Once Upon Another Time: Journey to the Unknown

Dedicatedforthepeopleandtheworld.

Iflifeisaneternalstruggleofimaginingalternative scenarios,myexperienceofstudyingdesign,society,and cultureissimilartoajourneytothevastunknown.Aworld thatisverydifferentfrommeandnothingIhave experiencedbefore.

Onceuponanothertime,inafaroffkingdom, therelivesaboy…

Fig.1WhereamIinthe middleofthiscrowdof audiencethatiswatching spectacles?

Fig.2Lastnightinthecarnival.

ttenteredpartnership Boultonandcreated eirsteamengine

JamesWatt tcreatedtoexpanded phebusiness’ otentials

Nfoundimprovementon ewcomenengine

Sohofoundry

Theircreationleadto Britain’sindustrialrevolution dominance

Thereissomekindofstereotypeon howsocietylooksatartand design.Artthatisbasedon expressionordesignasamanifestationof philosophies,thenoverlookinghowthere isacreationprocessthatreducestheinitial ideaofartanddesign.Artistsand designerspractisetheirworkbydoing researchandexploration.Thereisalotof commongroundbutalsoalotofprivate territoryinresearchthroughartand design(Frayling,1993,p.4).Ibelieve itissimilartomappingoutthesky, whichisanimmensetask,justby lookingatthesheercomplicationof whatweseeupthereatnight,butitisa majoractionthatdefinesthesuccessof artanddesign.

Mappingouttheskyorplanningthesky isanessentialprocessofthoughtthat artistsanddesignersshouldhave.Itis crucialtohavesomeideaofwhereyou wanttogoandwhy(GrayandMalins, 2004,p.14).Ibelievethatwhenthis practicebecomesmorecommon,itdefines thebeginningofdesign’smodern conceptions,andtheemergingofdesign managerrole,likehowpioneerssuch asMatthewBoultonandJamesWatt’s creationofsteammachinethatleadto Britaindominanceintheindustrial revolution,orhowHenryColeand WilliamMorris’sinitiativestoreformart taste.Theymappedouttheirideasandthe waytoreachitsoitcanbematerialised, showingtheimportanceoflayoutvisions andconnectingthedotsintoconstellations thatiscomplexbutmakessense.

Fig.3HowWatt&Boulton’spartnershipableto helpmappedoutWatt’sideaofeffectivesteam engineandhelpdevelopedBoulton’sbusiness aspirationthatledintoindustrialrevolution.

ChapterIII:

ACarouselWhichisFoldingtoEternity

WheneverIridea carousel,Ialways wonderwherethe beginningandtheendare.Itgoes aroundalmostwithoutstopping, forminganinfinitylikeaMöbius strip.Reflectingonthatinadesign context,designisliketheinfinity.It respondstoeveryconditionthat happensinhumanity,affectingthe past,present,andfuture.Unlikea linearprocess,designalwaysforces itselfineverydifferentdirection. Forexample,whenlookingatthe historyofdesign,theartandcraft movementemergedtocriticisethe ‘ugliness’ofindustrializationand massproduction.Then,came modernismwhichanalogizes humanandlivingprocesseslikea machine,glorifyingintheindustrial vision,buttheneweraof modernismemergedwiththe emphasisofartanddesigninstead ofsimplisticfunctionwiththe popularityofBauhausdesign school.Then,therejectionof modernismbypostmodernist,such asRobertVenturiwithhisfamous line‘lessisbore’,asarcastic responsetoLeCorbusier’s‘lessis more’,butalsothecontradictionof brutalismdesignstylethatemerged inBritaintorecoverpostwarwhich wasbasicallyarevivalof modernism,butamplified.There arealotofdimensionsofdepth withinthat.

