tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/object-design-13514/articlesObject design – The Conversation2017-03-09T04:20:17Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/726972017-03-09T04:20:17Z2017-03-09T04:20:17ZFrom the mundane to the divine, some of the best-designed products of all time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159814/original/image-20170307-14941-ufygy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=66%2C9%2C2993%2C2104&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Poul Henningsen's Artichoke Lamp, viewed from below at London's Park Plaza Hotel.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Artichoke_lamp_from_below.jpg">Doc Searls/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>A well-designed product equally elevates form and function. It is pleasing to look at, easy to use and solves a common problem.</em></p>
<p><em>We reached out to five design professors and posed the following question: What’s the best-designed product of all time, and why?</em></p>
<p><em>Their responses vary from cheap, everyday products to newer, more expensive ones. But all share a story of trial, error and ingenuity.</em> </p>
<hr>
<h2>Cutting the glare</h2>
<p><strong>Catherine Anderson, The George Washington University</strong></p>
<p>In the early 1920s, as Danish designer Poul Henningsen observed Copenhagen at night, he lamented the quality of light in people’s homes. <a href="http://www.kosmorama.org/ServiceMenu/05-English/Articles/Lamps-Light-and-Enlightenment.aspx">He noticed</a> that the incandescent bulbs – sometimes bare, sometimes surrounded by a single shade – created “arrows of light” and a harsh glare. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.scandinaviandesign.com/poulHenningsen/index.htm">Henningsen set out to create a new design</a> that would mitigate this “dismal” effect; it would be “…constructed with the most difficult and noble task in mind: lighting in the home.” </p>
<p>“The aim is to beautify the home and who lived there,” <a href="https://www.scandinaviandesign.com/poulHenningsen/index.htm">he wrote</a>, “to make the evening restful and relaxing.” </p>
<p>His approach was <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/scanstud.85.1.0079?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">scientific</a>. He rigorously examined how using multiple shades could cast a warm glow of light within a room.</p>
<p>In 1924, the “PH lamp” was born.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159826/original/image-20170307-14966-pnt12j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=532&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Poul Henningsen’s PH lamp.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PH-Lampan_1.jpg">Holger.Ellgaard/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>It’s delightful to look at. But most importantly, <a href="http://www.lauritz.com/en/ph-3-2/a3880/0/0/?sflang=da">it emits</a> a light that’s forgiving to the eye – an effect that’s created by the multiple shades, which evenly distribute the light. This creates a soft halo that attenuates the contrast between the light source and the surrounding darkness. </p>
<p>Henningsen’s sleek, spare lamp was <a href="https://www.phillips.com/article/5689896/the-lights-of-poul-henningsen">awarded a gold medal</a> at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Over the years, it inspired many offshoots, such as the <a href="http://www.louispoulsen.com/int/products/indoor/pendants/ph-artichoke/c-24/c-1422/p-55590">Artichoke Lamp</a>, and became a product worthy of kings: In 1938, a train compartment for Danish King Christian X <a href="http://www.palainco.com/discover/item/miracles-called-ph-lamps-part-2/">included one of Henningsen’s lamps</a>.</p>
<p>All underscore the strength of the original design, <a href="http://www.dwr.com/sale-great-deals/ph5-pendant-lamp/137089.html?lang=en_US&adpos=1o1&creative=96969738159&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=COSE86q3x9ICFZmCswodzlYK9A">which can still be bought today</a>. </p>
<hr>
<h2>Holding it together</h2>
<p><strong>Lorraine Justice, Rochester Institute of Technology</strong></p>
<p>For years I took the simple paper clip for granted. As a kid I’d twist them apart to hang Christmas ornaments. In my teens I’d use them to shoot rubber bands at my friends. And in the 1990s I’d straighten them to pop a software floppy disk from a defective hard drive. </p>
<p>It wasn’t until I became a design student that I realized the paper clip – which is officially patented as a <a href="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/arts/design/2012/05/paperclip/120521_Design_Paperclip_image5_gemads.jpg.CROP.article568-large.jpg">“gem paper clip”</a> – was a near-perfect design: elegant, functional and made of steel, a sustainable and recyclable material. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159832/original/image-20170307-14946-1ukn9sh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">11 billion sold in America – per year.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=1DzI6z9nAFfuuwz0lP5khQ-1-73">'Paperclip' via www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>But the paper clip had a long path to the flawless form we know today.</p>
