Design Journalism
The Hagia Sophia’s evolution and design is an exciting history lesson.
As designers, the research we do when designing often uncovers an aspect of history or society that is intriguing or profound in some way. This research, however, is usually unseen in our final works as the design goal is usually to solve a particular problem, not explain it. Personally, I think that the explanation is just as important because it helps people understand the world we live in and why it is the way it is. In the media, politics and social issues are always being discussed but it’s rarely tied back to the systems and designs that shape them. I believe that by understanding the forms and factors that affect us in our everyday lives we can all become more conscious, curious and informed individuals. This can inspire us, help with future decision making and most of all it can make us realise we are much more connected than we think.
On to the concept of design journalism though. There are TV shows and documentaries about everything and yet somehow design has always been relatively unexplored beyond the surface level. What does the general person know beyond Grand Designs and Better Homes and Gardens?
When I talk about design I am talking about all the places, systems and made things that exist. It’s everywhere; history, politics, social issues, people’s wants, people’s needs, the future, our climate, etc. It has shaped us in more ways than we can imagine. Designs and their related systems can enable equality or they can promote inequality, they can be the key to minimising crime, creating harmony or creating catastrophic conditions. There’s so much just waiting to be told.
In my short time as a designer, I’ve learned a lot of things in my research. For example, I’ve learnt about serious urban planning issues in places like the USA and Australia. Data shows that neighbourhoods in the USA with primarily people of colour have 44% less access to park space than Caucasian neighbourhoods which puts them at high risk of overheating in the summer. Residents in Western Sydney have been facing a similar fate with reports stating it will become unliveable within just decades due to the formation of urban heat islands. Maybe design journalism on topics such as these could lead to greater action.
More positively, I have also learnt that an interesting form of glocalisation has taken place in China where the aisles of IKEA were widened to accommodate the number of people visiting due to it being such a popular place for the public to spend all day and socialise. Similarly, did you know IKEA restaurants in Shanghai were co-opted by lonely elderly singles looking to run leisurely matchmaking sessions because of how comfortable and accessible they were? Hot coffee and a hot date all in one. That is what we call unintentionally great experience design and it teaches us about the world in a whole new way.
These facts are all so relevant and interesting. I hope in the media we hear more about what influences what gets made, what the aftermath of it all is and most of all, I hope we hear from more diverse voices. As a lover of design and documentaries, this is something I most definitely hope to be a part of.
Originally published on a previous iteration of my blog on 6/2/2022.