An argument for a design philosophy of better, not more.
Never have we wanted, owned, and wasted so much stuff. Our consumptive
path through modern life leaves a wake of social and ecological
destruction--sneakers worn only once, bicycles barely even ridden, and
forgotten smartphones languishing in drawers. By what perverse alchemy
do our newest, coolest things so readily transform into meaningless
junk? In Meaningful Stuff, Jonathan Chapman investigates why we throw
away things that still work, and shows how we can design products,
services, and systems that last.
Obsolescence is an economically driven design decision--a plan to hasten
a product's functional or psychological undesirability. Many electronic
devices, for example, are intentionally impossible to dismantle for
repair or recycling, their brief use-career proceeding inexorably to a
landfill. A sustainable design specialist who serves as a consultant to
global businesses and governmental organizations, Chapman calls for the
decoupling of economic activity from mindless material consumption and
shows how to do it.
Chapman shares his vision for an experience heavy, material light design
sensibility. This vital and timely new design philosophy reveals how
meaning emerges from designed encounters between people and things,
explores ways to increase the quality and longevity of our relationships
with objects and the systems behind them, and ultimately demonstrates
why design can--and must--lead the transition to a sustainable future.