Eachtime,thedesignwhich representsthesocietyingeneral,is goingaround,likethecarousel,and representingthefold.Itisapartof theuniversethatisinaprocessof foldingandunfoldingtotheoutside inpleatsofmatter,aprocesswhich createsaninteriorthatisnotan inside,grownautonomouslyfrom theoutsideworldbutmerely adoublingof theoutside (Deleuze, 1993,p.34). Insimplistic terms,design’s positioningin theworldis open-ended& inexhaustive, exterior&infinite.Similartohow societyalways repeatsthesame mistake,recycles itsidea,butalso improviseswith new conceptions. Designwillalwaysbethe fold;asentientbeingthat affectsall,thenbecomes expressivematterwith differentpaceandmaterialises intosomething.Allintherealm wherethelinebetweenpast, present,andfutureareblurring. Foldinginandout,pleating aroundintoeternity.

Fig.4Carouselwhichisfoldingtoeternityasanallegory forsocietythatalwaysdevelopingfrompasttofuture. HewLocke’sProcession’shorseanditsriderisillustrated asarepresentationofcritictocapitalismthatcreated societyasaspectacle.

ChapterIV: DeconstructingtheFold

Theprobleminthedesignworldrightnow ishowitlooksonlyasspectaclescreated bythepowerful.Astheyforce globalisationandcapitalism,theychangedesignto onlylookatpeopleasacommodity,hencethe spectacle(DebordandKnabb,1983,p.14).When visitingmuseumsinLondon,Iwaspresentedwith thegeneraltimelineofdesignhistory,whichis ironicbecauseasanIndonesian,itisnot relatable.Eventually,Icomewithaquestion: whereismypositioninthecurrentworld?It makesmerealisehowIamonlyanaudience wholived‘outside’ofthisworld.

Theworldisaneverendingpleatsoffold withalotofdepthanddimension, andthewaytoenteristodeconstruct.

Inanattempttounderstand,Ineedto come‘inside’.However,withthecurrent complexityofthesocietyaspleatsofmatter, itisliketryingtointerceptincomingwaves, anearlyimpossibletaskasmybodywillbe swallowedcompletelybytheocean.Unless, Icandeconstructmyselftobeone,andthat isdecolonisation,toreachbeyondmyselfto thinkandfeelwithotherswhoarenotlike me.Deconstructmybodyofmindto becomeonewiththecollectiveexperienceof thesociety,orthefold,flowingmyselftothe streamofsaṃsāra.Eventually,by deconstructingthefoldwithdecolonisation, Icouldunderstandthroughthecosmologyof others,notingthatitisfulloflarge constellationsofontologiesthatstructurethe waysinwhichhumancommunitiesmake senseofthecosmosweexistin(Ansari,2019, p.3).Similartomappingthesky,wecansee whereourbodiesstandinthemiddleofthe crowdwhiletryingtoalwayslookin.Finally, understandingourpositionasadesigner,maker, anduserinaveryexpansiveuniverse.

Fig.5Societyaspleatsofmatterand howtodeconstructtodecolonisemindset.

ChapterV: HaveYouMettheConductorYet?

Tomapouttheskyand deconstructthefoldin design,theroleofa managerisneeded.Designmanager emergesasdesignbecomesmore complexandpractitionersare specialised(Farr,1965,p.38).The developmentofdesignacross societyandtimewiththeemergence ofdesignresearchorganisationsand certaineventsthatbecameamajor turningpoint,theawarenessfor designmanagementskillsare requiredtobringclarityand cohesionindesignandshape interactionofdifferentstakeholders inmultidisciplineofdesigns.

Itiscomparabletoamusic conductor.Indirectingan orchestra,aconductorneedsto understandeverypartofevery differentsection;strings,wood winds,brasses,andpercussion,not includingsingersorchoir.Ifdesign anddesignerislikethescoreandits

Aconductor’sroleis:

1. Arrangeharmonies.Toshapea completesound,thereshouldbe differentmelodiesandvoicesthat interactwitheachotherasawhole, similartodesignthatinvolvemany fields.

2. Amediatorforeverydifferent musicians,similartomanage cooperationbetweenstakeholder, user,andteamplayerindesign.

3. Beingaconductoristohelp navigateeveryperformeruntilthe lastmetricalrhythm,identicalwith howadesignmanagerneedsto coordinateateamforadesign project.