<p><a href="http://inventors.about.com/od/famousinventions/fl/The-History-of-the-Paperclip.htm">The paper clip started out</a> as a pin that pierced the papers to hold them together. The sharp pins would prick the workers using them and were difficult to use. Thus began the gradual improvements: The straight pin morphed into something called a T-pin, a device with a horizontal wire on the end that allowed the pin to be pushed more easily through the papers without needlessly pricking fingers. However, this design still left holes in the papers. </p>
<p>In the late 1890s inventors in the United States and Europe began to work on new versions of the paper clip. In 1898, Pennsylvania inventor Matthew Schooley <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=b-6LDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=henry+petroski+%22From+Pins+to+Paper+Clips%22&source=bl&ots=TyZ1wue050&sig=PRvWf2yNsnfhrqGSxKgcI_Pheiw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-lvHy18LSAhXD7iYKHagkBu4Q6AEIKzAD#v=onepage&q=henry%20petroski%20%22From%20Pins%20to%20Paper%20Clips%22&f=false">believed he had improved upon the pin design</a> by creating two loops in the wire. But there was still a problem: A piece of wire extended from the loops and would catch and rip the paper. Many other inventors <a href="http://gizmodo.com/why-is-the-paper-clip-shaped-like-it-is-1699985310">introduced various clasps, clips and metal-stamped designs</a>, all in an effort to create a reusable paper binder that would be cheap, safe and secure. </p>
<p>Finally, in 1899, an inventor from Connecticut named William Middlebrook designed the gem paper clip, along with <a href="http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=00636272&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect2%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526d%3DPALL%2526S1%3D0636272.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F636272%2526RS%3DPN%2F636272&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page">a machine to manufacture it</a>, to create the paper clip that we know today. </p>
<p>The iconic double loop design had just enough spring to hold several sheets of paper together – without snapping and without piercing fingers or paper. Today, Americans <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/08/americans-buy-11-billion-paper-clips-year/338575/">buy 11 billion paper clips every year</a>, though they aren’t all used for binding pieces of paper – I doubt Middlebrook could have imagined that his invention would double as an ornament hanger and rubber band launcher.</p>
<hr>
<h2>Terminal waits</h2>
<p><strong>Craig M. Vogel, University of Cincinnati</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/eames-tandem-seating-2/">In 1958</a>, architect Eero Saarinen, who had been tasked with designing the main terminal for Washington Dulles International Airport, approached furniture designers Charles and Ray Eames – already famous for their <a href="http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/lounge-chair-and-ottoman-no-670-and-671-505139">Eames Lounge Chair</a> – with a request: He wanted a public seating system for the terminal that was affordable, sturdy, stylish and versatile.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/public-seating/eames-tandem-sling-seating.html">In 1962</a>, the husband and wife team unveiled their tandem sling seating system. Even though it was designed to complement Saarinen’s terminal, it was so practical that it quickly became <a href="http://apex.aero/airport-seating-design-pod">one of the most common seating solutions</a> for airports around the United States – and, eventually, the world.</p>
<p>Because public seating gets so much use, it needs to be sturdy and easy to maintain. Cost is always an issue, so designers are often hamstrung if they want to make something that’s aesthetically pleasing.</p>
<p>An iconic example of the principles of midcentury modernist design, Eames’ seating system was an elegant and simple solution to all of these problems. It ships in parts, is easy to put together and maintain, and is tamper-proof.</p>
<p>The chairs are sturdy but lack a cumbersome support structure, which makes it easy to clean the floor under the seats. <a href="https://www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/pricing/PB_ETS.pdf">The configuration is flexible</a>: Rows can be as small as two seats and as long as eight. </p>
<p>Furthermore, there are only three main materials used in the design: aluminum, vinyl and neoprene (a synthetic rubber). Even though the materials are cheap, they look expensive and upscale. The sling seat cushion slides into a slot and never tears. Meanwhile, the width of the seat accommodates a wide range of body types. </p>
<p>And if travelers miss their flight and need to spend the night in the terminal, the seat and seat back are angled in a way – like the Eames Lounge Chair – that allows its occupant to get some shut-eye. </p>
<hr>
<h2>Dial ‘D’ for design</h2>
<p><strong>Kalle Lyytinen, Case Western Reserve University</strong></p>
<p>American industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss’ AT&T Model 500 phone is one of the most iconic and recognizable products of the 20th century. The phone – together with its design process – was a harbinger of many design principles used today. </p>
<p>Rotary phones – which feature a round dial with finger holes – first emerged in the early 20th century. But many of these were bolted to the walls or <a href="http://www.sparkmuseum.com/images/Telephone/1921%20Auto-%20Elec%20Strt-Shaft%20Dial%20Candle.JPG">required two separate devices for speaking and listening</a>. </p>
