Historical design movement parallels todayfrom @annakahoelkstudio

Transcript

There was a design movement in the nineteenth century that really mirrors something that's happening no, and it made about as much sense then as it does now. The arts and crafts movement began in the eighteen sixties as a pushback against the industrial revolution and the rise in popularity of Ruskin good Morris and Ruskin saw a world in which making functional objects more beautiful and handcrafted for everyday people could improve society and restore dignity to the worker. Not only would craftspeople be saved from extinction, their very art would elevate their own lifestyles. The small problem being the economics of such an idyllic world were inherently flawed. Then, as now, handcrafted specially made objects are just too expensive for normal people to afford, which is why industrialization was such a revolution. Suddenly, everyone could afford well made functional everyday items. Despite the lofty goals of the movement, you simply can't have your cake and eat it too. By insisting on the superiority of craft alone, you create a world in which the craftsmen can't afford the product of their own labor. This is just something I've been thinking about as an industrial designer making production goods today, watching the rise of handcrafted items and so called collectible design as a pushback on AI. It's the same problem. Only the tier rich can afford these collectible designs. I am not tier craft by any means, but I also see a lot of value in the knowledge of designing for production because those designers, like myself, are who are gonna be making goods for the majority of people.