Learning by Design

In Sofia Bulgaria we had the good fortune to stumble upon a 2nd annual week of artistic celebration entitled, “More or Less: Sofia Design Week.” Happening across Sofia, Bulgaria the international event organized by “One Magazine,” an Independent Bulgarian Bilingual Publication, gathers some of the most avant-garde names in contemporary product, communication, interactive, and graphic design. The 2010 themes reflected much of our own recent thinking and themes which have emerged from our blog.

As organizers wrote in exhibit introductions this year, “More or Less? That is the question this year. But what is the answer if we ask this question in terms of design? Under inevitable influence of long, difficult words such as ‘financial crisis’ and ‘global changes’,” in the second edition of Sofia Design week organizers aimed to ponder that broad question with the following list of short but not very easy questions:

More or Less?
Low-cost or long-lasting?
Practical or beautiful?
Simple or elaborate?
Less or more?

“Of course,” they concluded, “the more we argue, the less likely we are to find a real answer. But still, what about getting together?”

Before viewing or studying the background of their work, the organizers and participating designers were onto something significant. What does the simple question ’More or Less?’ mean in today’s world; in conditions of emerging or real international concern We found the whole project a success.

Several exhibits we saw deserve mention per relations to themes already discussed in our blog. The ideas grabbed our attention We spent time inspecting and discussing workshops vs. their provocative outcomes.

First off, there was an interactive workshop which we had missed; but, which we were able to enjoy the results of, entitled: “Do More with a Plastic Bag.” This workshop formulated by an outrageous ad agency KesselsKramer was based on their “do” initiative. It was created to be a reaction against passive consumerism. KesselsKramer asks in the workshop that each “do” product asks for greater involvement from its maker. So the “Do More with a Plastic Bag” asked all its participants for greater involvement by way of sticking, painting, cutting, weaving etc.

Do More with a Plastic Bag - Design Workshop

The work had taken place. We saw was the display of the workshop’s results. We saw products of different people’s interpretation of this “do” initiative. “Do More with a Plastic Bag.” workshop had already produced plastic bag clothes, costumes, reusable shopping bags, cups and plates, vases, shoes, and sculptural items of every different possible consideration. One of the designers of the workshop from KesselsKramer, Jennifer Skupin, developed a knitting kit which encourages making new, more durable plastic bags from your old ones. In most of our ’developed’ countries use of plastic bags is not even an afterthought to our consumption. Plastic bags accumulate under sinks and in cupboards. Do more: Reuse.

A different designer, Thomas Mailaender from France, took on the subject of tourism. His exhibit consisted of staging every possible tourist pose in front of an erupting volcano. His design project asked questions both about what we seek as tourists and what we do our tourism for. While his pictures were humorous, they showed lengths which people will go to with no clear goal of what is likely to be achieved.

Thomas Mailaender: Extreme Tourism

The exhibit gathered together various design specialties from professionals at varying levels of experience or notoriety in their craft. It appeared a very democratic and inclusive event. If you are going to be in Sofia late spring 2011 or beyond look for this interesting and far-thinking event. To see examples or read about this year’s event visit their website.