Let Them Eat Cake: Design Matters

I have spent more time than I would like to admit watching TV shows on DVD's. Personally, I have never bought a season myself, but thanks to my sister, there's about $200 worth of Lost, and a handful of other programs scattered about our house. Yesterday, I watched a few episodes of True Blood and I could help wondering how people feel okay spending so much money to watch or rewatch something they've either already seen or could see online for free.

I feel this way about a lot of things. I find people blow money on, and pardon my French, really dumb shit. Usually I find this really annoying. Maybe I inherited the cheap gene from my father? I just can't help thinking why does anyone want or need that? Why does advertising and mass media convince us we need all of this bullshit? My room is literally overflowing with things I don't even need, but at one point time I firmly believed every single item in there was a must-have.

The other day, specifically the day of my sister's high school graduation, I went out to dinner with my family at an Italian restaurant. A beautiful Italian restaurant. Gorgeous windows stretching up to the ceiling, perfectly placed table settings, and just overall harmony and balance with space, color, furniture, lighting, etc. I was hynotized. Then my food arrived.

I really don't enjoy Italian food, I find it bland. I do however, know how to tell if it's good thanks to having lived there for some time and thanks to having unfortunately awesome tastebuds. The food at this place was not that good. It was alright, don't get me wrong. But believe me, the reason this place will remain popular is because it beautifully deceives people into thinking it's great, authentic, and Italian. I thought it was good for about 90% of my dining experience. Why? Because seeing is believing, and this place appeared to be super nice.

People want things that look super nice. Or things they are told work super well. Or things they are told will make them look super nice, and work super well.

I apologize for anyone who read this post unknowingly, but I will say it again and again. Design owns you. While I get mad at people for buying dumb shit, I am also infinitely grateful because I hope one day they will buy my dumb shit. And, while I am rather rudely calling it dumb shit, I don't really mean it. It might seem dumb, but obviously something about it set it apart enough for people to shell out money and pay for it. The pizza I ordered for dinner at the aforementioned graduation dinner tasted no better, if not worse than, any I could have gotten at some hole-in-the wall family run Italian place in New Jersey for a third of the price. I assumed it would be amazing because when I walked in, the design of the restaurant was beautiful. How many women buy designer brand makeup because the packaging looks nicer, and how many men are religious about their beer, burgers, and cars? I can promise you, somewhere along the line, someone made choices, design choices, which have made you love and buy the dumb shit you worship.

This is why when people tell me they don't care about fashion, or they know nothing about art, I just roll my eyes. I had a writing teacher who told me she never realized how really significant design is until she started teaching at my school. [I go to design school, sidenote.] People who aren't in design don't realize how much of their lives it affects. I guess that can be said about anything, which is why I try and respect all displines. [Though admittedly, I sometimes fail.]