Clear understanding
Posted on December 18, 2016Yes, the barriers of distance have been removed by technology, and communication is now easier and faster, but I believe that the assumption that we are now more connected, is not fully true. Human relation is being eroded, we are already changing our interaction and integration in communities without perceiving it, and this is what frightens me the most. With my profession I have learnt more about the importance of being present, something I consider essential for a ‘good design.’
I believe design can be a possible form of intervention and respond to the disruptive and provocative situations we are facing. I know there are no simple solutions and that I must consider the networks that tie and extend the effects of my work around the globe. Both space and time scales are crucial and I cannot loose sight of the bigger picture, but in this zoom out I must keep focus on the most important part of my projects.
In this whirlwind world, too overwhelm with new inventions and large and complex problems, we might ended-up losing sight of the people. This misguided focus is where I want to turn my attention, because if we want to design for a preferable future in this world, we must design for the people that live on it.
I collaborate in a project for which we recently conducted a workshop in East Harlem with mothers and children of the community. We explained the idea in an easy and fun way to the kids, leaving aside the details of the implementation and focusing on playing. They were naturally excited with the activity and to give their opinions about how we could improve our design, but the unexpected, at least for me, happened when we explained the project to the moms. They felt more comfortable speaking in Spanish, what made it easier for me as it is my native language, but that didn’t make it simpler. The way we are accustomed to describe the project suddenly didn’t make sense. Within the academic space we always choose our words cleverly; we learn to articulate them to explain our plans and the impacts we vision in ways that feel distant now. We build-up a language that works well with peers and stakeholders, but it lack its logic when we go back to the places where the projects pretend to exist. It’s not only the language we implement, but also the assumption that we know everything about others’ lives.
We cannot talk about solving others’ problems if we don’t first reflect on how we relate with the people of the community. Who are they? What are their visions and needs? We can’t make suppositions and define people as we wish; if we want to truly use design to drive positive change, it is essential to put aside our bias and genuinely listen. Our design has to be centralized on them, for that reason we must be open to understand and interpret people’s experiences and needs without manipulating the information towards our own preferences. We need to truly understand their perspectives. Each person has her/his own view; grasping the significance of experiences is a process that discerns from human to human. Our perception of the reality defines our subjective opinion on how the world is and limits our rational ability. We tend to put our view over others’ and think that our understanding is the only or the most important one. This assumption has to be abolished; all constructions of the world are valid, even the ones we refuse to listen. When designing for others, their viewpoint is the most significant one; understanding it will help us to expand our perception and have a better awareness of their world and a more self-effacement position in relation to them.
Something else I like to think about is how we can bridge the gap between us, as designers, and them, as users. We can use our practice to leverage the power of many, extending our knowledge and joining forces to overcome the difficulties of the present and the future. Design should not be imposed as a unique solution but rather be presented as a framework. For me the strength of design lays on its possibility to motivate others to build a sense of appropriation and confidence. We want our proposals to be useful for others, but sometimes our preconception that our ideas will solve everything fails. People don’t want to be told what to do, but I believe that if we provide them with the tools and give them the space to be part of the project, it will have a stronger impact.
We are a dynamic society constantly trying to catch up with the speed of the world we inhabit. Always looking ahead can make us forget of living the present and what really means to be connected with others. When designing I like to remember that we are already inundated with countless problems and what we need the most is to stop and listen. Jamer said in our last class: “design is a process of creativity engage with the need of the other.” When arriving into a space that is unfamiliar to us, but is home for others we have to be open to learn. If we lack the sense of communicating with the people, our designs will crumble and lose their purpose.