced towards a humanistic and hopeful stance, which will help, build a fresh approach to sustainable living. These issues are dear to my heart and I have been working on these issues for a while. Besides, my practice consists of professional practice, design education and consistent research. Somehow this situation allows me to work in all these fields without loosing my main core focus on my design practice.
(DC)
Looking at your own designs they all have a strong humanistic and cultural touch. Do you think this is an important component in modern design?
(SP)
Yes indeed it is certainly an important issue, in today's context we need it more and more than before – as the real human cross cultural issues come to the surface in all the societies around the world in general and specially European context in particular.
We still really need to understand in industrial cultures and learn how to refocus our attention to humanistic and cultural aspects in industry rather than the technological focus that we predominantly have right now.
As we all know, technology for the sake of technology does not mean much, unless it delivers. Besides, we also know that almost everybody has access to almost all kinds of technologies around the world, therefore to refocus on a culture of creation is the utmost need.
I have been concern about these issues for a long time.
(DC)
I do also see your design as very personal. I could probably spot one of your designs without knowing them in beforehand. Do you find a lack of personality in the design community today?
(SP)
Recently Mr. Rolf Fehlbaum of VITRA said there are many designers and very few authors. I agree with that. I would say to negate personality in any creative filed of work is an error; however to remain satisfied with personality alone is yet a greater error.
In the case of a really great individual the greatness lies in his/her having gone beyond his/her individualism. I feel design should not be impeded by individualism. Stress upon individualism alone is totally unsatisfactory, even though we all designers get benefited by it sometimes. On the other hand where do we find true creation without individualism!!! So having no individuality and transcending it- these two issues must not be confused.
(DC)
Design can answer the important question WHAT. What kinds of demand will a certain product create, what kind of problem is it solving? Technology will only answer the question HOW. How do we deliver this solution? Despite of this a lot of companies are still trying to make their products into the category equivalence of the Swiss Army Knife. Why do you think we see this behavior over and over all the time?
(SP)
It is perhaps not being able to take a position- a creative strong point of view, or may be a lack of confidence or trust in their own abilities or perhaps almost no trust in the people by and large who are end users or combination of many things of that sort. One could observe this in many companies driven by so-called marketing experts. We will certainly continue our conversation further on these issues.
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David and Satyendra talk about design - part 2
Welcome to the second edition of the talk about design between myself and Satyendra Pakhalé, international designer and cultural nomad based in Amsterdam. This time we will talk about sustainability, a subject highly relevant in a time when the climate change is on the lips of each and every one. It is quite easy to just continue down the same road as everybody else but we will try to add a personal approach to sustainability. Do you agree to what we say or do you have another opinion? We would love to involve as many readers as possible in our talk. Just write the words from your heart in the comment section below.
Here we go!
(Satyendra Pakhalé) What is sustainable design for you David?
(David Carlson) There is a lot of talk going on concerning sustainability in design which is good. But sometimes I feel that the very point of the discussion is a bit out of tune.
The best way to make sustainable design is to concentrate on quality, both concerning design and material. To produce better products. Mass consumption and sustainability doesn't go very well together. I would love to see more "design classics", the kind of products your children can inherit.
I think we have to see design in a new context as well. An interesting way forward could be to re-use and re-design instead of just adding more and more products. Most new chairs will still have four legs… I'm longing for cooler and better second hand shops but also some true remodelling of everything from furniture to gadgets into new, smashing and desirable products
By the way Satyendra, did you see any signs of the new "green" trend at this years Milan furniture fair?
(SP) No I have not, and I'm glad that I did not. I mean that we should focus our attention on good work and create products/objects that are meaningful and fulfil utility and more. Perhaps talk less about so called "green trends".
But, I recall a month or two ago I was invited to Geneva Motor show and invariably every other car or prototype had green - eco friendly labels on it. We all know that the product development time in the transportation industry is at least 3 to 5 years. It takes significant amount of time to develop a new transportation which has so called eco-friendly fuel consumption or anything like that, but just because of the Al Gore's documentary every other company had green labels on their cars. That is not the kind of green trends I'm looking forward to see.
(DC) How do you see the issue of sustainability in the industrial context?
(SP) I think we need to look at things differently without making big fuss about so-called sustainable design. First of all, each industry has various needs and conditions in which it works and performs and it's important to look at the kind of product line they have. To really focus on key issues and products and then gradually open up new chapters, rather than creating catalogue of products which do not say anything.
There is a confusion between re-use and re-cycle, these words are often used interchangeably without realising its implications.
(DC) Are there any new research topics that industry could look into?
(SP) There are many new topics, but the concern is - does it make sense just to open up new topics? What we need to look at first is how to do things better with given conditions and possibilities and then certainly we can talk about new topics as well. Perhaps take a fresh look at some existing situations.
(DC) According to you, who has the biggest responsible concerning sustainable design, the designer or the producer? Or maybe society, which actually has a strong power by the possibility to use its money as a vote for which kind of world we would like to live in?
(SP) The trouble is that if sustainability becomes another buzzword, then we will loose the real meaning of it. I think that in every design project it should be somehow dealt with, without almost mentioning it.
But I could think of a few which have great potentials. Danish company B&O, and few others like that, have the heritage and kind of sustainable thinking for long time. The challenge is how to keep up with new innovative digital technology without losing it all.
(DC) That's true. We are seeing more examples of greenwashing all the time. Cynical business leaders take advantage of a good thing. But it will not work in the long run. Consumers of today demand transparency.
Do you see a trouble with our market economy when creating so called trends and fads?
(SP) Real meaning and real concerns that's what matters and not passing trends and fads…..specially in the field of industrial design. It is indeed high time that we get back to base and really not make big fuss about the trends and fads….. We all know, that to do a serious meaningful product it takes years of planning, designing, prototyping, testing and product development. It's a silly idea to say we have follow so called trends. It's a shortsighted idea.
David, please tell me your thoughts on how we could speak with high technological industry on these issues?
(DC) It's an important question, because there is demand for sustainable design in the high technological industry. As I wrote about in the recent issue of the David Report bulletin, one of the biggest challenges in the future is to find a way to adapt sustainable thinking to technology gadgets. They fuel the wear and tear mentality in society today. A mobile phone has a life-span shorter than a year. It's a challenge for the industry to both develop better long life products and also bring forward better systems for recycling for the existing ones.
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The top image shows me and Satyendra Pakhalé in the Cappellini exhibition in Milano (I'm sitting on the Fish chair designed by Satyendra. Thanks to Michael Koenig for taking the picture!). Rest of the images show assorted products by Satyendra. Next edition of the David and Satyendra talk will by up within a couple of weeks. The subject will be "sensorial products". Meanwhile, please let us know your opinion on sustainable design.