<p>In addition, early telephone users would call into operators, who would use a switchboard to connect callers. When this process became automated, designers needed to figure out a way to offer an intuitive interface, since callers would be dialing more complicated number sequences (essentially doing the “switching” on their own). </p>
<p>Though earlier models came close to addressing these needs, the 500 model elevated the design, adding several functions that forever changed the way phones would be used. </p>
<p>AT&T’s first rotary phone in 1927 (dubbed <a href="http://www.beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/images/1928_desk_set.jpg">“the French Phone”</a>) had an integrated handset for both the loudspeaker and the microphone, but it was cumbersome to use. Meanwhile, Dreyfuss’ earlier model from 1936, <a href="https://www.cooperhewitt.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Dreyfuss_302-560x424.jpg">the 302</a>, was made out of metal and also had an awkwardly shaped handset. </p>
<p>Then, in 1949, his Model 500 came along. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159834/original/image-20170307-14939-6wwt1t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do your grandparents still have a Model 500?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WE500dialphone.jpg">ProhibitOnions/Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Employing new plastic technology, the phone’s handset was smooth, rounded and proportional, an improvement on unwieldy earlier versions. <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Henry_Dreyfuss_Industrial_Designer.html?id=afRTAAAAMAAJ">It was the first</a> to use letters below the numbers in the rotary – a boon for businesses, since phone numbers could now be advertised (and remembered) as mnemonic phrases (think American Express’ “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVNHuqsHigo">1-800-THE-CARD</a>”).</p>
<p>The 500 phone was also the first to undergo a design process <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Henry_Dreyfuss_Industrial_Designer.html?id=afRTAAAAMAAJ">that used ergonomic (comfort) and cognitive experts</a>. AT&T and Dreyfuss hired <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/business/john-e-karlin-who-led-the-way-to-all-digit-dialing-dies-at-94.html">John Karlin</a>, the first industrial psychologist in the world, to conduct experiments to evaluate aspects of the design. Through extensive consumer testing, the designers were able to tweak all minutiae of the product – <a href="http://www.papress.com/html/product.details.dna?isbn=9781616892913">even minor details</a> like placing white dots beneath the holes in the finger wheel and the length of the cord. </p>
<p>Including its later incarnations, the phone would go on to sell nearly <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/05/11/bib/970511.rv092249.html">162 million units</a> – around one per American household – and become a presence in living rooms, kitchens and offices for decades to come.</p>
<hr>
<h2>Changing the way we work and play</h2>
<p><strong>Carla Viviana Coleman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County</strong></p>
<p>In recent years, virtual reality glasses have hit the market. They don’t come cheap: Most cost US$3,000 to $5,000.</p>
<p>But one of these models – the Microsoft HoloLens – <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/27/14411744/microsoft-hololens-sales-numbers">has sold thousands of units</a> since its first shipment in 2016. </p>
<p>The HoloLens allows users to interact with a 3D digital world and simultaneously see what’s around them in the real world. In order to operate the interface, users can make hand gestures, talk or simply gaze. </p>
<p>The product was designed with ergonomics in mind: Users can adjust the head size, the head band and glasses. The weight – distributed throughout the crown area – prevents pressure on the nose and ears. Users can even wear their own glasses or wear their hair up in a pony tail. This is a key difference from most VR headsets – like the <a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7zqp1szDWyA/maxresdefault.jpg">HTC Vive</a> – which are heavy, cumbersome products. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/159850/original/image-20170307-14957-3tsqrz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The future is holo.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ramahololens.jpg">Ramadhanakbr/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>While one could easily imagine a new generation of video games being designed for the HoloLens, a number of employers have realized the glasses can improve workplace productivity and ease the burdens of certain jobs.</p>
<p>For example, the company ThyssenKrupp, which manufactures elevators and escalators, <a href="https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/press-release-114208.html">has begun giving HoloLenses to its elevator technicians</a>, with the idea that the glasses will allow them to access data much more efficiently. The employees can multitask, choosing either to lift up the spherical visor or to keep it in front of their eyes as needed – all while working in a cramped elevator shaft.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, medical schools are using the HoloLens <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKpKlh1-en0">to train doctors</a> without using cadavers, while Volvo is using it <a href="https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/volvo-is-the-first-automaker-to-add-microsoft-hololens-to-its-engineering-toolkit/">to design new car models</a>.</p>
