Increasingly so the appeal of new products to the consumer lies in their fashionable qualities rather than their function or purpose.
Fashion has a built in obsolescence, what is fashionable is only so for a limited period of time. Once it is out of fashion the object losses it’s appeal and there is something newer and more desirable now available to replace it.
This kind of design for fashion is present in all areas of design, however MP3 players and Ipods are the best example. New ‘generations’ are brought out and then purchased by consumers who already own older versions of the appliance that still function.
This trend of design for fashion has several negative aspects.
1. the quick manufacture, purchase and disposal of goods waste energy and resources and well as creating tons of waste.
2. it contributes to the disproportionate consumption by developed countries of the world’s resources.
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As the focus nowadays is on sustainability and the environment rather than throw away items, designers have been pushed to think outside the box. Designers should focus on designing products in such a way that people feel attached to it and therefore less items would end up in land fill.
ReplyDeleteMany products in our society today are not thrown away because they are broken, but because the owner got bored with it.