What area of the business are you in?
As I delve further into new trends in communication, I have to ask myself this exact question.
Personally, I'm in product design...Many of my collegues and associates are "in product design" as well... But we always want to know more after we get an answer like that.
Be more specific!...they say.
Many "in product design" are merely part of the propaganda machine that is constantly trying to improve the message of just what is product design. They are out lecturing, speaking at functions, giving interviews to journalists, planning presentations and other such communication activities. They are usually from very prestigious backgrounds or universities that have the ability to control the means of publication and information. They rarely design anything, but hire "labour" to do so. These are considered the "hands off" types and they are well compensated.
The "hands on" types are the labour that is highly skilled in a very specialized area of product design and are the ones doing the creative work. They toil away in the workshop, or over the drawing board or in front of the CAD monitor. They utilize all of talent they posses and the skill they picked up in design school and focus it like a laser in order to create new and innovative "things" that will change the world. Increasingly this type of skilled work is going elsewhere to cheaper labour markets like China and India. I look at the design students that I teach and feel sympathy for them as I realize the real challenge in their career will come after the rigorous training of design school.
It appears in the US, that the market values the ability to propagandize a value added commodity over merely making it or creating it. Whether it is sweet corn, high octane gasoline, ASIC microchips or bathroom tissue. That value is increasingly added overseas while the rest of the US market is focused on spreading the news about how the product will add value and happiness to your life. Consumers have the ability to be influenced by this propaganda or be critical of it. News is now even commoditized and if you are not able to read between the lines so to speak, then you have no idea whos poitics you are watching or listneing to or supporting when you consume the "news."
Which brings me to the new and novel idea of RSS feeds. RSS feeds allow you to aggregate the information that you like or are interested in, and have it sent to you. It is intended to keep you up to date on a specific issue that is being written about and published on the internet. RSS feeds allow a higher value of propagandization of news, products or services to be focused on the eyeballs of consumers. The "hands off" types love this because it keeps them up to date on what is being talked about in the industry which gives them something of value to give in their business.
There is no RSS feed for the "hands on" types. Creative energy is fleeting at best as you age. The ability to conjure up the inspiration to stay up way past your bed time toiling away on some project is harder and harder to do. You either learn a new skill, or you are not needed it appears because what you are offering is being sold at half the price overseas.
I maintain that if you do not actively apply your hands on skill and talent from time to time in the pursuit of good design, then you are a mere regurgitator of rumor and speculation. You are not adding anything new, but are merely talking about what others are doing. Unfortunately, this is big business, especially here in the US. Talking, swaying, persuading, coercing and forcing others to buy what you are selling is the business of the United States. Even though you had no "hand" in creating or making what you are selling, you still are out there trumpeting the merits of what you represent.
So think about what area of the business you are in today. Are you creating something new with your brain or hands, or are you out there hocking someone else's ideas, labour and creativity?
Personally, I'm in product design...Many of my collegues and associates are "in product design" as well... But we always want to know more after we get an answer like that.
Be more specific!...they say.
Many "in product design" are merely part of the propaganda machine that is constantly trying to improve the message of just what is product design. They are out lecturing, speaking at functions, giving interviews to journalists, planning presentations and other such communication activities. They are usually from very prestigious backgrounds or universities that have the ability to control the means of publication and information. They rarely design anything, but hire "labour" to do so. These are considered the "hands off" types and they are well compensated.
The "hands on" types are the labour that is highly skilled in a very specialized area of product design and are the ones doing the creative work. They toil away in the workshop, or over the drawing board or in front of the CAD monitor. They utilize all of talent they posses and the skill they picked up in design school and focus it like a laser in order to create new and innovative "things" that will change the world. Increasingly this type of skilled work is going elsewhere to cheaper labour markets like China and India. I look at the design students that I teach and feel sympathy for them as I realize the real challenge in their career will come after the rigorous training of design school.
It appears in the US, that the market values the ability to propagandize a value added commodity over merely making it or creating it. Whether it is sweet corn, high octane gasoline, ASIC microchips or bathroom tissue. That value is increasingly added overseas while the rest of the US market is focused on spreading the news about how the product will add value and happiness to your life. Consumers have the ability to be influenced by this propaganda or be critical of it. News is now even commoditized and if you are not able to read between the lines so to speak, then you have no idea whos poitics you are watching or listneing to or supporting when you consume the "news."
Which brings me to the new and novel idea of RSS feeds. RSS feeds allow you to aggregate the information that you like or are interested in, and have it sent to you. It is intended to keep you up to date on a specific issue that is being written about and published on the internet. RSS feeds allow a higher value of propagandization of news, products or services to be focused on the eyeballs of consumers. The "hands off" types love this because it keeps them up to date on what is being talked about in the industry which gives them something of value to give in their business.
There is no RSS feed for the "hands on" types. Creative energy is fleeting at best as you age. The ability to conjure up the inspiration to stay up way past your bed time toiling away on some project is harder and harder to do. You either learn a new skill, or you are not needed it appears because what you are offering is being sold at half the price overseas.
I maintain that if you do not actively apply your hands on skill and talent from time to time in the pursuit of good design, then you are a mere regurgitator of rumor and speculation. You are not adding anything new, but are merely talking about what others are doing. Unfortunately, this is big business, especially here in the US. Talking, swaying, persuading, coercing and forcing others to buy what you are selling is the business of the United States. Even though you had no "hand" in creating or making what you are selling, you still are out there trumpeting the merits of what you represent.
So think about what area of the business you are in today. Are you creating something new with your brain or hands, or are you out there hocking someone else's ideas, labour and creativity?
posted by savvysymbiont @ 6:10 AM
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