‘Unproduct’
Not having written a blog before i’m not really sure what the ‘right way’ of doing this is, maybe there isn’t a right way. In either case i’m going to be writting, it may not make a whole lot of sense some of the time but then again whos thoughts do, right?
Okay, so what is ‘unproduct’? It has been asked of us to explore this concept as part of an ongoing project. It was first bought to my attention by Russell Davies in his blog of the same title where he draws upon and develops this idea of ‘unproduct’ originally put forward by designer Matt Jones. See link below.
http://russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/unproduct/
What seems to be a key term which sums up this concept is ‘maximum idea, minimum stuff’. Basically you get more value, but you produce less stuff. A theory that could help point brands and designers in the right direction to help combat climate change.
We are living in a disposable society, where we love, use and abuse products until the next best thing comes along. Products have a shelf life of only a few months or years. We consume at such a fast and frenzied pace due to the simple fact that technology and design is constantly advancing therefore we want to have the best. Why we want whats new whats best could be down to several factors. Supply and demand? Greed? Whatever the case It has almost become the norm to buy with the intention to replace soon after. The question is do we need these things or do we desire them?
Using the concept of ‘unproduct’ could help direct desire in a way that satisfies people’s desire to consume, allowing businesses to charge them money for something thus keep the economy moving without creating a never ending flow of new stuff.
Davies mentions the Ten Year Jacket produced by clothing company Howies which really brings the concept to life. http://www.howies.co.uk/ They promise to produce a hand-me-down jacket that will last ten years, along with some extra fabric and buttons that are given to you with the jacket for any repairs that may need to be carried out. This could be very successful as it is a way of re-presenting in an interesting and appealing way, the importance of long-life, patinas, beauty of age and durability to the consumer….getting more value but producing less stuff .
If only this concept could be applied to all design of the future then we could really be onto something…
