Home • Features • Column • Current Page

Power of Design
September 17, 2009

mainpic_column2

Text : Leonard Theosabrata | Illustration : Max Suriaganda
Although I may not know the answer to that question, I do notice there’s a movement undergoing right now, one with a softer approach to design, it belongs to a non elitist group of people with a better understanding of what is the true value of design, to be able to infused seamlessly into our life, not putting it (design) on the pedestal.

It’s more about who you are and less about what you know about trends and being a design oracle, thus by taking this approach, hopefully you are not easily exhausted or get sidelined in the race.

The very same people who were the movers and shakers of the whole “design movement” are now betting on this gentler way of living, one that is surrounded by simple values but design is always at the core of it.

On a recent plane trip to Singapore I read an article on Claus Sendlinger, PR Guru and founder of DESIGN HOTELS, the eponymous hotel network that is synonymous with distinctive architecture and interior design, he said:

Our values are changing, “We are moving towards a human-centric era. We’re observing growing human-centric portfolio of member hotels, which I think is reflective of what is going on in society, (which is ) undergoing a value shift at the moment. The importance of soft factors, such as quality of life and wellbeing, is growing along with a rediscovery of simple, human, even humble values.”

alila-ubud

Alila Ubud, member of DESIGN HOTELS

Maybe we just can’t keep our foot always maximum on the pedal in this race or we are bound to lose the stamina that got us to where we are today, I believe the key is to understand how can design; be more than a PR and sensational marketing tool for the ego-centric and power hungry society.

Design needed to be placed in our sub-conscious mind, where we don’t have to feel the need for “design” rather it’s a natural process that we use to better our quality of life, because that is what design does best and desperately need to be.

technogym

TechnoGym fitness equipment designed by Antonio Citterio and Toan Nguyen
Combines natural lo-tech and hi-tech aesthetics that gives a fresh
 spacer You can see the evidence all around you, that design is touching on the very subject of wellbeing, I see people are eating healthier, exercise more, and taking care of themselves with slow-food movement or emergence of fashion project like SLOWEAR, people who are interested in quality than quantity, people who are delivering news in a interesting take such as what MONOCLE is doing, we are moving towards a society more naturally conscious of design, but less driven by the glamour side, opting for the essence of good design in their everyday life, like a good smile and fresher air, a healthy dosage of design certainly is more powerful than a design overdosed society.

acculture

Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok. A charming place, and a good example of good dose of design.
……………………………………………………………………………………………….

profile_columnLeonard Theosabrata Born in Jakarta, July 26, 1977. Graduated from the Product Design Faculty at the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA in 2002. Leonard is currently the head of the Jakarta-based LTD. Leonard Theosabrata Design studio, which focuses on interior and product design. His love for furniture has led him to build Accupunto for which he received the Red Dot Design Award in 2003, and Good Design Award Japan, 2005, and the recent Wallpaper Design Award 2009 for his collaboration with Michael Young for Accupunto.

1 2