About this issue:
Words. Without them, we’re fundamentally mute. Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but words are the way, unless we’re Marcel Marceau, we express who we are, what we believe, our motives and convictions, and our soul. We use words to engage with audiences to provoke, inspire, educate, and espouse our thoughts.
In the manifold realm of design, words are fundamental to processing and exchanging information. They serve to translate and compress a complex and lengthy project brief into a powerful, motivating essence. A few telltale words become what guide and provoke us to design virtuous, delightful, and purposeful outcomes.
This issue of INNOVATION has been mustered around the word “seduction.” If ever there was a seductive word, it’s “seduction.” What comes to mind? Is it Delila’s seduction of Sampson, or the seductive excesses of Casanova? Maybe the Mafia’s seductive means of bribing politicians, police, and public officials?
Seduction comes from the Latin “seduco,” meaning to lead astray. The IDSA Publications Committee’s call for articles sought to determine, if that’s possible, what constitutes a seductive design intent and outcome. What makes a product more irresistible? Is it because, for example, it’s more green, sustainable, and ethical, or more likely through “the intertwining of aesthetics, functionality, and psychological allure,” as our call to articles described? Does the word, nonetheless, leave us with a twinge of hesitancy as we endeavor to design solutions that are valued and lasting?
The world’s multiple complexities demand that designers pay heed to key issues like carbon curtailment and circular design. Such issues are our natural responsibility as we seek to create better design solutions with the prime focus of attending to humankind’s essential needs and those of our remarkable planet.
In that context, is seductive design merely a descriptor of a design approach? Certainly, it is not a philosophy like Louis Sullivan’s “form follows function” or Mies van der Rohe’s “less is more”? Maybe it’s something to do with function following form? Is it an ambrosian combination of tangibles and intangibles? Historically, was it the Chanel #5 factor because it came from Chanel and was so Chanel in its memorable bottle, restrained black and white packaging with the beguiling fragrance? Or is it the red Ferrari Roma with its throaty roar? Does seductive design acquire a label because it is unique and panders to a user’s taste or a titan’s demand?
Whether we seduce customers (end users) considerately or unabashedly are we not being manipulative? Are we being exploited for someone else’s advantage?
Sally Montgomery, an interaction designer writing in Medium, suggests that “design has unfortunately lent itself to the manufacturing of addictive behaviors in the name of convenience, user-friendliness, and revenue generation. Design has also lent itself to seduction, to overpowering human reticence, and casual disinformation.” In the article, “Seizing the Means of Seduction,” she goes on to say that “the power of design is, among other things, in its ability to seduce. But Design can also liberate. We can take responsibility for the world in which we design. To do so we must rethink the way we think about design’s place in the world.”
While we are free to interpret seduction in our own way, it does raise the matter of ethics. It is our role to help humankind navigate manifold uncertainties by creating what is beautifully trustworthy, functional, and beneficial. Being part of the bandwagon of more must be taboo. Rapid technology evolution, both hardware and software, constantly calls for more snazzy design and more consumer voice in the market. Product and brand as conjoint twins (a phrase coined by my colleague Ray Labone) are often seen as tools to deliver on the more-is-more clamor. Yes, there are instances where more is better, including providing clean water and better food. Otherwise, this attitude is resoundingly defunct. We must be the good conscience of the future.
The articles and poems in this issue represent thought-provoking perspectives on seduction—from the personal to the pragmatic. Is there a need for more debate? Have you been seduced to write a letter to the editor?
Guest Contributors:
- Shiny Objects by Erdem Selek, IDSA, and Hale Selek, IDSA
- The Art of Temptation by Jayati Sinha, IDSA
- Touch: The Allure of Tangible Design by Sheng-Hung Lee, IDSA
- CMF: Designed to Seduce by Daniela Garcia
- Amplifying Design Through Sustainability by Zach Manuel
- A Consumer’s Guide to Rationalization by Chelsea Kostek, IDSA
- Seduction: A Poem by Bruce Hannah
- How Beautiful Design Can Break the Cycle of Overconsumption by Tiziana d’Agostino
- Learning from Brewing: The Seductiveness of Espresso Makers by Yong-Gyun Ghim
- Amplifying Design through Sustainability by Zach Manuel
- Striking a Balance: Sustainability with a Dose of Practical Optimism by Isis Shiffer, IDSA and Divya Chaurasia, I/IDSA
In Every Issue:
- In This Issue by Peter Haythornthwaite, FIDSA
- From HQ by Donté Shannon, FASAE, CAE
- Beautility by Tucker Viemeister, FIDSA
- Women on Design by Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, IDSA
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