I agree with the statement “Design is added value. En masse, designers throw themselves
into desires instead of needs.” I work at a boutique hotel where desire is very
much a selling point over practicality. Guests are attracted to the aesthetic
of the design; it is mysterious and sexy, with an impressive collection of
designer furniture (some usable, some not so much). This ambiance and feelings it creates is an added value to guests, however its these same design decisions that often times
frustrate the guest by the time they end their stay.
For
example, there is a lack of signs. It was decided that signage does not match
the mysterious aesthetic, and looks tacky. The problem is that guests don’t
know where anything is. On average I get about 20-30 guests a night asking me
where the bathroom or the bar is (all of these are on the same floor).
The dark lighting of the hotel is meant to create a mood. Many times guests complain
that they cannot see where they are going, and while it was nice at first, the
lack of light became a negative aspect to their experience.
However,
as the reading states “We no
longer have any desire for design that is driven by need. Something less
prestigious than a ‘designed’ object can do the same thing for less money.”
Desire
sells. People could stay at the motel 6 a few blocks away and satisfy their
need for a lot less money; however they choose to stay at a place that feeds
into their desires, which ultimately ends up frustrating some of them in the end.
A Republic of Fat
Such as in the days when corn made whiskey was abundant and inexpensive, we find ourselves in a similar situation with corn starch, high fructose corn syrup and other corn derived sweeteners. The effects of alcohol took a toll on early 19th century America in regards to health and social well being. Today we see ill results from our corn based diet both in relation to health and mental well being in the form of obesity. Our society values physical appearance, like the saying goes, "you are what you eat." We have become a food obsessed society, always looking for the newest diet regimen. How ironic it is that we are constantly trying to find the latest and greatest "trick" to lose weight, and what we really should be thinking about is the high intake of corn in our diets and super sized portions. Making matters worse is that foods with corn are easily accessible and cheaper than healthier options, making the perfect & elusive figure harder to obtain for the masses; not to mention also costing them their health.
No comments:
Post a Comment