two views of design

Today in class we discussed the impact of the design shows on HGTV. Some of the designers on these shows have not gone to school for design, prompting the question of importance of education in design. I used to really enjoy those shows on trading spaces, the excitement and sudden transformations. However, now I can only see the wall of deception these programs build along with their designs. The show revolves around one or two designers who appear to create a design in no time and construct it themselves.  All the people who work hard to put it together are never seen and the plan for the space seems to come together seamlessly. The clients are given nearly no say in the outcome, giving the designer a complete control seldom seen in the real world. The way the shows race through the design and construction processes makes me wonder about the quality and craftsmanship that results in these shows and the full reaction of the clients.

After a year of education in design I see the importance of precedents and understanding the rules and how they have been broken. Those designers who skipped schooling and went straight to this "hyper-real" design scene may have an innate ability to design and create beautiful spaces, but they are limited by their lack of knowledge. The architecture of the past is rich in purpose and meaning and has a lot to offer to current designers. Perhaps because of this unawareness these television designers have of design history, their designs come off as somewhat superficial and achieve a less holistic space than designers such as the Eames.

An impact that the prevalence and popularity design shows have had recently is in the way people perceive design. It is a double edge sword of sorts because while it has made the idea of interior design more wide spread, it also has somehow degraded the word. When I tell people I'm going to college for Interior Architecture they automatically assume that I'm going to learn how to decorate, paint walls to perfection and find the perfect bargain curtains to match. It drives me a little crazy, and I think that these shows are partly to blame.