I believe in design that raises a subjecti and makes people first wonder, then laugh and eventually think differently. Just like articles and cartoons have the power to give readers another perspective at the world.
With my designs I would like to play with what users expect out of their culture or past experiences. By doing this my work can stimulate people to look critically at their daily life and motivate them to change it for the better.
To have the best effect, my designs should be a product suitable for everyday life and not a piece of art. A design should blend in a daily routine, improves it and feels like it has always been there. Projects like the Fairphone show that it is possible to balance activism through design and making a product one can actually use.
Inspiration
Personally, I think the Fairphone is a good example of the kind of designs I’d like to create: the process of making this smartphone is used to improve the sustainability of the supply chain. They do that for example by participating in mining projects and improving the working conditions of the miners. The story of the product creates awareness for the social and environmental problems in the production chain of mobile phones.
Expanded view of a Fairphone
The photo exhibition and film installation The Enclave documents the forgotten conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Mosse used military film technology made in the 20th century that was develop to reveal hidden soldiers in the landscape.
The negative captures infrared and turns all greens in dreamy shades of purple. Mosse used this magical effect to set the disastrous situation in Congo in a new light. By doing this he made the conflict visible for a bigger audience.
Richard Mosse – The Enclave