Comments on: The Future by Design

By: Lwjkeith

Lwjkeith — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 03:20:36 +0000

The key insight here is related to greg’s post but inbetween the lines… What I think he is saying is more related to the cultural/economic/subjective/objective dichotomy of understanding the relationship between humans and the value we impose on our perception OF the values we place on our interactions between us amd the products we interact with. Essentially we are all victims to our own value Sytem,.

By: Greg

Greg — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 01:29:06 +0000

Rasul,

Nice to see you again. Love the point of “transformation of existing conditions into preferred ones.”

- Greg

By: Rasul Sha'ir

Rasul Sha'ir — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:58:10 +0000

Great post Greg.
Just about everything you speak to is spot on. I personally love Herbert Simon’s definition of design: “transformation of existing conditions into preferred ones”. This addresses Martin King’s concern about design amplifying inequality. Design is about improvement/making better/augmentation. If something is failing or not optimum, design (thinking) can incrementally/dramatically/or radically improve it. Design, as I see it, is about process – deconstructing a space/problem/issue and then seeing how to maximize value/effectiveness/efficiency.

Always love your stuff my friend.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:10:04 +0000

Martin,

Excellent points! Here’s my POV.

1. I agree, this is very dangerous. In the US, the Tea Party and Occupy movements are an indication that this is a very real danger indeed.
2. I don’t see this as a problem. Prosperity creates jobs, it’s just a matter of where. The third world is catching up in education must faster than in wage levels.
3. Yes, as I’ve argued before (http://www.digitaltonto.com/2011/why-technology-makes-us-smarter/), technology creates expanding choice. In the West, we just seem to be making bad ones.

Thanks for a great comment.

By: martin king

martin king — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:08:26 +0000

Great post Greg

I have some reservations about this optimism- I seem to be in a post modernist frame of mind

1. Does a designed future amplify inequality
I fear this designed future may be the one H.G.Wells saw – the Eloi and the Morlocks = the Eloi being the create class.

2. Are we deceiving people – especially our young
Is this a future without jobs – are we destroying more jobs than we create

3. Have we any choices about how we move into this future
Ethics, Equality, Fairness