Aging and Disability Beyond Stereotypes to Inclusion: Proceedings of a Workshop (2018) / Chapter Skim
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6 Disrupting Negative Stereotypes in Design
6 Disrupting Negative Stereotypes in Design
Pages 55-66
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From page 55... ...
INTRODUCTIONS Brendan McCarthy Parsons School of Design Recognizing the value of unusual backgrounds and partnerships, McCarthy said, Parsons is introducing new methodologies to challenge its students' approaches to design. For example, in a pathway called Systems and Society, students examine critical social issues for specific communities in relation to fashion design.
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From page 56... ...
, and McCarthy pointed to his own unusual career path: he was a mathematics major in college and subsequently worked in finance on Wall Street before changing course and working at Donald Judd's museum in Marfa, Texas, where he eventually studied art and architecture. "That is creating an enormous amount of diversity in the outcomes," he said, "but it is also changing the landscape of the communities that fashion can engage and does engage." In addition, McCarthy said there is a major shift at Parsons toward developing unusual external partnerships and relationships.
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From page 57... ...
Co-design classes, Jun said, enable individuals with disabilities to describe what disability means in their own voices and inspire students "to design in a different way that they also see themselves wanting in the near future." Jun concluded by describing fashion as a tool for greater identity and self expression, and by saying that the development of better assistive devices can help to empower a greater sense of dignity. 1 For more information, see www.openstylelab.com (accessed December 6, 2017)
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From page 58... ...
often seem to be missing the voices of the veterans themselves. Therefore, for this course she worked with five Iraq War veterans to help them define themselves apart from how they may be described by others (e.g., politicians, film makers, and the makers of role-playing video games)
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From page 59... ...
Jones posted an ad on Craigslist asking people with disabilities to speak with her about their lifestyles and what problems they had with clothing, and she met Ronnie, a woman with multiple sclerosis who allowed Jones to take extensive measurements of her body: One thing I had never considered before is how I had never approached design from the seated body. I have always approached the standing mannequin or a model on a runway.
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From page 60... ...
He began by showing a married, retired couple in Japan who have developed a large following on Instagram under the name Bonpon511.4 The couple posts pictures of themselves wearing coordinated outfits, and UNIQLO has sponsored them by providing clothing. However, Shein noted that UNIQLO does not design for any particular demographic.
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From page 61... ...
Seeing design as a way to change attitudes led Norregaard to join SYPartners, a consultancy that uses creativity and design to transform organizations and shift mindsets and behaviors around large societal issues, such as diversity and inclusion. On the topic of bias in design, she said that "awareness is the first step to actually being able to solve things differently." She highlighted one exercise in which a group of strangers at an event are given blank nametags and asked to choose different stickers with labels such as neat freak and entrepreneur or living with illness to apply to their nametags throughout the day.
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For example, Norregaard talked about the video game Overwatch, a multi-person shooter game that introduced a 60-year old female character. She cited this as an example of how a video game can creatively promote inclusion and redefine what a hero can be for a broad audience.
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From page 63... ...
One workshop participant asked how designers help older persons or individuals with disabilities understand how their lives connect to the designer's work. Jones responded that she asked herself those same questions as she started her new company (which focuses on durable products such as handbags and other items that can be used on mobility devices)
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From page 64... ...
He also noted that there may be opportunities for alliances between the labor force involved in making garments and the end users, such as student movements like United Students Against Sweatshops.6 In this way, he said, there may be potential for creating alliances between higher educational institutions and companies with a social mission. Jun agreed, noting that the Parsons' Materiality Pathway engages big brand name companies; these companies donate fabric and materials, which are shared with students who have financial needs.
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From page 65... ...
Sometimes you just need to listen." Sustainability and Affordability Linda Flowers from AARP's Public Policy Institute asked about the sustainability principles that Parsons students follow, such as sourcing materials (e.g., making sure they are not coming from places where people are being exploited) , because that could affect their ability to make their designs affordable.
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From page 66... ...
The experience, she said, made her think more about the sustainability of the fabrics she uses. McCarthy commented that discussions around sustainability tend to focus only on the materials themselves instead of on human sustainability and principles of longevity across the design system.
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