Politics of Design

One of the first things to spring to mind when thinking about this assignment was IKEA.
To me. IKEA sticks out as a heavily ideological company, as is very clear from their mission statement:
"At IKEA, our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Our business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them."
Although IKEA is the butt of a few jokes in terms of its cheapness and sometimes frustratingly difficult to assemble products, I don't think anyone can deny that IKEA has some pretty honourable goals.
Most notably is the aim of providing functional and affordable products to everyone, the goal is to serve the wider international community, as opposed to many other designers/companies only serving a niche market for personal gain.
IKEA are also one of the many companies that have "gone green" and are attempting to lessen the impact humans make on the environment, this is a very prominent issue today, and many governments are also involved in similar initiatives. It is a very widespread concern, and one that can gather a company a huge amount of interest and support if handled correctly.
With these two points in mind, I think it's safe to say that for all the jokes about IKEA, they have the right idea when it comes to ideology, and have definitely chosen the right causes to fight for

Design Identity

As a designer I find it hard to classify myself. I don't have any obvious design traits that identify me. At first I believed that my culture had no bearing on my design, as I grew up in a middle class NZ European (read white) family and to me that just seems 'default'. However, upon reflection of this I realised that it does have some impact on my designs, albeit small. I tend to be drawn to symmetrical designs, and symmetry seems to be predominant in my works which links to European culture in that European design features mainly straight, orderly forms.
I found that my gender doesn't seem to have much of an impact at all except that I would much rather design a weapon than an article of clothing. It's not much and it's a very stereotypical view, but it's the only difference I can come up with.
Being an atheist I find myself with a sense of freedom in my design, as I am not restricted in what I say or depict, however, I am not entirely sure the restrictions are as tight as I imagine in this day and age.
Overall I find myself in a peculiar situation as a designer; I seem to have no identity, at least not in the traditional sense, although I am perfectly fine with this.

Technology and Progress

In regards to the similarities between the Bauhaus and my experience in First Year Design, the point that jumps out most obviously is the approach to learning. More specifically, the way in which all first year students start with a foundation course of sorts. We all do the same base courses, most of which are very broad in scope, and are usually very hands-on. It is only when (or if) we get into second year that we begin to specialise in a certain field.
Another major point is "the unification of the arts" so to speak. Although in this day and age it is quite a common occurrence for educational facilities to teach all branches of a certain 'craft', that does not make the similarities between First Year Design and the Bauhaus any less relevant. In First Year, the majority of subjects involve various approaches, such as a combination of sketching, handcraft, photography and digital manipulation. Although advances in technology and the removal of 'archaic' techniques have altered the arts that are being unified,, the idea still stands.
I believe that if it wasn't for the Bauhaus, FYD would be a different experience entirely, however I'm still uncertain of whether that would actually be a negative or not. It's unlikely we'll ever know how it could have been.

Authenticity in Modern Design

In regards to the the statement made by Benjamin; that "to an ever grater degree the work of art reproduced becomes the work of art designed for reproducibility.", I would have to agree. This is due to my belief that art has evolved over time to become something for everyone to enjoy and experience, and it is much easier and much more affordable for artwork to be mass produced. Although I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to this point. On the one hand I do believe art should not just be for the wealthy elite, but on the other, I think that mass production of art strips the piece of its "aura" as Benjamin calls it.
I also believe that there is a role for "the authentic" in this modern age, although it may be lesser than what it was before. Personally, I think that even if a photo can be replicated a million times, the original is still the best. It may not look the best, but it still possesses an aura - the feeling of power that it exudes, even though it will be weaker than that of say, an authentic clay pot from 4th Century BC Greece (such as this pot above, painted by the Kleophrades Painter - you can't help but feel a sense of awe when holding a pot this old and unique). I believe the aura is still there, however diminished it may be, and thus "the authentic" still has a role to play in modern design, even if it serves only to prove that a mass produced object can still have an aura, and nothing more.

