2. How does the video relate to G.Hertz text?
Desire drives consumerism. In Hertz’s text, early industrial designers such as Brooks Stevens popularized
the dynamic of planned obsolescence, instilling “a desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a
little sooner than necessary”.
Concept of planned obsolescence. The video supports that there can be emotional connect to a product or
service. Prior to 1920s, products were sold on the basis of needs, so the majority of the products were
advertised as necessities. In Hertz's article, London saw the Great Depression emerging as a result of
consumers using products long past their purchase date.This was the basis of hacking zombie media as art
methodology. In the video, Bernays created a paradigm shift as he advocated the need for people to be
conditioned to desire, such that people must want new things before the old have been entirely consumed.
Bernays’ ideas foreshadow the concept of planned obsolescence.
What are the most surprising statements?
Humans (living) as Machines (non-living)? "You have taken over the job of creating desire and have
transformed people into constantly moving happiness machines. Machines which have become the key to
economic progress." – President Hoover (1928)
Advertisers: Vent your frustrations & consume! "Human beings could never truly be allowed to express
themselves because it was too dangerous. They must always be controlled, and thus will always be discontent."
- Sigmund Freud
3. Wait, that's not what F. Fukuyama said.. “If human beings were in reality driven by unconscious irrational
forces then it was necessary to re-think democracy.” - Walter Lippmann
We (capitalists) know better. “People must be trained to desire, to want new things, even before the old has
been entirely consumed, man's desires should overshadow his needs” - Paul Mazer
Do we enslave people through design or we liberate them?
Enslave Liberate
Designs can create over-dependency eg smartphones Good usability factor in design to make sure design
works
The human mind is a notion of unconscious drive Liberate a small minority of people who wants to be
where we receive cues from designs and interactions different/think out of the box eg Jailbreaking iOS
with the designs. Eg TV Commercials
Blackboxed system constrains understanding and Hacking/DIY can liberate the increasing number of
custom modifications people cooped under the umbrella of "the black box"
Bad Designs create frustration and inefficiency (eg. Good Designs can prevent inconvenience and
British Telecom Company telephone system) confusion eg Floppy Disk*
4. Can we empower people through design and how?
Yes, good design can serve as a counter to a society that is saturated with planned obsolescence and based on
a consumerist wants-based culture. Rather than having to subscribe to this consumerist culture, design can be
questioned and reapplied to derive new uses and contexts, such that even the less affluent can meet their
actual needs.
Technology and New Context Empowerment
"Liter of Light" project from Philippines improves the living standards of
Uses water bottles to provide indoor lighting impoverished Filipinos living without
for households electricity
"Embrace" Infant Warmer project from USA Provides needy parents with a cheap
Helps premature babies survive even alternative to expensive incubators that
without electricity consumes much electricity
"Hippo" water roller in rural Africa Provides a cheap and efficient water
transportation method
"Open Office" open-source word processing Provides a free alternative to an expensive,
software that emulates the same functions as yet essential software from the market-
Microsoft Office dominating Microsoft
