Futures

In the post-apocalyptic novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” Philip K Dick suggested a bleak future, layer upon layer of toxic dust covers the earth, and those that can afford it programme a machine daily to provide them with a cocktail of drugs, so they find it easier can tolerate their lives. Consumerism, and how a person’s possessions are perceived to relate to their worth, is also dealt with in the book. Each person still living on earth is expected by society to own an animal of some kind, it is seen as humanity’s duty to preserve a small part of the natural world, which has long since disintegrated. If they cannot afford an animal, they will own a robot, with the aim of fooling their neighbours into thinking they own an animal, so vital is this ownership to their contribution to society. The rarity of the animal determines how wealthy, or well connected the owner is, and therefore affects everything, from the individual’s sense of self-worth, to his standing in the community, leaving people depressed and apathetic towards their lives. The animal is of course an allegory for products and capital owned by people in the West today. It is a very real fear that a similar situation to this may actually come about, in terms of the consumerism industry. Westerners are already encouraged to consume as much as possible, the bourgeoisie in particular, are encouraged to place far too much importance on looks and possessions, this culture seems set to develop and grow dramatically in the future, because, of course, it is essential for the economy for this to happen. The future of design is in danger of becoming completely saturated with one-step-better products, people will compare and judge others solely on the speed and calibre of their car or phone, as they do in “Do Androids…” Many factors are to blame, but the design industry, in particular advertising, has a lot to answer for. We must be sure that the future of design does not continue to encourage this culture.