Craft in a technological age

Taking in a broader, more general view of craft, as something that requires a level of skill not yet possible by mechanised means, I present; Game Design.
Although not a hands-on craft as such, it still requires the dexterity that hand-made crafts do, and each game is unique, even if only by a slight margin, and each designer has their own style that sets them apart. The idea of an almost entirely digital process would certainly make many craft enthusiasts, both historical and contemporary alike, a tad sickened.
However, as mentioned before, it still requires a level of skill and contains such complexity that it could not be replicated by mere machines, and as such I believe it is a good example of contemporary craft.
The writing of a good story (which unfortunately seems lacking recently) can be seen as a fairly abstract craft of its own, as does the process of hand drawing characters and entire landscapes to match.
Even taking the idea of craft past that basic hands-on level, the transformation of concept art to working 3D models and environments, along with the animation of said items, is something that requires lots of skill to do effectively. However, that said, this stage of development could likely be mechanised with no real difference except maybe the absence of a particular designers unique style - but the creation of such a complex machine would be seen as a craft in itself.
As the perception of what a craft really is changes, I believe that it isn't such a long shot that Game Design could be accepted in the wider community as an example of contemporary craft in the near future. It's certainly showing signs of that already.

Beautility

"Construction should be decorated. Decoration should never be purposely constructed."

In the midst of a design reform in the 19th century, these words, spoken by Owen Jones, summed up the general feeling towards design at the time. These words were used in regards to the increasing trends in design, wherein industrial manufacturing was taking over handcrafted works, and embellishing them to the point of ridiculousness. Tables, chairs, and even plates were being designed, it seemed, with decoration foremost, and the actual use of the item seeming an afterthought.

I agree with these words, although, I think good design (construction) nowadays shouldn't have to be decorated, as much of the inherent ugliness of the craft has long since been removed.
It is fairly easy to see in this world, examples of both "construction decorated" and "decoration constructed", although I believe that with the inception of Post-Modernism, the lines defining them have become a little blurred.
However, there are still obvious example of each extreme, such as IKEA furniture (which probably doesn't count actually, as it's usually not decorated at all) versus novelty furniture such as giant flower chairs, or dinosaur chairs (which are awesome, by the way).
For the purpose of this entry however, I will display a rather mundane example; the candlestick.
On the left is what I consider to be "construction decorated" and on the right is "decoration constructed". Although the candlestick on the left looks fairly decorative, it is still most noticeably a candlestick, with the additions making it look more interesting. The candlestick on the right, however, didn't look like a candlestick when I first saw it. To me, it's some sort of representation of a bush, or some form of plant, with a few black orbs set into it, and a flat surface that looks like it may possibly hold a candle.

Sensuous Impulse and the Continuing Curve

Sensuous impulse is the desire to break away from the design norm, and embrace more organic, fluid forms, as opposed to the strict rigidity of desgin.
This "sensuous impulse" had taken its place as the dominant style in the period from c. 1730 to 1765, and this lead to the creation of the term "rococo". Rococo is thought of as a combination of the French rocaille, meaning stone, and coquilles, meaning shell, in reference to its emphasis on natural forms, and using those objects as main motifs.
Rococo also made a major comeback in the Art Nouveau period (1880 - 1910) and has maintained a moderate level of interest since.
it has manifested itself in a variety of ways, from mere inspiration to actual applications in large scale designs. It inspired the development and increase in number of female nudes, as the female body was the embodiement of the sensual, natural, curves and form.
Rococo is also present in European architecture, as it originated in France, and expanded outwards due to its immense popularity. Even today, many artist and designers are embracing the deviation from the norm, and experimenting with more fluid forms, using such ideas as the continuous curve. One such example of a fairly recent piece of design is Jennifer McCurdy's "Wave Vessel 2" (shown above)
This piece of art is made of porcelain, and its main focus is on form, it has no practical use whatsoever, but is just so beautiful that it doesn't need a purpose. One might say its purpose is to look good.
Personally I see nothing wrong with these sensuous impulses in design, the only problem I have with them is when they start to detract from the usability of the product (this doesn't apply to the design I posted above, as I see that as purely a work of art inspired by the rococo period, rather than a useful design). However, in these modern times, many designers are figuring out how to blend both form and function, without compromising either for the sake of the other.

If you like the wave vessel, make sure to check out Jennifer's website http://www.jennifermccurdy.com/