The Language of Process

'The Language of Process: how new materials and technologies are changing product design' is the current exhibition in the Special Collections section of the All Saints Library of Manchester Metropolitan University. The exhibition ends on December 20th.

 

I was asked to speak at the opening -

I am a maker; I could call myself a designer, a craftsman or an artist, but I prefer the term Maker, as in Creator; someone who straddles the grey area between those disciplines.

So that’s the perspective from which I view the ‘Language of Process’ exhibition.

To those of you who have been along to the exhibition, it may appear to be a strange selection of odd items. Some objects on display are practical and functional, others whimsical. Many are aesthetically pleasing, yet one or two might be described as ugly. So why have they been brought together?

I feel strongly that this exhibition provides extremely timely evidence of the emergence of a new language of making, where the traditional barriers between craft and design are dissolving.

A lot of the objects on show have been created using new and emerging digital technology. Employing these new machines is not a case of simply pressing the button, as many people seem to think. They are expensive and sophisticated, but they are just tools, with all the same idiosyncrasies as traditional tools. And that is part of the attraction for me and the new generation of makers who are leading the way by making these machines do what we want them to.

As all makers know, we have to explore materials and processes in order to develop the skills and sensibilities necessary to turn an idea into a resolved 3-dimensional object.  And we don’t stop exploring; the journey never ends. As a potter I was never totally satisfied with what came out of the kiln; we search for a perfection that we will never achieve. That’s what gets us up in the morning. And it’s this striving, this insatiable curiosity that attracts us to explore new ways of making.

But why is this important? For me, craft and design aren’t just about the creation of beautiful bespoke objects, The most inclusive definition of these activities and one that I subscribe to is ‘the application of creative thinking and tacit knowledge to solve a problem’. Which means that we engage with them from morning ‘til night; we rely on those skills from birth to death, the midwife and the gravedigger employ them; they are fundamental to our very existence and we all have the potential to exercise them. One example of this is my dentist. He was telling me of the part that craft knowledge plays in his work. He regards it as a fundamental and central part of his skill, something that was kindled not at Dental School but as a teenager in the Art Department.

So, it’s fundamental that students at all stages are allowed to get to grips with materials and processes and not just sit in front of the computer screen.

Take another, closer look at this exhibition. You’ll see designers really getting down and dirty with messy materials, and craftspeople hacking technology. The rulebook is being thrown away and it points to a healthy future of innovation and creative thinking.

Manchester School of Art is very fortunate in having traditional workshops and increasing digital making and research facilities. They go hand in hand, the new tools do not replace the old.  And they are both vital if our students are going to play their part in the UK’s economic revival. The doors of the workshops must be open to all and I would hang a big sign in each of them, simply saying ‘What if…’

MMU could be an important cradle of the next Industrial Revolution as long as the teaching and provision of resources not only embrace the present cutting edge, as seen in this exhibition, but also helps to shape the future direction of craft and design.

I don’t see this activity centered solely on the Art School. The projects that I’m involved in MIRIAD are in conjunction with material scientists, Learning Innovation and Engineering, including a project to formulate 3D printable Graphene. There’s a lot of common ground to be shared between the disciplines, but we can also challenge and stretch each other and that’s where the advances happen.

I hope I’m preaching to the converted, so if you have any influence on decision makers at any level please bring them along to the ‘Language of Process’. Show them the beauty, the skill, the innovation and the creative thinking. This must be one of the most tangible ways to demonstrate that Innovative Making has an exciting and rightful future in the cultural heart of this University.

The Second (Third or Fourth?) Industrial Revolution...

As part of Design Manchester 13, I was asked to sit on a panel to discuss the implications of the Second Industrial Revolution. (As you can tell, I'm not sure which Industrial Revolution this is, but that's besides the point.)

I wrote a few words, which as I thought about them, raised more questions than answered them. However, they are a useful starting point for lectures I'm giving this month at the Parson's School of Design in New York and at the Norwegian Crafts conference in Oslo.

Second Industrial Revolution, DM13 Manchester School of Art. 30.10.13

Here we are at the beginning of an exciting new Industrial Revolution and there is an opportunity not only to make things that were previously impossible, but also to right some of the wrongs of the previous Revolution.

Before the First Industrial Revolution, the way things were made was essentially by craft production; the local potter would make earthenware for the kitchen and dairy; the blacksmith would make and repair tools for the garden and the farm.

Architecture was essentially vernacular, as materials were obtained locally and buildings were shaped by the limitations of stone, slate and wood.

Regional styles developed in response to local needs and were refined over time, producing architecture and artefacts that we now value for their simplicity, their truth to materials and their ecological impact.

I’m not trying to paint a rose-tinted picture of life before 1760; it was grim up north for the majority of the population. The Industrial Revolution improved standards for a section of society, however, I think we would all agree that life since then wasn’t and still isn’t a bed of roses for everyone.

