YVES BEHAR, FuseProject
Resolutions? I do not make resolutions for the New Year, and have never done so. Reason is, resolutions die untimely deaths, and design is never a short term endeavor.
That said, what can we contribute, and what can we contribute better? Design acquires a new meaning when it is a force for democratization. Whether it is about pushing for technology and access to information for all, or AIDS prevention, or disaster relief, today there is more private money and public funds going to the developing world than never before. In those billions being spent on worthy causes, how much of a role does design play?
Very little unfortunately. I believe it is time we ask ourselves: how much better would these efforts be if design was a true participant? It is time we practice the difference we think we can make, on a global scale.
+ FuseProject
Yves Behar is the founder of San Francisco-based FuseProject, a visionary industrial design and brand strategy firm that has designed and produced such engaging products as the XO Laptop for the One Laptop Per Child program. While not necessarily thought of as a “green designer,” Mr. Behar’s engaged, thorough design process and socially-conscious projects like OLPC demonstrate his commitment to thoughtful, responsible design.
