Redesigning the American Dream
Andy Hamilton / Design Inspiration
It’s hard to listen to traditional media outlets and not be inundated with the doom and gloom of our current economic condition. I was listening to new albums in the car for a few weeks and I almost thought the recession was over, but then I switched back to NPR. And it wasn’t. However, in all the reports I’ve heard, one piece of info stands out. It said, historically, recessions and depressions are times of drastic social and economic change.
Perfect.
As a designer all I can see is opportunity; the American Dream does need a tune-up. We have been striving for something attainable, but not sustainable. The housing bubble may have been the first to burst, but the banks weren’t far behind and now, with the auto industry, unemployment is continuing to rise. The whole consumption machine is starting to go down. It just wasn’t built to last. Now considering the damage it’s already done to our global ecosystems, I don’t really see this as a bad thing. What I do see is an unemployed workforce that is tech savvy, connected, diverse and pretty well-educated. One that has all the tools needed to get the job done, as long as it can get a little inspiration and motivation to boot.
I say we use this opportunity to design a dream that is sustainable; one that doesn’t leave us with global warming, obesity, addiction and debt. One that gives us more control over the natural resources we consume, more control over the substances we put into our bodies, and more control over where our money goes when we spend it.
I think this means we need to do more for ourselves.
And I’ve got some ideas as to how.
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Steven V
I’m an ID student, and I think I speak for many of us when I say we’re right there with you. The trick is actually being able to act on those thoughts, right? I would love to hear your ideas…
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