It’s common to hear that a designer entered the profession because they wanted to improve people’s lives. And so it is with Japanese-born, New Zealand-raised designer Keiji Takeuchi (see below), who told Monocle that he’s “always thinking about people” when he’s working. This was evident in his recent exhibition dedicated to walking sticks and canes that restore dignity to their users – a demographic that is often overlooked.
The show was a breath of fresh air in a world where it can be challenging for designers to produce at scale (whether a multi-apartment residence or objects for mass production). When populations are so varied, it is easy to forget to design for the quieter sections of society and simply tick the “people” box by relying on data that fails to capture the nuances of lifestyle and culture.
A solution to encourage broader consideration for people might be found in the work of Enzo Mari, some of which can be seen at the current exhibition of his work at London’s Design Museum. A prolific designer, artist and educator, Mari was intent on bringing good design to a broad swath of people through modularity and mass production. But he was also set on encouraging the next generation of designers to create with empathy. To do so, he developed a board game with Milan-based furniture manufacturer Danese. Originally created for children, “Living” featured eight packs of cards – representing lifestyle factors such as profession, possessions and desires – that could be combined to create a fantasy life. Mari played the game with his students, encouraging them to “think about real people, forgetting abstract and flat statistics”.
For any designer hoping to broaden their perspective, running a similar exercise might not only be invigorating but also inspire new, life-improving projects in service of the people who need them most. Takeuchi certainly wouldn’t have designed the walking stick if he hadn’t been thinking of those beyond his typical audience of high-end consumers. Who knows, perhaps Mari’s game helped him to take the first step.
This column also features in Monocle’s June issue. For more design insights and reflections, subscribe to Monocle today.