Talking Trust, Design and Faith at Dutch Design Week

Discussion participants (from left) Mathieu Frossard, Corien Pompe, Matthijs van Dijk, Scott Burnham, Tim Vermeulen

As part of Dutch Design Week 2011 in Eindhoven, Premsela’s Trust Design and Volume magazine explored the relationship between trust, faith and design in a special edition of the Trust Design debates.

Taking part in the discussion of trust and faith in relation to design was Trust Design project director Scott Burnham; Corien Pompe, Volvo’s chief colour and material designer; Matthijs van Dijk, professor of industrial design at the TU Delft and the author of Vision in Design; designer Mathieu Frossard, student at the Design Academy Eindhoven's IM Masters. The morning discussion was moderated by Premsela's Tim Vermeulen.

To listen to the event and the ensuing discussion between panelists, you can download the podcast here.

For those who wish to remain with the written word, you can read an abbreviated version of Scott Burnham’s introduction to the discussion below.

Scott Burnham

Faith Is Trust: An Introduction

Faith and trust hold great power in our world, equally able to help individuals and entire nations prosper, or tear them apart. Religious scholars have found that the two words were used interchangeably in early translations of numerous religious tomes.

Given the historical companionship of these two words, and their contemporary power and importance, it is necessary to explore their relationship more closely to understand how some of their share qualities may be extended into design.

Faith is in the DNA of design history. The origin of what we know as graphic design today can be traced to the 14th century ‘illuminations’ of religious texts transcribed into calfskin tomes for the Church and wealthy patrons. The motivation of these early designers to create “prayer made manifest” carries through to the design profession today – bringing intangible ideas and information into the physical realm.

The typography used in Gutenberg’s printing press – and its inaugural Bible – was influenced “by practices of proportion and ratio handed down by the scribes and calligraphers of religious manuscripts”, notes Daniel Kantor in his book Graphic Design and Religion.

Faith gave us the most resilient pieces of design, perhaps the first piece of open design - the cross. From highly ornate Catholic or Russian Orthodox crosses to two sticks tied together atop a grave in the desert, its symbolism and intent remains coherent within wide variations of materiality. The cross is the manifestation of a belief in physical form.

Faith is connection to a promise. Whether a religious object or public sign, it’s manifestation is an article of belief in that promise. Much the same can be said about design. Design is ideas, beliefs and promises, manifested in physical form. So as we contemplate issues of trust and design, let us share the enquiry today with faith and design.

Trust is a promise. Sustainability is a promise. Green design is a promise. As is cradle to cradle... there is a long list of promises design makes. The object may not hold the promise in itself, but it is a connection to a promise. Here, the mechanics of faith can be found. Design creates faith. A manifestation of belief. A connection to a promise.

If we consider the almost religious-like devotion many show towards design – from Apple products to Eames chairs – we are already experiencing a form of faith, and devotion, if not outright worship, in design. Are we, as some would argue, replacing our spiritual needs with consumerism or is the quality, the experience of the design we surround ourselves with creating this devout connection for us?

After all, it is the continual interaction with objects and images that makes one religious in a particular manner. Define that religion however you like.

As British academic and author Terry Eagleton says, “What we consume now is not objects or events, but our experience of them.”

If we are indeed creating vehicles of experience, or vehicles of a promise, the responsibility lies with designers to decide which experiences we create - which promise we connect to. Faith is connection to a promise. As with the 14th century Illuminations, faith and design meet when a promise is made manifest. We have a responsibility to make sure that promise is trust.

Trust Design and Faith Discussion, Dutch Design Week 2011