<p>If the price goes down, the market for this product – currently in the thousands – could easily multiply into millions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72697/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We asked five design experts – what’s your favorite product of all time, and why?Catherine Anderson, Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture and Design, George Washington UniversityCarla Viviana Coleman, Assistant Professor of Design, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyCraig M. Vogel, Director of the Center for Design Research and Innovation, University of Cincinnati Kalle Lyytinen, Iris S. Wolstein Professor of Management Design, Case Western Reserve UniversityLorraine Justice, Dean of the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/388872015-03-25T10:00:53Z2015-03-25T10:00:53ZMichael Graves sought to create joy through superior design<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75839/original/image-20150324-17675-1iewkqj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Architect and designer Michael Graves in a 1962 photograph. Graves passed away earlier this month.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.wttw.com/img/graves/timeline/1962-2.jpg">PBS</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Visit the <a href="http://michaelgraves.com">website</a> of designer Michael Graves, and you’ll be greeted with the words Humanistic Design = Transformative Results. The mantra can double as Graves’ philosophy. For Graves – who passed away at 80 earlier this month – paid no heed to architectural trends, social movements or the words of his critics. Instead, it was the everyday human being – the individual – who inspired and informed his work.</p>
<p>During a career that spanned over 50 years, Graves held firm to the belief that design could effect tremendous change in people’s day-to-day lives. From small-scale kitchen products to immense buildings, a thread runs throughout his products: accessible, aesthetic forms that possess a sense of warmth and appeal.</p>
<p>Early in his career, Graves was identified as one of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/11/books/architecture-view-a-little-book-that-led-five-men-to-fame.html">New York Five</a>, a group of influential architects who whole-heartedly embraced <a href="http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2008/may-june/what-is-modernism.html">Modernism</a>, the architectural movement that subscribed to the use of simple, clean lines, forms devoid of embellishments and modern materials such as steel and glass.</p>
<p>However, Graves is best described as a Post-Modernist. He eschewed the austerity of Modernism and its belief that “less is more,” instead embracing history and references to the past. He rejected the notion that decoration, or ornament, was a “crime” (as Austrian architect Adolf Loos <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=-SxEbXFg7ZEC&q=adolf+loos+ornament+and+crime&dq=adolf+loos+ornament+and+crime&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PRIPVfjwG8yaNqKMgLgI&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA">wrote</a> in 1908); rather, he viewed it as a way for his architecture to convey meaning. </p>
<p>As the noted architectural historian Spiro Kostof explains in his book <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-history-of-architecture-9780195083798?cc=us&lang=en&">A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals</a>, “Post Modernists turn to historical memory…to ornament, as a way of enriching the language of architecture.” </p>
<p>Kostof continues by postulating that this form is attractive to the general public because its qualities – such as the use of vibrant colors – are visually appealing. To appreciate the structures, viewers don’t need to be well-read or understand the “true meaning” of the architectural gestures used. </p>
<p>Along these lines, Graves loathed the idea of intellectualizing his structures. Instead, he sought to make them accessible, understandable and poignant to all passersby. In buildings like Disney’s Michael D. Eisner Building and the St. Coletta School in Washington, DC, we see how he operated. Rather than using graceful <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/c/caryatid_from_the_erechtheion.aspx">caryatids</a> to support the roof, Graves has the Seven Dwarfs of Snow White happily supporting the triangular pediment of the structure.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75832/original/image-20150324-17716-1vkqxif.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Seven Dwarfs appear to literally hold up the roof of the Michael D. Eisner Building.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Teamdisneyburbankbuilding.jpg">Coolcaesar/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For the St. Coletta School, Graves employed vibrant colors, various roof lines and striking shapes to create a total of five different and distinct “houses” for the building. But it all serves a purpose: to help the building’s students – children with severe mental disabilities – easily navigate and identify the various sections of the school.