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文献翻译
本科毕业设计文献翻译
创意的思考
THOUGHTSONORIGINALITY
学院(部):
机械工程学院
专业班级:
工设07—1
学生姓名:
蔡会
指导教师:
闫磊磊助教
2011年6月3日
英文原文
Thoughtsonoriginality
Manypeople,bothontheactiveandontheconsumingsideofthedesigncommunity,sharearestlessfascinationfor"originality".Thisfascinationismorethantheusualformofdesignentertainmentprovidedbydesignmagazinesandexhibitions.Fornearlyacentury,originalityhasbeencloselylinkedtocreativity.Itisoftenseenastheinevitableresultofthatcreativeprocess.Asinothercreativeactivitieslikewriting,composingandsometimescooking,ithasalsobecometheultimatecriteriafortheuseofcreativityinthedevelopmentofproducts.ThereislittledoubtaboutthefactthateveninWesternculturethislongingfororiginalityisarelativelyrecentphenomena.Tracingitsoriginsisataskforsocialanthropologistsandnotthepurposeofthisessay.Oneconstructivehypothesisisthatthewillingnessofthemodernmovementtoestablishnewstandardsandbreakwiththepast"atanycost",hasnotonlygeneratednewstandardsbutalsoanewvocabularyinwhich"new","original"and"innovative"havebeenredefined.Insteadofdefiningthecharacterofanobject,theystartedtodefineoriginalasaquality.Tosomeextendarthistorianshavere-writtenWesternEuropeanarthistoryinfunctionoftheinnovativeroledifferentartistplayedintheirtimes,butthereisnotmuchevidencethatthiswasindeedtherealmotivationatthetime.
Skillandcraftsmanship,masteringperspectiveanddepth,conformitytotherequestsofthepatronandprofessionalcompetitivenessweremoreimportantmotivationsthanthesearchoforiginality.EvenintheearlyXXthcenturyoriginalitydidnotplayaroleintherelationshipbetweenGeorgesBraqueandPabloPicassowhentheybothwerethepillarsunderthecubistmovement.Infacttheircollagesandpaintingsofthatperiodarealmostidentical.
Overthepastthirtyfiveyears,whichcoincideswithmyyearsofpracticingindustrialdesign,Ihavebeenintriguedwithourcontinuoussearchfororiginality,ourfascinationandadmirationforitsresults,andwiththefactthatreachingan"original"resulthasneverbeenquestionedagainsttherealaimandgoalofourprofession:
usersatisfaction.Infact,promotionofdesign,originallyintendedtoenlightenthepubliconthebenefitsofusefulandbeautifulproducts,hasslowlybecomeapromotionoforiginalityatanycostincludingtheneglectofoneofthepillarsofthemodernmovement:
makinggoodandbeautifulindustrialproductsaccessibletoall;alongwiththeneglectofinformingtheusersaboutgood,usefulandenvironmentallyresponsibleproducts.
ThegeneralquestionofthevalueoforiginalitytotheuserwasneverputtomeasbluntlyasduringaworkingvisittoaChineseporcelainfactorynearSwatow.TwentyorsoyearsagoIhadtravelledtheretoproduceprototypesofwhiteporcelaintableware.NotknowingexactlywhattoexpectattheendofthejourneyIhadmadetheprototypemouldsbeforegoingthere.Myintentionwastocastprototypesatthefactory,testthemandimprovethemouldslocally.WhileworkingontheteapotthechineseworkerskeptaskingmewhyIdidnotbringthem"themodel"toworkwith.Ittookthediligentinterpreterandmyselfafewdaystocometotheconclusionthatwhatwasmentwith"themodel"wasinfacttheexistingteapotthatpeoplewereusinginnorthAmerica,i.o.w.themarketofdestination.WhenIexplainedtothemthatIwasthedesignerofthisteapotandthatitwasdifferentfromtheteapotsthatalreadyexisted,theyreactedpromptlybyrefusingtoworkonit.Theirreason,asitwastranslatedtome,wasthatIwasdoingsomethingethicallywrong.Theirargumentwasthat,nomatterhowgoodaproductwasdesignedandmade,itwouldstillrequiresomekindoflearningprocessinordertouseitwell.Oncethisknowledgewasacquiredyoudonotwanttospendtimelearningtouseanotherone,youjustwanttousethesameandthus,buythesame.Makingsomethingdifferentwasjustwastingpeople'stime.Theexplanationwasillustratedbynumerousreferencestotheexistingchineseteapotsandallthetraditionsthatwererelatedtothem.Mydemonstration,forexample,onhowthelidofmyteapotwouldstayonevenwhenyouemptyittothelastdrop,wasdismissedwithshowinghowdifficultitwastoturnthesamelidupsidedown,auniversallyunderstoodsigninChineseculturethattheteapotisemptyandthatyouwouldlikemoretea.InmyowndefenseIalsoreferredtothelargevarietyofYixingteapots,butthefewworkersthatknewaboutthisChinesemarvelexplainedthatthesewerenotmadeforthepurposeofmakingteabuttoshowoffskillandcraftsmanship.AfteralivelyexchangeitwasobviousthattheonlythingIcoulddowastoreturntomyhotel.Anamewehadgivenabuildingnotbyitsstandards,butbyconsensusandcourtesytoourchinesehosts.MymainproblemwasnottheirunwillingnesstoworkontheprototypesbutthefactthatIhadtoagreewiththem.ReflectingonmysituationIcametoacompromisethatIpresentedtomyco-workersthenextday.Itwasabasictrade-off.
