An article in the Guardian last weekend (01/09) gave a disappointingly narrow view of 'good design', missing an opportunity to demonstrate design that supports modern social challenges. Instead the article focused on aesthetics, creativity and novelty - important, but not exclusively so.

The '50 best' selection included practitioners known for creative lateral thinking (e.g Thomas Hetherwick). Much of the featured work is clever and creative and aesthetically ground-breaking. Other work is novel or witty or classic or otherwise interesting.

These expressions of creativity perpetually take the limelight over designers or agencies or companies that use design to directly address contemporary challenges. It is worrying that this old fashioned view of design prevails.

Missing out is a design that looks to directly improve quality of life, rather than amuse or provoke intellectual exercise.

Into this category we could fit, perhaps, user-centred agencies looking to improve lives by encouraging industry to create better things. But could also include the likes of Hillary Cottam, who applies design to improve health and education services, Dot07 who bring together designers and thinkers to discuss contemporary issues or for celebrity cachet, Wayne Hemmingway who is, after fashion design and punditry, addressing the insanity of the product packaging industry. Doubtless there are others.

I'd have thought the time was right to consider carefully the design 'trends' aligned with contemporary challenges. I found the article supported a version of design that didn't need the attention and didn't tap into a contemporary reflective mood where manufacturing, consumerism, sustainability and ultimately, for me at least, design are in the dock.

Article: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/design/story/0,,2159165,00.html