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75833/original/image-20150324-17716-2ud4gd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Graves divided the St. Coletta School into five ‘houses,’ each with its own unique elements.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncindc/2940368983/in/photolist-5tQafX-kgQRt-p2wgV2-82xYmH-82xYe6-82B7wU-82xYh4-82xYgp-82xYeP-82xYnX-82B7EU-82xYhD-82xYfH-82B7Db-82B7E5-82B7FY-82xYix">NCinDC/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition to designing buildings, Graves embarked upon a long and highly successful partnership with the Italian kitchenware company <a href="http://www.alessi.com/en">Alessi</a>, which made sleek household items such as bowls and metallic coffee pots. Graves’ most famous Alessi design is his iconic teakettle (formally known as the 9093 kettle), which had a cheerful red whistling bird and sky-blue handle. On sale since 1985, the best-selling product is still in production today.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75834/original/image-20150324-17680-z99irc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Graves’ iconic 9093 kettle for Alessi.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dinnerseries/10139775603/in/photolist-gs212i-nCJFh4-gs1sve">Didriks/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In 1999, Minneapolis-based discount retail giant Target approached Graves with an offer to design a line of kitchen products, ranging from toasters to spatulas.</p>
<p>While some might have shied away from having their work associated with a mega-corporation like Target, Graves wholly embraced the project. To him, the end result was all that mattered: he believed that producing affordable, well designed everyday items would make people happy. And Target would simply give him a platform to accomplish this. </p>
<p>In all, Graves collaboration with Target would last 13 years; during this time, the designer would become a household name, with millions of units of his products appearing in American homes.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=725&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=725&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=725&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75837/original/image-20150324-17699-jn6b6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Michael Graves’ toaster for Target: unique, affordable and visually pleasing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/15348347944/in/photolist-GaBW-dMyDzt-pohi7G-4pnKmE-B64wf">Wally Gobetz/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many of Graves’ designs for Target – his spatula, can opener and ice cream scoop – had chunky, sky-blue handles. Other appliances that were white (such as his toaster and electric hand mixer) were sprinkled with touches of color – a bit of yellow or red or blue to make the appliances pop out. Black and beige had no place in Graves’ palette.</p>
<p>The option to select a better-looking product with a slightly higher price versus the same article but with a less expensive, nondescript appearance is now the norm for most consumers: good design (and function) are part and parcel of the customer experience (nowhere is this more evident than in Apple’s rise to dizzying heights as arguably one of the world’s <a href="http://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/">most valuable brands</a>). </p>
<p>It’s an idea that’s democratic in nature, and thinking about design through this lens led Graves to create thoughtful, appealing and affordable products for the masses. Other designers, most notably Charles and Ray Eames – with their iconic mid-century <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/search/eames%20plywood%20chair">molded plywood chairs</a> – also subscribed to this mindset. (“We wanted to make the best for the most for the least,” the husband and wife duo <a href="http://www.eamesoffice.com/the-work/the-best-for-the-most-for-the-least/">once said</a>.)</p>
<p>As Graves’ popularity rose, his critics leveled blistering commentaries about what they deemed a precipitous fall from grace – from a “trend beyond compare” to a “stale trend,” as architecture critic Herbert Muschamp <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/14/garden/graves-s-progress-from-paper-visions-to-giant-teakettles.html">noted</a> in a 1999 New York Times article. The notion that he had commodified design – and had somehow “cheapened” it – drew the disdain of those who once lauded his works. </p>
<p>Yet Graves remained true to his beliefs even into the last phase of his life. In 2003, after an illness left him paralyzed below the waist, he realized that the design of hospitals and equipment used by patients, doctors and nurses could be redesigned and made more functional, comfortable and visually appealing. He then went on to improve ubiquitous devices such as <a href="michaelgraves.com/portfolio/stryker-prime-tc-transport-chair/">wheelchairs</a> and <a href="michaelgraves.com/portfolio/kimberly-clark/">walking canes</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=492&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=618&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=618&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/75835/original/image-20150324-17693-6rrh61.