MacKenzie+L’s+Final+AmEx+2013+Speech

=Appreciating Design=

Can you recall the last time you used a roll of toilet paper? What about a pair of scissors or a stapler, a coffee mug or a zipper? How about the last time you used a light bulb? Is it not convenient that, in virtually every room of every home, is one of these light casting devices? Something that we take for granted each and every day, the light bulb has become something of a superficiality, something that we take for granted in our lives. And yet, few know the difficulties and trials that men and women had to endure to create such a practical yet graceful innovation. Such is the case with countless other conveniently designed products, all of which have been meticulously engineered to meet the levels of convenience that we, as the public, have come to expect.

A full appreciation of an artists work, rather than a minute focus on the finished product, is something that charms the soul of the designer, something not often heard of; as an artist, filmmaker, and designer, I would know. While many viewers may judge a piece at first glance, the true artistry is often apparent in the most minor details. Designers must take into account the shapes, colors, transitions, compositions, mediums, content, purpose, and audience in order to achieve a grand appearance for aesthetic pleasure, while sending the desired message. In order to bring all of these components of design into proportion, let me narrow it down to one specific field: magazine design. Magazines are a prime example of design, as there are many aspects to be considered. Its design had to be carefully conjured and crafted in order to make the reader’s experience as gratifying as possible. Each page began as a blank slate and blossomed into an informative and tasteful piece of art. They include the artistic styling of the marketing producer and team, whose job is to ensure that the magazine has the desired message, or theme. This is then handed off to those in the graphic design department who strategically place every word, every picture, every arrow, and every color on the page; bringing to us the final, hopefully agreeable, merchandise. The design is what draws our eye to the magazine, and keeps us coming back for more. The creators know exactly where to place specific things in specific places, because every one of those tiny details affects what we see, how we interpret it, and what we gain from it. This example mirrors many other forms of art or design including but not limited to: advertisements, commercials, posters, billboards, and, especially, product design. The toilet paper roll, for example, did not come to be until the late eighteen hundreds. A revolutionary invention at the time, toilet paper is now taken for granted. We overlook the fact that its design was meticulously thought out, so that each perfectly perforated square would be exactly four and a half inches in length and width, proportionate to the average hand, exclusively for our convenience. It’s time that we Americans learn to appreciate and respect all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into the engineering and designing of the world around us. In the America I grow old in, I hope to see more artists, designers, and innovationists receiving their rightful credit. I hope to see more people learning and understanding the components of design, and I hope to see a continuation of the creation of beautiful and versatile designs throughout the world.

=Cite Your Sources=