PIVOT COLLECTIVE A MANIFESTO
Mission statement: To establish global balance by promoting the questioning and understanding of individual balances with all designs and by all as designers. (Thackara, 2005) We believe global design has reached a tipping point. A Pivot point. There are two options available to us- to continue producing, designing, living as we are or to reconsider, evaluate and change the ways we design and think about design. Sustainability, and an environmental consideration are at the core of our beliefs, they are not a trendy facade. We believe there is a way we can sustain our qualities of life, continuing to design, create, as well as bettering the world. We have established a series of balances, pairs to consider when approaching design- be it as the creator or the consumer. Each side has a value, and it is about discovering the point within each, and with relevance to your design, where these balance- for the good of the design and the greater good of the world. Our logo embodies this sense of a critical point, as well as a sense for the evolution and growth of design. The circle represents the world we are all in; the triangles balanced and converging represent the information and considerations within the design (central point) and again expanding as the user imparts themselves upon the design and the design upon the world.
REVOLUTIONARY / EVOLUTIONARY The history of design shows numerous examples of design revolutions such as Minimilism, postmodernism, Dada and sub genres such as Steampunk and Slowfood movements. As society grows accustomed to each new style of design it inevitably begins to become overwhelmed by it and at some point will fight against it in favour of opposing styles, thus creating a new design revolution and a continuing curve of design (Coffin, 2008) .This can be seen in post-modernist designer, Robert Venturi’s quote, “less is a bore” a direct reaction of the style that preceded it exemplified by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe’s famous modernist statement, “less is more.” (Goldberger, 1971) A design must be as powerful as a revolution but as constant and multi-directional as an evolutionary process. It is not only possible to be both but it is a necessity to be both. Current climate change theories point to a global tipping point, it is at the tip of this point we have the opportunity to change an is some ways force design to become evolutionary in an revolutionary way. This is an opportunity we as a species cannot afford to miss.
ANSWERING / QUESTIONING Dunne and Raby’s work into highly critical and conceptual design is exemplary of the ways in which design can be used to ask questions (Dunne & Raby, 2001). As designers we must strive to better our understand of people, objects and systems, we can only truly achieve this through constantly formulating and asking questions. Perhaps the most poignant question of all is “why”? A designer should be able to justify every decision in a relevant context; justified questions can then begin create relevant answers and in turn justified designs. Using design to answer questions should not imply a final answer and should encourage others to continue to question not only the design itself but the context within which it lies. In this way a continuous cycle of questioning and answering is achieved. Answers cannot exist without questions, while this is a very simple concept it is often forgotten. This concept is not always true in reverse and indeed the most provocative questions are those for which no answer exists. (Meyer, 1988) Too often is design initiated and orientated around solving one problem, sacrificing vital opportunities for questioning. As a society we must position ourselves in a mind set that is focused on questioning as well as answering.