1) What do you think of the ten Long Life design criteria
overall ? Which criteria in particular might assist in meeting the challenges created by climate change and how? What criteria would you add or how would you update the current list to account for specific design challenges presented by the Anthropocene?
These 10 criteria basically includes the attributes of a long life design product may contain， but not the necessity. What kind of things can live alone with people? An unforgettable experience, an obsession or faith. So a long life design stands for a sense of identity between designer and customers rather than the product itself，to some degrees, the goal of “long life design” is a coincidence, not be standardized.
I think “repair” and “function” and “planed production” are most assist in meeting the challenges created by climate change. Because nowadays people are all chasing to get what they want, instead of what they need. So being aware of how many we have had can be the key to curb and hold over consumptions and desires.
Making products unique and personal to customers can be added in the list. Last week, I read from Nagaoka, who said people want to buy things that mean something to them, which speaks out my mind as a customer.
2) Analyze the design from your home country (in production for longer than 50 years) that you shared in class this week according to the 10 Long Life Design criteria. In what ways does this object/product meet the criteria and in what ways does it not meet them?
Repair: There were lots of carpenter doing the repair as their main job and lived by it.
Cost: As one of the necessities, people kind of had to buy those armoire, even it was not a easy-got stuff, but it had a wide range of prices depend on different materials and decors.
Sales: Lots of the carpenters were doing that as an old business, which has their inheritance and reputation to convince the costumers.
Manufacturing: Again, lots of the carpenters had the cultural and skills inheritance from their families.
Function: Because walk-in closets were not common in ancient China, we used to having an armoire store our clothing and possessions, especially in the old time.
Safety: It’s quite safe to be used, unless some unexpected nature disasters happened.
Planed Production: In old time, the armoire were kind of made to order. Because, one, it took time to hand make an armoire; and second, different customers might have different requirements depending on their financial issues.
User: The technique of the mortise and tenon joints still inspire a lot of designers nowadays.
Environment: They were almost made of wood and only wood, barely had nails even. All the material sources came from nature.
Design: Armoires are never out of people’s aesthetics.
3) How does this business seem related to Long Life Design? Despite being a new business, which of the Long Life Design criteria do you think it might be able to fulfill over the next 50 years, and why? What are two questions you have for the owner, Shunan Teng, related to long-life design and sustainability?
To be honest, It was a moment I felt the tea drunk is more related to a literally people’s longer life rather than a long life design. However, the history behind it and the manufacturing process behind it may leave me a hint to understand the collection between tea drunk and long life design. Picking tea leaves culture has been inheriting for thousands of years in China. The Tea Drunk integrates this persistence into its own value and beliefs.
Sales and manufacturing. The Tea Drunk has a strong will to share its beliefs with customers. High quality teas are very hard to collect and process without passion.
Question 1: In which way, in your opinion, can make the tea culture goes longer and more popular? Keeping it all traditional, or trying to catch up the trends along the time?
Question 2: There is lots of traditions or culture backgrounds in tea culture. What can distinguish Chinese traditions from others, like Japanese and English or French?
4)
– At the start of the program Industrial Designer Fumikazu Masuda says, “we cannot continue like this, there is no future in mass production and consumption.” Do you agree?
I agree. Even over consumption and fast fashion are still the big issue in fashion nowadays. But more and more companies realize that the global environmental problem is an editable issue in fashion and all industries now. Continuously mass production and consumption can cause irreversible damage to the earth. Customers become more and more careful about what they wear and what story behind the brands and products.
– What was the transformative experience that made Matsuda realize he had a responsibility for what he designed?
He felt the city is being destroyed by trash when he was walking alone the river in Kyoto in 1990s. And new products means the ends of old products. He believes design has the responsibility to save the world.
– Do you think you would take better care of objects if you had to repair them?
Yes. If we think about our grand-parents generation, even they were pushed to repair objects because of financial consideration, they did keep things well. And I know some of the objects in my grandparents’ house are actually older than me.
– What are examples of materials that you could design with today, that could later return to the “natural cycle” (such as the bamboo that Masuda mentions)?
Anything comes from nature can basically back to nature again. I heard one project which were trying to transfer banana peels into fabric, which inspired me a lot.
– Masuda says, “nobody wants to leave the next generation with nothing but trash.” Do you think designers should consider the ability for their designs to be repaired, as part of their initial design process? What else might help create less waste?
In fashion industry, we talk about sustainable system a lot. But most of them are trying to make the industry use the fabric with more consideration. However, I think people will cherish those garments which make them feel special or beautiful or confident. And in this way, the garments are somehow transferred to be part of the “identity” choice, instead of just the necessities. So longer you keep one garment, less garbage will be created. Therefore, I don’t think fashion designer should consider the ability of being repaired of their design, but how to make the design more valuable in the aesthetic or concept way.
– What are the two things that Masuda says designers should be mindful of when designing (see timecode 20:00)? Why does he say this is important? Do you agree?
Create something simple which does not using a lot of resources, because resource is limited.Focusing on natural materials, means things are no need to go to recycling step. I agree with these two opinions. The first one can alarm people of the value in simple life and manage our unnecessary desires. The second one provides one option to reduce the waste in recycling.
– What are you overall thoughts on this video? Did you enjoy it?
This video is really enlighten and inductive. It gives good example that how Japanese designers fulfill their responsibilities in sustainable development.
