デザインで社会を変える

いまさら言うまでもなく、社会はデザインされることで形作られ、新しい形を得ることで社会は変化してきました。雛の節句や五月の節句をはじめ日本の年中行事や祭りはそれぞれ独特の形を持っていて、しかも日本各地で姿が異なります。それらはすべて意味を持ち、こころを込めてデザインされてきたのです。誰がデザインしたのかって？そんなことは分からないし、どうでもいいのです。むしろ、自然発生的に生まれてきたデザインだからこそ多くの人々に愛され、今日まで伝えられてきたのです。

街並みも、神社の境内も、田の畔道までその土地の人々の手で注意深くデザインされ整備されてきました。菓子の形や料理の盛り付け、のれんはもちろん、品書きの書体に至るまで、工夫が凝らされ心遣いが見て取れました。

また、日本各地で様々な産業が生まれるのにはそれなりの訳がありました。良い竹が生える土地だからこそ竹細工が生まれ、扇子や団扇の骨が作られてきました。紬の産地の隣に桐ダンスの産業が育ち、林業が盛んな土地にナタ作りの鍛冶が集まるのも偶然ではなく誰かが気づいて始めたことです。長州藩の夏ミカンに代表されるような殖産興業政策も、産業をデザインした好例です。

食膳から地場産業まで、デザインされることによって着想に形が与えられ、社会に変化が起きてきたのです。このようにデザインによって価値を作り出し、コミュニティや社会に働きかける力を積極的に活用して、震災復興や開発途上国の仕事づくりに寄与しようという活動も始まっています。

Change society by design

Needless to say, societies are formed by design and have changed by obtaining new form. Variety of yearly events and festivals in Japan such as Hina-no-sekku or the Girls’ Festival and Gogatsu-no-sekku or the Boys’ Festival has unique and different forms all over Japan. Each form has its own meaning and has been designed by putting people’s heart. Who designed? No one knows and it even does not matter. Rather, these festivals have been endeared and handed down for centuries until today because these are created spontaneously.

From townscape to grounds of shrine or footpath between rice fields, everything were carefully designed and maintained by local people. Form of confectionary, arrangement of food on dishes, signboards, typeface of menus, and more were elaborated. You can see thoughtfulness in design of these things.

Moreover, there is a reason why various industrial arts were initiated all over Japan. Bamboo work, such as ribs of fan, was developed where good bamboo grows. An industry of drawers made of paulownia wood was developed adjoining to a major source of pongee fabric. Blacksmith’s shops gathered at place where forestry was prosperous. This did not happen by chance; rather it started by someone who realized it. The promotion of new industry policy represented in summer orange in Chōshū Domain, old name of Yamaguchi Prefecture, is a good example that designed industry.

Society changes by design that gives a form to ideas. Some activities are already initiated by using power of design that shapes societies and communities, which create values and contribute to earthquake disaster reconstruction and job creation in the developing countries.