DESIGN AS A CONVERSATION

Design is not only aesthetically pleasing but intellectually so, creating artistic outlets for those individuals who want to explore the possibilities of what design means to them. The statement “design is a conversation” sheds light on to the never ending influence design has on the way we view things in our lives and how they ultimately affect the things we do and say. Design is meant to cause inquiry and discussion; to bring people together who might otherwise have nothing in common. Not only can people relate to each other through design but they can create conversation, a discourse of human reaction to pieces of design.

One example of design as a conversation might be the idea behind “The Sketchbook Project,” a concert-like tour of everyday artists from across the world submitting their sketchbooks to be viewed by the public in different cities. The Art House is the co-operative organization behind the sketchbook project, with the idea that art should be a communal experience, something that people can create and appreciate together; a conversation. Anyone from any place can buy a sketchbook and turn it in to be toured and appreciated by the people who go to see them.

These sketchbooks created by people just like you are the beginnings of an artistic conversation, a creation of a series of sketches to invoke some sort of meaning to the viewer who in turn translates it into a version of the same image in their own minds. The artist is revealing their inner thoughts and ideas to the viewer and exposing a side of themselves to complete strangers. The vulnerability these artists are letting themselves experience leaves the openness for conversation incredibly wide. These touring sketchbooks are the ultimate design conversation.

“What do you think of what I have to say?”

“Why are you here looking at some random person’s drawings if the world does not recognize them as an artist?”

“Why do you care?”

“Do you want to make your own sketchbook?”

The idea behind these sketchbooks was to open up art to the community, to start an ongoing conversation between the sketchbook artist and the viewer, and to ultimately create a conversation within ourselves. The message behind these sketchbooks is clear: design is meant to be interpreted, to be debated, and to be appreciated differently by every individual, because without these things there can be no conversation.