Design Debate - Grand Designs Live and Icon Experiment

Went to Grand Designs/Icon Experiment at Grand Designs :) It were good.

There was a design debate, with Jurgen Bey and Tony Dunne vs Dick Powell and Luke Pearson. I missed the start but I couldn't quite figure out how they were making different points. I think they were all saying the same thing. That designers are not designing for real needs but for brief wants. (Obsolescence) And that designers need to take responisibility. Really think about whether what they want to do is neccesary and what materials etc they use. Future design should be positive and attempt to change things. Sustainability should be forefront. It should be more than lip service. (ie. rather than ooh this is 20% recycled, stop and think is this product neccesary at all)

At least, that's what I understood. And I agree...but I don't know that consumption can decrease, especially just because designers stop designing. I think they said something about educating consumers, but how can that be done, really. Bah, this is too much for me to think on right now. I'm not sure I'm making sense or that I understand myself.

http://www.iconexperiment.co.uk/

http://www.granddesignslive.com/home