Design and the Elastic Mind

by Paola Antonelli

History is punctuated by uproariously wrong predictions made by savvy individuals blindsided by progress: Ferdinand Foch, Marshal of France in the early part of the twentieth century, stated in 1911 that airplanes were interesting toys of no use for the military; movie producer Darryl F. Zanuck forecast in 1946 the demise of  television; and Ken Olsen, of Digital Equipment Corporation, dismissed in 1977 the idea that anyone would  want to keep a computer at home. Revolutions are not easy on us, especially when they occur as  rapidly and as  frequently as they have in the past 150 years. A few exceptional individuals are already wired for change, and  the masses have a tendency to either admire them as visionaries or burn them at the stake as witches and  heretics. However, these individuals do not represent the majority. In order to step boldly into the future, the majority needs design.

Adaptability is an ancestral distinction of human intelligence, but today’s instant variations in rhythm call for something stronger: elasticity. he by-product of adaptability + acceleration, elasticity is the ability to negotiate  change and innovation without letting them interfere excessively with one’s own rhythms and goals. t means  being able to embrace progress, under-standing how to make it our own. One of design’s most fundamental tasks is to help people deal with change. Designers stand between revolutions and everyday life.  

Read more here:  http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/