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=618&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Towards the end of his life, Graves was inspired to improve upon existing products for the physically impaired, like walking canes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/15350990283/in/photolist-kgQRt-7BPHK1-8YeWgw-34xLgd-qk6QXz-7BPJgN-povQAg-pohi3o-qkgxdv-fDdjz2-Kckxb-amHEWZ-5rEsFR-4U7WRa-5SLKsV-4KmrJA-4KmrKu-83PheS-4KhaDg-3nSGEW-qkdbvG-qkdbro-an8yoj-34Ydj3-4KhaMc-yba8B-q3HBjG-78Pvv5-pohi7G-8HoLve-XXKFK-hzB1t-5HLmt9-6GE6JJ-b6CBup-5srrqp-6bHpq7-zoA7k-6yXNSV-Kcky1-nTwQj3-8U1oNh-pT4Hi2-pSUJzQ-pSUJGU-ahvcri-qaqyph-amHx9c-amLgkf-amLyNs">Wally Gobetz/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Consumers may not have ever known his architecture or what the critics thought of his work (or even realized they were buying one of his products). Graves didn’t seem to mind. His goal was to provide well-designed items for everyday use rather than impress his detractors.</p>
<p>As he <a href="http://www.npr.org/2015/03/13/392845757/michael-graves-renowned-architect-who-designed-products-for-target-dies">told</a> NPR in 2002, “It’s the kind of thing where you pick something up or use it with a little bit of joy…it puts a smile on your face.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/38887/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Anderson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From his line of Target homeware to his one-of-a-kind buildings, Michael Graves was inspired by the basic needs of everyday people.Catherine Anderson, Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture and Design, George Washington UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/341322014-11-13T19:32:31Z2014-11-13T19:32:31ZI merge Indigenous stories with my design – maybe others should too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64346/original/tzc4x3hk-1415769110.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Briggs Family Tea Service tells the story of George Briggs and Woretermoeteyenner, during the early years of Tasmania. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Trent Jansen</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In our personal and working lives, there are some lines that should not be crossed and others that must be. As a designer, crossing the line that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian culture is crucial to me.</p>
<p>I am a furniture and object designer, so you might think that I design highly functional objects, conceived to enhance our lives through ergonomic considerations or beautification. Looking back through modernist furniture books, it is clear that we have all of the beautiful, functional chairs and lights we could possibly need. </p>
<p>So, instead of re-visiting these same tired criteria, I use the discipline of furniture and object design to communicate ideas that I feel are important.</p>
<p>These objects are often underpinned by narratives that sit on the line between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian culture.</p>
<p>The Briggs Family Tea Service (main image) I designed for Australian design studio <a href="http://www.broachedcommissions.com">Broached Commissions</a> <a href="http://vimeo.com/30787205">tells the story</a> of a young British man (George Briggs) and a Tasmanian Aboriginal woman (Woretermoeteyenner), during the very early years of the colony of Tasmania. </p>
<p>This collection of objects represents the connection between these two individuals by hybridising the water carrying archetypes of each culture - the British tea service and Tasmanian Aboriginal water-carrying vessel. </p>
<p>These objects communicate the cultural confluence of this partnership and the Briggs family that resulted, attempting to bring this story, born in the decades that forged post-colonial Australia, to an audience that would otherwise be unaware.</p>
<p>More recently I have begun to work on a series of objects that explore another point of cultural collision in Australia’s history. This new furniture collection begins with the stories of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dreamings-and-place-aboriginal-monsters-and-their-meanings-25606">mythical creatures</a> told in and around Sydney during the early years of colonisation. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=756&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=950&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=950&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64423/original/ptnbnvyn-1415834444.aus-f361a-s3-e?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=950&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The illustration of ‘The den of the Hairy Wild Man from Botany Bay’.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-f361a">National Library of Australia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Creatures such as: “<a href="https://www.nla.gov.au/blogs/treasures/2014/05/04/the-hairy-wild-man-of-botany-bay">the hairy wild man from Botany Bay</a>” – a creature myth that began in England before the First Fleet had even left for Australia; or the <a href="http://books.google.com.au/books?id=UnKPCZT0x6kC&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&dq=The+Bunyip+%E2%80%93+Ainsley+Roberts,+1969&source=bl&ots=mzwq9v8ZVn&sig=d46qxyUNamgMloQePC4hS8o-lF8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vuFjVIiNH4HemAWm5YKACQ&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=The%20Bunyip%20%E2%80%93%20Ainsley%20Roberts%2C%201969&f=false">bunyip</a>, which is said to have evolved from the yahoo or yowie through a linguistic misunderstanding between Eora people, who thought that bunyip was a British word, and British settlers who thought it to be a local term. </p>