4. Envisiontheemotionand meaningwithdynamics,similarto howdesignneedstobevisualised.

5. Finally,conveythatmessageto theaudience,ortheuser,sothe

Fig.6Thesimilarityofrolebetween designmanagerandconductorfororchestra.

ChapterVI: PeopleWhoNeedPeople AreTheLuckiestPeopleintheWorld

Likeparasitesdrainingvital nutrientsfromtheirhosts, colonialandneocolonial systemstoexploitprofitexpropriate theinitialinternalsustainablevalue fromsociety,resultingin transgressionofplanetary boundaries(Cross,2020,p.7).That iswhyIbelieveintheneedto decolonise,byextendingourinside toreachtheoutside,toevaluateour positionality.Acceptingthatweare partoftheproblemthatreducesour roleintheuniverseonlyas consumer,oraudienceofspectacle.

Designislikehavinga superpower,itcanbeharmfulor wonderful,buttobeadesigneris beinghumanforemost,usingour positiontohelpeachother. However,withhowwickedly complicatedtheproblemis,itwould bereallyhardtomakeevenone change.Weshouldthinktraversally ontherelationofworldand humanityasasystem,howtheyare organisedtoformmultileveled structuresofsystemasapartof whole,notonlycellstoorganismto man,butalsointosocialand culturalsystem(Capra,1982,p.80).

Thosetransversal connectionsbetween human and planet createsa framework for

sustainabilityandcircularity.Life onthisplanetislikethecarousel foldingtoeternity,thecycleof continuouslife,death,andrebirth, fromwhenwearebornuntilbackto earthtonourishthenewlife.Only byacknowledgingandchangingour attitudetowardslife,wecouldmake aworldthatislessoppressive.

IrealisethatIamhelplessandI havebenefittedfromallthe resourcesandhelpIgotfrommy surroundings.Thisisto acknowledgethatdesign shouldbewithagood purposeandusefulfor anyentities,even thoughitisnothing butadropinthe ocean,butwithout it,theoceanwould beonedropless. Peoplewho needpeople completeour life,thenyou willrealise how luckyweare tobealive rightnow.

Fig.7Usefulinventions thatmakemefeel gratefulforbeing ahuman.

ChapterVII:

OnTheThresholdofEternity

Aftertakingthedeeplong walk,Irealisethatthis planethasitsownsystem ofliving.Imaginetheearthasa singularlivingbeing,Gaea,or motherearth.Sincealongtimeago, theearthcanalwaysprosperand finditsequilibriumwithinnature. Onlyuntilhumanityemerges,inan attempttosuittheworldforusto liveinprosperity,createproblems thatcompileandeventuallyform wickedproblems.Humansas designersoftheirownlifekeepon pushingGaea’slimitation.Usingour ownneedsandagendasasexcuses, weabuseherandothersoutsideour bubbleuntilthelandbeneathusis crumbling.Papanek(1985) describeshowtherewere professionsmoreharmfulthan industrialdesign,butonlyavery fewofthem.Wecanbeignorant withsuchresponsibilities,only thinkinghowourdesignscan becomespectacles.Butwhatisthe useofitiftherewillbenothingat theend?

Ibelievethatbychangingthe perspectiveofdesignfromthe anthropocenetomakeusthatsuit theworldinstead,wecanpostpone theendoftheworld.Thinkingthat everydecisionwemakecanbe harmfultoplanetaryhealthand keepingtheboundarytonotpass thethresholdofeternity.Similarto

dancingon theedge,one wrongstep andyouare fallingtothe abyss.Weneedto thinkofanewwayto live,thatdesignis autonomous,hasitsown internalvalueand practiseforeach communityinsteadof forcedglobalisation. Escobar(2018)pointsout thatunderstandingdesignfor theearthwasaprocessof endlessandceaselesschanging fortheweaveoflifewhichalllife dependedon.TheearthisGaea,a massiveautomatedsentientcellular systemthatcanalwaysrepair herselfwheneverhurting.Weneed her,nottheopposite,withoutGaea ourlifewillbenothingtoacclimate. Ibelieveweshoulduseanewdesign frameworkthattriestofindthose balancesuchastheDoughnut Economics.Raworth(2018)designs thisframeworkbyimagining humanity'sresourceinthemiddle ofthedoughnuttoreachgreenareas attheoutsidewithoutovershooting theecologicalceiling.Balancingthat dynamicforGaeabyshiftingusto theworldinsteadiswhatweshould dotokeepthecycleoflifeeternal beforewefalloffthevastabyssof theend.

