An increasing number of people is currently living under poor conditions in enclaves of rapidly growing urban areas. They lack basic equipment for living a healthy and decent life. The products have to be simple, cheap and useable for people with different cultural and geographical backgrounds. Methods to realize the design, production and implementation of such appliances is a matter of urgency. Therefore, the ideas of the Austrian-American designer Victor Papanek (1923-98) have gained new actuality.
During the 1960s and 1970s Papanek played a significant role in the international design community. The hot topic was the growing Western affluence and waist in contrast to the so called Third World’s increasing poverty. His ideal was the less polluting design traditions of indigenous people, made by simple methods in local materials. His basic idea of design was to create “survival kits” based on local indigenous traditions. He had many supporters among design students in Scandinavia and Finland. Some of them tried to adapt their work practice to his ideology. Design from these countries was reputed for its democratic approach, innovative simplicity and use of natural local materials and handicrafts and constituted a platform for fruitful cooperation.
The aim of the paper is to investigate what impact his ideas had on the Nordic design community, and particularly whether it was followed up by stakeholders and eventually reached the target groups. Success factors and failures are displayed and discussed to clarify how the ideas might be utilized in today’s situation.
The empiric study is based on literary reviews, and additionally of interviews with designers in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The investigation shows that Papanek’s ideas made a tremendous and lasting impact on designers in the Nordic countries including some of their work. Workshops at the design schools and local communities disengaged great creativity and ideas for products. Still, design and production for indigenous people in least developed countries seldom occurred, as he and his followers refused to interfere with stakeholders like politicians and producers. Therefore, they had little impact on the lives of the target groups. One of the few exceptions was the foundation of the Norwegian organization “Design without Borders”, which was mainly financed by the government, i.e.by ways of political decisions.
In conclusion, without contact and cooperation with stakeholders, particularly the political and commercial sector, and users in the local communities on the other hand, it is not possible to realize ideas of this kind in the form of products and their use.
The paper deals with ideas that directly support a sustainable development, which factors that are necessary to realize it. Considering the new interest that Papanek’s ideas newly has gained, it is of vital importance to analyse, present and discuss these factors to secure a fruitful utilization of them in our era and with our set of problems.
Keywords
Victor Papanek The Nordic countries Design for poor communities Indigenous people
