The Metropolis

The real source of the rioters has been found, and they have excellent taste

Darren Atwater | Thursday 18 August, 2011 15:38

Bayerberg photo

Who is truly to blame for the London riots? An uncaring oligarchy? Feral youth? Shiftless parents? Thieving MPs? No, the real architects of desire are designers. says The Design Observer.

For the past three or four decades the major role of graphic design has been to create the branding and collateral of desire. For those who can afford entry into this world — no harm is done. For those who can resist the blandishments of this world — no harm is done. But for those who have neither the education nor emotional maturity to deal with this, immense harm is done.

These warnings are often mocked as “idealistic” and “naive.” But from now on, it’s going to be hard for critics to dismiss them. There really is a price to pay for creating the seductive tropes of modern commerce. We’ve seen what happens when you create a beautifully manicured world of desire, and then say to a big chunk of the population, no entry. Seductive design is emphatically not the main cause of the riots, but it is a contributing factor, and we’d be dishonest to deny our part in it.

Have we learned nothing from Adbusters?

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