Design Won’t Save The World You Pretentious Fuck

Jul 7th 2008
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In reaction to Artefacture’s T-Shirt “Design Will Save The World” Frank-C on Flickr posted this:

His comment is this:

Pardon my French. Really, I’m not usually such a potty mouth.

Is anyone else thinking this?

I saw a t-shirt tonight, and the whole mentality of it just ticks me off.
www.allfavourites.com/art-dwstw-t-shirt.htm

I’ve seen the sentiment in other places. I think it’s misleading and primarily flawed; it’s inaction cleverly disguised as action. If you want to save the world, start by saving what’s prevalent in it: people. Help them. Love them.

Rant over.

First off, I think this would make a great T-Shirt, I would certainly wear either one depending on how I was feeling. I actually don’t agree that the

I certainly don’t share Frank’s vehement opposition to the “Design Will Save The World” concept, but I don’t necessarily take it quite as seriously or as literally as him I guess. I believe that design is an activity that can bring great change in the world. It of course depends on your definition of design but the design of irrigation systems, or mechanical pumps, the kind of stuff that Dean Kaman works on are all positive contributions to the world. I think I need a shirt that says “Typography Will Save The World” now that might be some pretentiousness to get angry about.

This post is tagged controversy, design

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Ben 4 months ago 1 point
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HAHAah
thats really great

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http://www.myspace.com/bengloberman

Andrew Ferguson 4 months ago 1 point
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I considered purchasing the original 'Design Will Save the World' but I decided against it.

This new one on the other hand, holy balls would I buy that so fast. Put it on a darker tone and you have my dollars.

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http://www.goldengod.net

kat 4 months ago 1 point
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Oh well, I don't think design will "save" the world but I do believe that art changes the world in many aspects. That's why is part of our history. Anyway, I love though the fact that a design can revoke a reaction and in such a creative way. I would wear both shirts in consecutive days at work lol...

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http://t-shirts-around.blogspot.com/

mingled 4 months ago 1 point
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It's ironic that the 'anti design' comment is laid out in a nice typographic way, could have even been designed to be like that.

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1 /people/mingled/ /people/mingled/following/ http://www.mingled.co.uk

Alupa 4 months ago 1 point
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I hear what your screaming, and am totally buying in. The overwhelming majority of designers have their head so far up their ass that their ears should be checked for diamonds. Which, as a designer myself, is very easy to say, if not condone.

The first shirt is not my cup of tea, and the second design makes my cup runith over. It's good to know that somewhere in the realm of pretentious, over-thought and over paid design work there are still some believers that acknowledge the fact they are really just shills for the advertising companies. At least someone didn't sleep through art history class...

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alexando 4 months ago 1 point
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Actually, design CAN save the world. Read 'Cradle to Cradle' by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. Like anything though, in regards to this tee, it needs to be taken into context. If you had a shirt that said, "LOVE will save the world," would you still reply the same way, when love without action is still only a feeling? Design CAN save the world, if it is part of the whole and some believe it WILL and I hope they back up that belief and thought with action and practice. I do; fybut does.

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artemedia 4 months ago 1 point
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I agree with you Karl, Frank actually doesn't know what he is talking about. As a designer himself I'd expect him to come across blogs like core77 that reveal that perhaps he is the "pretentious fuck"

http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/proje...

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rabbit 3 months ago 1 point
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People are fantastic, but apparently they sometimes waste time getting annoyed by absolutely harmless ideas.
I think there are a lot of better places to go and rant.
Printing this text on an organic t makes an important statement: green and social awareness do not always have to be ugly... or negative.

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JayDub 3 months ago 1 point
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First off, to react this way will get Frank what he wants: attention. And, Frank, if you think bringing your short-sidedness - if you're actually serious - into the semi-public light doesn't exactly make you look good, you could actually be right.

Design - in the broadest sense; not specifically someone who creates art - can actually materially contribute to saving the world. If a product doesn't work as advertised, it becomes landfill more quickly. If a product is made from nasty materials because the designer doesn't know any better, it will come back to haunt all of us. Bad design can also cause broken bones, blindness and long-term illness. This is not an overstatement, just fact.

And let's use your suggestion to work in a soup kitchen as a comparison of how effective it might be in relationship to a well-designed product. In a soup kitchen you are giving your two hours to feed (in direct relationship) up to maybe 60 people. Maybe more, but not 500. If a designer chooses to use a bio-plastic and renewable, farmed wood instead of petroleum-based plastic and trees cut down from a badly managed forest, he might help - admittedly indirectly - actually save thousands of lives.

Even a simple instance in which a seasoned design engineer takes an existing product, re-engineers it for simpler production and waste reduction can make a huge difference in the use of our resources. Check out V2 of the BoGo solar flashlight (http://www.bogolight.com/) for an example.

Frank, buddy, grow up.

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