AlthoughIhadtoagreewiththemthatanewproductrequireslearningandthatthisparticularkindoflearningisawasteoftime,Iarguedthathavingideasonimprovementsisauniversalphenomena,ascurrentinChinaasanywhereelse.Inordertoavoidchangingthings,youhavetoignorethesegoodideas.Infactyouarewastingthetimeofthepersonthathasbeenthinkingaboutthatparticularimprovement.Itcamedowntoadifferenceinculture.Oneculturewastesoneactivitytheotherchoosestowastetheother.Aftersomediscussionaboutthemeritsofmystatementsthespokespersonformyco-workersannouncedthattheywerewillingagaintoworkontheseprototypes.Theannouncementcamewithawarning.Hesaid:
"Yes,itmightcomedowntoadifferenceinculture,butremember,withyourvisionyouwillneverbehappy,youwillneverdesatisfiedwiththeproductsyoulivewith."
Thewholeincidentraisedtwoobviousquestions:
arewelimitingoursearchandapplicationoforiginalsolutionstothosecharacteristicsthatarerealimprovements,realinnovations.Second,aretheuserandthepublicwellservedbyoriginaldesignsandifnot,thentowhatextendhasdesignbecomeaself-servingactivityinwhichcreativityhasbeenreducedtoawayofachievingoriginality.Thefirstonehastobeansweredwithahonestno.Wedonotlimitourinvolvementinthedesignofproductstorealorperceivedimprovements,weusuallytrytoworkwellbeyondestablishedarchetypesandrarelyisalltheacquiredknowledgearoundaparticularproductusedandappliedinthenextinnovativedesign.Onecouldquotethebibletext:
"...Mandoesnotlivefrombreadalone...."andextendittotheargumentthat:
"...Wedonotmakeorusechairsjusttositinthem..."
Thequestionthenbecomes:
doesoneexcludetheother.Doesthepursuitofproperfunctionlimittheexpression,doesitcurtailthepossibilitytoincludeotherconsiderationsanddoesitultimatelydestroythe"gestalt"orthepresenceoftheobject.Thereareinrecentdesignhistorynumerousexamplesofproductswherethisisindeedthecase,butexcludingthepossibilityofreconcilingbothseemsaninsulttothecreativeprocess.
Withouttheuseofsteelsheetroughlyweldedintotheshapeofatraditionallyverycomfortablechairandwithoutanobviousdisrespectforfunction,RonArad's"sizeten"wouldnotbesuchasignificantparodyonachairandthecomfortthatitprovides.But,inaworldthatcanonlybeunderstoodwiththehelpofaminimalamountofclassification,hisparodyispartofthesamecategoryasClaesOldenburg'sSoftwashstand(1965)andnotofdesign.
Anotherhistoricalexamplemightadsomedimensiontotheargument.GerritRietveld'sredandbluechairiscertainlyasemblematicasthehousehedesignedforMrs.SchröderonthePrinsHendriklaaninUtrecht.BoththehouseandthechairbecamethestrongestimagesoftheDutch"DeStijl"movement.ButevenGerritRietveldcompromisedwhenhedesignedthefurnitureforthehouse.Thechairshavecurvedseatsandbackrestsandtheoverallcoloringisdarkbrown.Evenpeopleinterestedinfurnituredesignandit'shistoryprefertoignorethemandwouldnotconsiderthemas"emblematic"forthearchitecturalmovement"deStijl"asthe"redandblue".OnehastodrawtheconclusionthatthefactthatbothRonArad'schairandGerritRietveld's"redandblue"arechairsisonlyadistraction.Itdoesnotchangethefactthatoneispartofarthistorytheotherofthehistoryof20thcenturyarchitecture,notofdesign.
Nomatterwhatourdefinitionofdesignis,thereareafewundisputablewaysinwhichinnovativedesignsservesocietygenerallywell.Themostprominentoneiswhennewinsightinfunctionhasbeengivenphysicalforminaproductthatistheembodimentofthatnewknowledge.WhentheNorwegianPeterOpsvikdesignedthe"balans"chair,basedonresearchdonebyhiscompatriotHansChristianMenghoelandtosomeextendanticipatingtheresultsofDrA.C.Mandal'sresearchontheseatingposition,itdidresultinanoriginaldesignbutitwasfirstandforemosttheexpressionofthenewinsight,resultingofthisresearch.Itmightnothavereachedthesocialacceptancethatthedesigneranticipated,butitwasdesignedandproducedwiththeintentiontoservetheuser.Originalityinthiscasewasnotagoal,itwastheresultofanewunderstanding.Asitoftendoes,theoriginalityoftheproductmightinfacthaveharmedthegeneralacceptanceofthekneeling/seatedpositionthatisbetterandhealthier.
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