TotalDesign
A multi-disciplinary look at the assumptions and reality of a designed world.
The Reality of the Human Condition?
I saw this image on fffound! this morning.
The name of this photo might as well be "The Sad Reality of Our Existence." Is this the inevitable reaction to an overdesigned world? When media and technology becomes ubiquitous, what can we do to escape sensory overload?
I look at this picture and imagine rows and rows of people trying to insulate themselves from their cream-colored airborne surroundings. And somehow I don't think noise-canceling headphones or inflatable head-rests really cut it as the savior in a new, overwhelming world. As designers, when do/did we cross the line into intrusive? And what is the price we as consumers are willing to pay for convenience?
Because when I look at this picture I think, whatever we're paying for convenience, it's too much.
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Cost of Convenience
Jon Dascola - July 31, 2008
Brilliant. I absolutely agree.
Double Penalty
Denise G - July 31, 2008
Not only did this poor woman have to hack a personal hygiene product to escape the ambient reality of the plane cabin, but she was double penalized by having to put the sticky adhesive side against her eyes rather than the soft cottony side.
Desperation is the mother of invention.
Thinking about the CIA
Gary Burt - July 31, 2008
I was listening today to Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein, where she talks about the MK Ultra sensory deprevation experiments conducted by the CIA in the 1950s and 1960s. This was a form of torture used to against opponents to allow mind reprogramming. And we now do it to ourselves on airlines ...
The price we pay for flying...
Yenny Otero - August 1, 2008
I think that the problem is not that it is a over designed world, but that what could make this a great user experience is not a tipping factor to those offering the service.. people need to use their services because there is no other choice, and nobody has been creative enough to make the best out of it.
There are many reasons why flying is not particularely pleasant but, what about building up from the reasons why flying is a unique experience? Some ideas are:
* You do not have to worry about your basic needs, food will come to you and the bathroom is some steps away.
* You are seldom so high up in the sky, the view is amazing.
* There is no distractions (no internet!!), that means you have all time available for yourself and those things you would do if you if you had time.
* There is time to watch the latest movies and it doesn't seem feel you are wasting time.
And has someone asked her opinion? Maybe this was the highlight of her day! ;)
In San Francisco there's a
chb - August 4, 2008
In San Francisco there's a poster campaign for homeless rights. There's a tagline that says "San Franciscans are deeply concerned with human dignity." If I saw a homeless person with a maxi-pad on their face, I would take my scarf off and give it to them. But this, I just don't know what to do with. . .
I wonder how her eyelids felt after peeling it off.
Its gotta hurt
Greg - August 14, 2008
I hope she didn't mistake this for the blindfold which is now out of camera range.
How many things in this
bob - November 18, 2008
How many things in this photo have 'wings'?
How many things in this
bob - November 18, 2008
How many things in this photo have 'wings'?
wow, and all I see isa
Alex - February 4, 2009
wow, and all I see isa picture of a woman sleeping...
mmmmmmmm... it is a lovely time to be alive is it not? in this day and age with all this wonderful technology (telecommunications, medical care, vehicular traveling half way around the world in less then a day, mass information easily accessible and right at our finger tips thanks to the internet....etc....), it amazes me how many people look around and see, blandness, or a "sad reality".
By not viewing a situation from a point of view, I'm able to see the world as it is, rather then as "an identity" sees it. Once one is able to do this, the world of misery, blandness, "sad reality", and overdesigning ceases to exist, and there is actual wonder in every breath of being alive!
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