by Michael Bierut
http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=8767
What's that? A designer questioning the need for design? Interesting article. Bierut looks at the dilemma created by the clearing out of Broadway and Times Square for pedestrian traffic. Reacting to the decision to buy 375 flimsy rubber chairs so that people can sit, which has offended many New Yorkers with seemingly-delicate visual tolerance, Bierut asks the question: "when it comes to fulfilling simple human desires, can design get in the way?"
The article spirals into a hypothetical scenario where a mega-corporation wastes money and manpower on creating a brand identity for the simple practice of picking up their customer hotline before the 3rd ring. Beirut makes a good point by dragging this process out as painstakingly and pointlessly as possible. Does it really make sense to waste good design energy on so trivial a matter?
The Genius Bar at the Apple store comes to mind. They spend a lot of energy on branding the idea of Technical Support, making flashy logos, a detailed interactive reservation website, checking in at a kiosk in the store, having only your first name pop up on the fancy LCD screen like you're old friends. The problem is, getting your computer fixed turns into a huge pain in the ass, and even getting a reservation at the Genius Bar may take a week to even get the ball rolling!
So what do I think? Well, as a would-be designer, I have to hope that there are people who will one day hire me, even for jobs as menial as this. But as a consumer and as a person, I have to agree with Beirut: "Just answer the god-damned phones, people!"
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