And we are now facing the ecological backlash of 250 years of progress.

This time around, things might be different.

My particular interest is the creation of art craft and design using new and emerging digital technology. It allows me to make objects impossible to produce when I was a production potter.  3-D printing has enabled me to unleash my imagination and create artworks that challenge the definitions of art, craft and design.

But 3-D printing isn’t just about making beautiful, bespoke objects. It holds far more potential.

With 3D printing, ideas can be transformed into objects without the need to produce costly moulds and tooling. The only way manufacturers can justify that sort of expense is by manufacturing in large volumes. In our revolution, batch production and the one-off are ways forward, whether it’s a personalized light fitting or a replacement knee. Customisation and individualisation are not only possible but to be encouraged as an enhanced sense of ownership must mean that the product is likely to be cherished more than an off-the-shelf, generic version.

And the Internet allows for distributed manufacture. So, we don’t need shiploads of identical products crossing the oceans. Instead, you could cycle down to your 21^st century version of the local blacksmith (perhaps now renamed as a Codesmith) to collect your freshly printed stuff. Or, make it at home on your own printer.

Another advantage over traditional reductive processes is that there is far less waste in Additive Manufacturing, as leftover material is re-used. 

And this time the technology isn’t in the hands of an elite minority. Tinkers and hackers are busy stripping down, re-jigging the technology, and making it accessible to a wider community of makers.

This all sounds rosy, doesn’t it? If I was little less positive and little more sceptical I might be describing the risks to our revolution, from vested interests through to nasty and dangerous applications.

This revolution is still at a very early stage, but if it is going to make a positive difference we need to encourage widespread innovation.

We need a 21^st century version of the Lunar Society, meeting by the full moon not only to discuss the technology, but the social implications as well.

Perhaps they could write a manifesto? It could go something like this:

1.     Cloud computing will put tools into the hands of the proletariat.

2.     3D printing will democratize design; everyone will be a designer.

3.     All data will be open source.

4.     Hacking of technology will not be a criminal offence.

I’m sure you could all think of a few more.

Long Live the Revolution!

Is Design just about rearranging the Cushions...?

Heading north in the Quiet Zone of the 18.30 out of London Euston is an ideal setting for reflecting on the days activities. I was on my way back to Kendal after attending the British Design Summer Reception at the House of Lords. 

Organised by the Associate Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group, it brought together many leading and influential designers, along with MPs, members of the Lords, journalists and representatives from the various organisations that sponsored the tables. Being on the Crafts Council table, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself seated between Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke-on-Trent and Michelle Ogundehin, editor of Elle Decoration. 

Speeches by both Sir John Sorrell and Lord Bichard championed British design, and stressed the need for a strong united voice to convince Parliament that design is more than just making things look pretty, but something that should be at the core of business thinking. 

Apparently the Financial sector spent £92 million lobbying the government last year and that has appeared to have paid off. Design doesn’t have that sort of money, so we are going to have to use some of our creative thinking if we want to be heard. 

However, it seems to me that 'design' is one of those shape shifting words with a different definition according to the context in which it is used. 

My definition is something along the lines of 'the creative application of materials and/or processes.' That's probably over simplistic, but to make an impact surely that's the sort of definition required, as it not only covers making stuff, but can be applied to systems and services.     

And it's inclusive, so the Crafts Council shouldn't feel left out. 

OK, so we can dress that up with great examples, lots of lovely images, but what are we asking for? 

For me it would be some joined up thinking in government, where the Chancellor of the Exchequer doesn't stand at the dispatch box going on about how he “want(s) the words: Made in Britain, Created in Britain, Designed in Britain, Invented in Britain to drive our nation forward. A Britain carried aloft by the march of the makers" to be the battle cry that will save the economy, when down the road Education are undermining or should that be destroying Design and Technology in schools.  Where do they think the next generation of makers and creative thinkers are going to come from?

And I would also ask that there should be far more support for research that brings together art and science. There are so many great examples where collaboration has benefitted both camps.  

Vince Cable has been busy with his Made by Britain and Make it in Great Britain campaigns, with an exhibition starting in London’s Science Museum on the 24th of July. But as Michelle Ogundehin points out in her blog, why doesn’t the government recognize the central role that design plays in the success of companies like Apple, Dyson etc etc? And ‘why is it taking government so long to catch on when the UK’s design sector could be such a spur to economic growth?’

A poorly advertised exhibition in the Science Museum is not enough, what we need is a new Festival of Britain, an event that will clearly demonstrate the wealth of great design that we have in the UK, demonstrate how companies will benefit by embedding design thinking into their core activities, demonstrate to parents that Art and Design are relevant subjects for their children to choose at school and if the government would put some money into apprenticeships, give some disaffected young people a place in society. (That last bit might be going too far, but we can dream…)