Design of the Times lecture notes

here's my lecture notes for the talk Liane Rossler gave at ACCA on Monday night. ^^^

Rossler is one of the founding members of the company Dinosaur Designs, one of the best examples of an Australian design or craft business progressing from a small craft hobby, to international fame and fortune, without compromising key principles or product. Initially the business made 'funky' resin jewellery that they sold in markets, their current range incorporates homewares as well as accessories made from a range of materials including ceramics, silver and resin. Their product range is now retailed around the world, with flagship stores in Sydney, Melbourne and New York. 

The talk was billed as  an opportunity "to learn more about what artists, designers and creative visionaries can do to be art of a design solution to the crisis of climate change" That seemed like a big call, so i was very interested in hearing what I could do. 

I was surprised to find the talk was essentially one and a half hours of climate change slides with data from 2005, measurements in Fahrenheit, and generally  well meaning stories about polar bears and penguins. The information provided about Dinosaur Designs environmental policies was less detailed then that available from their website, and the recommended measures we could take to save the planet included eating less meat, rainwater tanks and buying carbon offsets. 

Undeniably true statements, but not ultimately new advice, or specifically relevant to the design profession, and that was the problem with the talk. I was disappointed...

schmuck

I have to admit to never having entered the RMIT gallery before, despite spending 5 years going to the University. Perhaps related to the fact that the entrance is not something you can cautiously wander into and change your mind, but instead requires a focused navigation.

The only reason I finally visited was that an old housemate Marta from my overseas jaunt, had been selected to exhibit as part of the current exhibition, a travelling display from germany.

"SCHMUCK 2009 This annual exhibition, originating in Munich and now its fiftieth year, is widely recognised as the premier exposition of international contemporary jewellery"

contemporary jewellery. what is that. Sometimes it seems a little like a trick, a test to see how far 'wearable' and 'desirable' can be pushed. Not just pushing the envelope, but also pushing the entire postal delivery system.

Suprisingly I found myself fascinated by the different forms and materials. I was expecting to find it interesting but not to this extent. I spent much longer then i would normally spend looking round (I am a person who spends more time reading the label then looking at the piece, generally speaking), and with 60 artisans works displayed there was plenty to look at. I am thinking of popping in again to have another look, as the first time was almost information overload. Even a strait-line industrial designer could find some useful inspiration here. No pictures, because you'll know straight away if this is something you want to visit.

The exhibition runs till the 18th of July.

here's another (better) review on the Melbourne Jeweller blog, with pictures in following posts