| Throughout the entire range of his history, man has createdartifacts for work and for pleasure. Such artifacts, or products, wereindicative of his level of intelligence and his ability to form materialsin response to function. Perhaps less obviously, they also reflectedhis aestHetic-religious value system. There was an admirabledirectness of approach and a primitive sophistication evident amonghis earliest products, a condition which gradually changed as hisrequirements for existence and pleasure changed. The current scene in Western cultures reveals a tremendouscollage of artifacts, some useful, some not; some pleasantlystructured and some ugly. There is a plethora of goods, which con-dition (rightly or wrongly) seems to be associated with the mostadvanced cultures. The designers who devise such goods have contributed to thisrather elusive and controversial state called "a high standard ofliving." But it is common knowledge that this opulence has not beenwithout its trials and problems, for man is beginning to questionthe product in range and kind. The issues relate to a series of fourcontemporary crises: excessive energy consumption, the misuse ofmaterial resources, waste disposal, and rural and urban blight. Eachissue treated in turn uncovers the same major concern: excessiveenergy consumption. First, the recurring regional brownouts and blackouts are vividreminders that this nation is incapable of producing sufficientenergy at reasonable cost to provide for its total needs. The designercan contribute to a solution by policing himself and his profession.with respect to the kinds of energy-consuming products he placesupon the market. For example, the necessity of using electricalenergy to brush one s teeth, to open tins of foods, to slice meat andbread, or for that matter even to wash one s dishes might be ques-tioned. Certainly, the need for certain household appliances cannotbe denied: it would be difficult and uncomfortable to exist without |
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