We’re delighted that LONDON DESIGN GUIDE has been included in Design Week’s annual round-up of the “people making a difference in design,” which was released today (28th January 2010).

In a section dedicated to Self-Publishing, LDG editor and publisher Max Fraser is credited alongside other newly-formed publishers.

Thank you Design Week! Others included in the supplement are BBC; Yves Behar; D&AD; Design Council; Design Museum; Rodney Fitch; Antony Gormley; Anish Kapoor; HRH The Duke of Edinburgh; Jamie Oliver; Dieter Rams; Penguin Books; Selfridges; V&A etc etc…

Its January 2010 and the start of a new decade. It seems only right that at this milestone, we all consider what we’re doing right and what we’re doing wrong. In this LDG extract, editor Max Fraser confronts our insatiable appetite to consume and calls for change.

THE STATE OF STUFF

In today’s materialist culture we have become addicted to the constant allure of the ‘new.’ Max Fraser argues that now is the time to change our game.

Over the past decade or so we have lived well beyond our means, propped up by easy access to credit and an attitude that we can have what we want, when we want it. Today we wallow in a culture of uncontested consumerism. As Richard Girling wrote in his book Greed: ‘We acquire, accumulate, and consume so far in excess of “need” that the word itself has fudged its meaning.’*

Girling has a point. We belong to a generation that has never had to go without, and along the way we have created an invisible monster  that feeds off our over-indulgence and wastefulness. It looms on the horizon of Western consciousness, yet we live with the belief that we are somehow immune to the problems it conceals.

The current recession has brought some designers to the consensus that now is the time to address our culture of aimless consumption in the hope of restoring a marketplace with a healthier and more sustainable outlook than before.

As it stands the design industry seems to blindly produce more ’stuff’, clambering at every opportunity to capture our attention amid a sea of homogeneous and derivative products. It is by no means the only industry that simultaneously creates desire and fuels disposability; in general, the vast majority of ’stuff’ is only adequately designed and manufactured and capitalises on its own planned obsolescence. We recognise this – the burden on the planet is discussed endlessly – yet until it smacks us in the face, calls for change are likely to go unheard. In the main, we are hypocrites; we know we need to reduce but we feel doubtful that as individuals we can make any difference.

Could we ever move away from consumption altogether? I hear you ask: Why would he, the editor and publisher of an annual guide that ultimately encourages consumption, suggest such a thing?

True, this thinking is naive and short sighted. Trade is engrained in our culture. Our finely tuned production cycle should be credited for providing us with an ever-important source of income – which, in turn, helps keep society’s wheels in motion. Production should not be considered a 21st-century scourge; innovation and technology offer infinite possibilities to a forward-thinking society.

It is also important to recognise that human nature is at its finest when creating. It gives us a sense of purpose. Throughout history our country has spawned pioneers we can thank for everything we value as great. These innovators deserve kudos, not the imitators who follow in their wake. However, as Richard Girling rightfully warns: ‘We salute excellence, but excellence is seldom born of modesty, and still less of moderation.’**

More than ever before, society needs to embrace moderation and readdress the reality of our ‘needs’. But only when we seriously question why we have mountains of stuff cluttering our shelves (as well as our minds and, ultimately, the rubbish tips) will we be able to start changing our consumption patterns. It is time to move away from the concept of disposability and promote quality and longevity, repair and reuse. Consumption is fine, as long as we buy better quality products less often and place value on emotional resonance. The future should be seen as rich with opportunity, but conditional on a move away from today’s self-destructive trajectory. Along the way we need to excite and empower one another and sidestep those who hesitate.

As things stand today, I get the feeling we are just treading water, waiting for others to make the first move. An army of creative entrepreneurs is eager to advance, but seems held back by risk-averse corporations and government. As our history tells it, however, it is during the hard times that human beings have best responded to new challenges. There is every reason why now is the time for change.

* Richard Girling, Greed. Why We Can’t Help Ourselves (2009), p.64

** Richard Girling, Greed. Why We Can’t Help Ourselves (2009), p.83

This extract was taken from pages 158+159 of LONDON DESIGN GUIDE 2010.

Journalist and author Laura Houseley interviewed LDG editor Max Fraser at Tent London during the London Design Festival 2009. Fraser describes the content and motivations behind the guide and explains why London is such a vibrant design capital.

Video courtesy of Detnk.com