Malfatto: Imperfect Design for a Better World?" Material Connexions Provocative Symposium Posed Complex Questions on Industrialized Design

On May 13, 2005, Material ConneXion, the worlds premier materials resource specializing in the needs of designers and architects, presented its inaugural symposium Malfatto: Imperfect Design for a Better World?" at the Tishman Auditorium in New York City. This one-day event featured a lively and thought-provoking examination of the concept of 'malfatto, an approach to design that advocates controlled experimentation while taking a conscious step away from the kind of slick, machine-perfected design favored in mass production.

(PRWEB) June 12, 2005 -- The symposium began with a carefully researched introduction by moderator and New York Times columnist Phil Patton. After establishing the ways in which the 'malfatto philosophy fits in with Western cultures appreciation of the rough-hewn and homemade, Patton introduced architect and industrial designer Gaetano Pesce, the man who coined the term 'malfatto. With charisma and passion, Pesce demonstrated the need for unique, highly personalized objects in a time of cookie-cutter mass production. Pesce contrasted his philosophical ideal with more traditional forms of production, along with modernism and provokingly, fascism. He demanded a restructuring of our approach to design that did not shy away from representing the identity of the individual designer.

Pesce was followed by a number of other speakers offering their perspectives on his philosophy and its significance to lifestyle, trends, global economics and big business. Renegade toy-maker Kardash Onnig offered an engaging talk on his simple, do-it-yourself approach to life and work. Onnig, an Armenian immigrant, left the corporate world to dedicate himself to the investigation and development of a three-dimensional alphabet that extends beyond natural alphabets. He discussed his approach to toy-creation and the ways in which he places a great deal of value on personal involvement in manufacture.

International trend-forecaster Li Edelkoort outlined the similarities between the native design traditions of Scandinavia and Africa and examined the influence of folk traditions on our contemporary design alphabet. Edelkoort, founder of the Edelkoort Group, an organization that provides trend analysis and consulting services to major international companies, went on to present her vision of designs future; relating the 'malfatto influence to a world where the handmade and industrial can exist simultaneously. Similar to the other speakers, Edelkoort touched upon the idea that developing nations could produce saleable 'malfatto products that could serve as a profitable alternative to mass production.

John Thackera, Director of Doors of Perception, a design-futures network with offices in Amsterdam and Bangalore, examined how the manufacture of 'malfatto objects might be set up in the world of small-business. Referencing several successful small businesses in Western Europe and developing countries in Asia, Thackera stressed that small businesses provide significant economic rewards as well as offer environmental and social benefits unmatched by companies that advocate mass production. He further examined the ways in which design decisions influence the world we live in and the positive influence Pesces philosophy could have in this realm.

Scott Henderson, Principal and Founder of Scott Henderson, Inc. offered his perspective on the possibility of achieving sensual, emotional, and ethical products that are made at a high-volume using state-of-the-art technology. The charm of Hendersons designs challenged 'malfattos assumption that mass production means a rejection of individuality and the humanistic aesthetic.

Steelcase Director of Design James Ludwig illustrated how corporations are perhaps best positioned to raise the environmental standards in mass production. He thoroughly examined the relationship between the 'perfect and 'imperfect by looking at the boundaries of fabrication and production. Ludwig went on to ask if the 'imperfect can exist in any substantial way without the 'perfect context-and if the does exist, does 'perfect become the new 'imperfect?

Lastly, Karin Carter, a materials designer from Nike, who filled in for an ill Scott Wilson, the Global Creative Director for Nike Explorer Group. Carter gave examples of Nikes efforts at helping the consumer create his or her own personalized object and discussed Nikes efforts to invent a better performance fabric. Carter, an award-winning designer also discussed the meaningful material solutions she is able to offer in her collaborations with world-renown Japanese and American fashion labels.

As the title of the symposium, Malfatto: Imperfect Design for a Better World?" suggests, the event was created to contrast leading opinions and raise questions about the responsibilities of design to both the environment and the individual. By examining this current cultural phenomenon and delving into questions about why the world is being flooded with carbon copies of consumer icons, the symposium serves as a vital new platform for dissecting these ever-changing issues. Malfatto" further serves to fill a void by creating an open dialogue on the relationship between cutting-edge technology and traditional manufacturing methods. Design celebrities in the audience of the symposium included Matilda McQuaid of Cooper-Hewitt, John Remington of Target, Carl Magnusson of Knoll, and architects David Rockwell and Jennifer Luce. Material ConneXion is currently discussing symposium sequels with three different countries.

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