Anthropocene

ChapterVIII: If/Then

Ifyouareaskedtochoose twodifferentpaths,then whatwillyouchoose?Are yougoingtotaketheroadwith yellowbricksthatyoufeel familiarwith,ormaybeyoujust gobacktoyourpreviouspath backhome?Whenyouchose,did youeverimagineyourlifein alternaterealities?Choosingis notonlyspeculating,butalso examinesyourpresent groundandthememory,and inthatsenseblurringtheline betweenthepast,present,and future.Saint(2012)describes howtherearethreetimesthat coexistinonesoul;atime presentofthingspast;atime presentofthingspresent;and atimepresentofthingsfuture. Ibelieveifsocietyisacarousel thatfoldsintoeternity,which Baker(2020)expressesas neitherpastorfuturebutinstead foreverpresent,thenbeinga designeristopositionmyselfto standinbetweenthepassageof time,extendingmymindfromthe pastwhilespeculatingonthe foreverpresent.

Designisalwaysacontinuous struggleofimaginingwhatif scenario.Designmanagerroleisto speculateonthefutureby channellingthepastandpresent.It islikenavigatingbetweenthe

Fig.9Howme,asahuman,thatevaluatetheforever presentwillchoosemyownrouteusingspeculativedesign frameworkof2050Scenario(Arup,2019),knowingmy responsibilityasadesigneranddesignmanagercanmake

unknownrealmofuncertainties.No matterhowmistakenthechoiceswe made,choosingisour responsibility.So,toexplorethat unknown,designmanagersneedto raisevarious“whatif”questions withtangibleandrealisticobjectsso theycanfabricatethepossible future(Kolehmainen,2016).Bland andWestlake(2013)imaginesthe futureintoabeamoflightsfroma torch,classifyingthemasprobable future,possiblefuture,andwhatwe want,thepreferablefuture.

Currently,theworldislargely dominatedbythe‘purpose-driven’ entities(brands,businessesand organisations)thatseektochange theworldthroughbusiness(Hunt, 2020).Thebetterpossiblefuture theyimaginemaybeworseforthe others.Reflectingfromthat,asa designmanager,beforeimagining thefuture,Ineedtounderstand whereIbelong.Tolookatthethings Ihadnotlookedatuntilnow, extendingmyinternalitytobeone with‘theoutside’andpositioning myselfintheeternity.Itisour responsibilitytopickthebestroute toourpreferablefuture.Ifthe possiblefutureisshapedbythe collectivepreferablefutureof coexistenceandharmony,then maybeattheend,theless oppressiveworldforeveryoneisnot onlyapipedream.

ChapterIX: OnceUponAnotherTime

Onceuponanothertimetherewasaboy, Inpursuitofhisidealshestartedhisjourney. Travellingthroughthevastunknown, Recognisingtheworldasagiantillustration.

Butifhisworldisapictureofperfectcomposition, Thenwhatislefttodiscern? Herealisetoseeistoaccepthiskind, Untyingropethatbind, Enteringtheworldofcollective, Reachingtotheoutsideofownsubjective.

Similartotimethatbackwardturning, Allsubjectsinthepicturethenvanishing.

Fig.10Navigatingthroughthisjourney, Ireevaluatemyownpositionandbias soIcanempathizetotheworld, likeimaginingmyselfseeing acompletepainting(Seurat,1886) thatvanishingintoablankofcanvas

ChapterX

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ThisjournaliswrittenbyJalusistaPrathamaRisetyoKusumo,studentID 22016415,forsubmissionofDesign,Society,andCultureforMADesign ManagementClassof2022/2023.

LondonCollegeofCommunication,UniversityoftheArtsLondon. 8th December2022