<p>According to Australian author <a href="http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A28537">Robert Holden</a>, a fear of creatures like these became a common ground between Aboriginal people and British settlers, and these stories were a point of conversation between individuals from both cultures, a catalyst for personal connections.</p>
<p>Prior to understanding all of this, I put Robert Holden’s theories to the test without knowing it. I was staying in Alice Springs on and off for a period when I was introduced to a Western Arrernte man by the name of Baden Williams. Baden took me to his hometown of Hermannsburg and on the way there we got talking about Western Arrernte creatures. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/64424/original/khz3j7jd-1415834597.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Baden Williams and Trent Jansen, Hermannsburg, Northern Territory.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Creatures such as: arrkutja-irrintja - a female creature with a sweet smell, who adorns herself with flowers, and is known to abduct young men and take them to a parallel dimension for several days, or even weeks; nyipi barnti - a strong and muscular being who works as an assassin, killing any unwelcome people or creatures whom travel on his land. </p>
<p>Nyipi barnti has a pungent smell, like sweat, dust and ochre and is known for abducting young women; or the creature that captured my imagination most of all, pankalangu. </p>
<p>According to Western Arrernte story telling, pankalangu is a territorial being that lives in the scrub and is completely camouflaged in the desert and bush. Pankalangu can only move with the rain, and is made visible when the light catches the rain that falls on him, defining his form in a glistening silhouette.</p>
<p>I hope these narratives will once again become part of the common myths associated with Australian identity, perpetuating an identity that is inclusive of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture.</p>
<p>I have received cutting criticism for this approach. I have been called a carpetbagger, and told that I am using these culturally sensitive stories for my own benefit. As a result, I’ve thought very carefully about surrendering and leaving this sometimes controversial subject for others to address. </p>
<p>Perhaps this is not my line to cross, but then whose line is it to cross? Individuals from one side or the other must be the first to act. </p>
<p>Is this a division that I want to perpetuate through inaction? Or is this a line that I can help to dissolve? </p>
<p>As a non-Indigenous Australian, I have developed a love and deep respect for Indigenous Australian cultures through research, my projects and through involving myself with these cultures. I now understand some of the beauty and mysticism associated with the ancient traditions of the hundreds of Indigenous nations, occupying this continent for millennia before my Oma and Opa arrived from Holland on a boat in the 1950s. </p>
<p>If I can share this love and fascination with my audience, perhaps they can cross this cultural line with me.</p>
<p>I think that Indigenous visual art historian <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-lehman-18999">Greg Lehman</a> put it best:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>White Australians cannot continue to place Aboriginal culture on a shelf, afraid to touch it. This only cements the divide that already exists between white and Indigenous Australians. It is important for people from all backgrounds – artists, musicians, designers etc. to <em>respectfully</em> take Aboriginal culture into their own expressions of culture, and communicate these ideas to new audiences. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Only then will this divide begin to disintegrate and only then will Aboriginal culture be loved and embraced by the mainstream.</p>
<p>I will continue to cross the cultural line between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian culture, and will encourage others to cross it too. Hopefully all of the foot-traffic crossing this line in both directions will abolish the divide.</p>
<p>So, when do you surrender? If it is something that you have considered very carefully and truly believe in … <em>never</em>!!!</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em>Trent Jansen will talk more about this topic at <a href="https://www.australiandesignbiennale.com/#page-hobart-creative-forum">Crossing the Line</a> tomorrow, Friday November 14, as part of the Australian Design Biennale at MONA, Hobart.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34132/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trent Jansen owns shares in the Broached Commissions. He receives funding from the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government Department of Education, the Ian Potter Foundation, the National Association for the Visual Arts and Object Gallery.</span></em></p>In our personal and working lives, there are some lines that should not be crossed and others that must be. As a designer, crossing the line that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian…Trent Jansen, Designer, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.