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September 06, 2005
Design and Multitudes
Thinking of the collection of “us” in different forms really helps me to think of possibilities in how design could function. Just creating a distinction between people, masses and multitudes is huge for me. I think the finer I can understand who I am in relation to everyone else helps me define what I can do as both a designer and a person. By thinking of my relationship as the commonalities between disparate peoples within a group or the common resistance to other oppressive groups really makes me think of how a designer can function as facilitator. Acting as the means of communications between groups with common interests is a direction moving away from the client-based system.
The concept of multitude also influences traditional concepts of audience. Moving from an understanding of a group as many of the same to a group of unique individuals with common goals really forces designers to rethink design strategies or to rethink how design functions. Rethinking our voice, as arbitrator to the multitude or facilitator between groups should have some strong implications for how design functions. I am not sure right now how that changes design and design communication strategy but thinking of groups as disparate members with common goals seems pretty different than how many conceive of design today. The way I think design is largely practiced is thinking of audience as people or masses, not really as multitude. I’m curious to know how others think designing for multitudes changes the equation.
Posted by jon harris at September 6, 2005 07:56 PM