TECHNOLOGICAL  ADVANCES  

AND  DESIGN.  
 
   
 
 
 
  The   speed   at   which   the   world   is   currently   moving   in   terms   of   changes   and  
technological  advances  is  impressive,  as  never  before  had  been  seen,  however  this  
speed   brings   new   problems,   as   designers   we   have   to   face,   but   first   we   need   to  
understand  how  we  reached  up  to  this  point,  to  be  able  to  propose  something  from  
our  perspective.  
 
The  first  industrial  revolution  brought  the  discovery  of  new  forms  of  energy  and  with  
it  the  substitution  of  manual  labor,  the  steam  engine  represented  the  transition  to  a  
model  of  industrial  production  and  a  new  model  of  social  organization  also  emerges,  
people  move  from  the  rural  areas  to  the  urban  areas,  forming  cities,  increasing  the  
population  and  the  demand  for  new  products.  To  more  than  two  centuries  the  inertia  
left   by   the   industrial   revolution   has   allowed   us   to   advance   even   faster,   creating   a  
global   integration   and   a   growth   of   the   world   population,   however   the   natural  
resources  we  depend  on  decrease  more  and  more,  we  forget  that  these  resources  
are  limited  and  represent  to  a  large  extent  the  basis  of  the  current  economy,  also  
this   abuse   of   non-­renewable   resources   as   the   main   source   of   energy   and   raw  
material,  represents  the  core  of  our  environmental  problems  and  climate  change  is  
the  physical  consequence  of  this  globalization.  Our  planet  has  undergone  changes  
throughout   its   existence,   the   change   in   temperature   levels   is   not   something   new,  
however,  what  we  know  as  global  warming  has  been  caused  by  ourselves  in  the  last  
100   years.   Global   warming   is   a   direct   consequence   of   the   capitalist   system   that  
developed  from  the  industrial  revolution,  the  burning  of  fossil  fuels,  the  destruction  
of  forests  and  the  increase  of  population.  
In  the  last  40  years,  we  went  from  3  billion  to  6  billion  people  and  it  is  expected  to  
grow   to   10   billion   before   the   end   of   the   century,   human   beings   consume   natural  
resources  faster  than  it  can  be  regenerated  and  discarded  waste  faster  than  it  can  
be  degraded,  for  that  reason  we  must  be  aware  of  what  we  consume,  responsible  
consumption   is   the   ability   to   satisfy   our   needs   and   desires,   reducing   the  
consequences   in   the   environment,   we   need   to   make   better   decisions   about   our  
styles  of  life  to  preserve  and  maintain  our  planet.  
 
Most   of   the   products   we   consume   have   a   design   process   in   the   background,   so  
companies  have  established  a  close  link  with  the  designers,  who  are  in  charge  of  
developing   new   products;;   Technology   and   consumer   demands   have   shaped   the  
new  tactics  and  strategies  of  this  capitalist  system.  
 
The   configuration   of   the   products   has   been   affected   by   the   socio-­economic  
requirements   and   the   biological   and   psychological   needs   of   the   consumer;;   The  
materials,  the  shape,  the  color,  the  size,  are  part  of  this  new  configuration.  This  new  
market  contains  a  great  variety  of  things  that  went  beyond  those  essential  to  satisfy  
human  needs,  therefore  designers  have  a  great  responsibility  over  the  consumerism  
in  which  we  are  currently  immersed.    
We  must  direct  our  vision  to  forms  of  sustainable  creation,  where  all  the  processes  
for  the  creation  of  an  object  are  delimited  by  the  impact  they  generate  on  the  planet.  
The   environmental   impact   is   now   another   criterion   to   be   taken   into   account,   the  
objective  is  to  improve  the  environmental  performance  of  the  products  throughout  
their   life   cycle,   from   the   obtaining   of   the   raw   materials,   the   energies   used   in   the  
manufacturing   processes,   their   distribution,   sale,   use   and   even   their   elimination,  
these   stages   should   be   part   of   a   new   production   scheme   and   we   need   to   pay  
attention  to  each  of  these  phases.  
 
On   the   other   hand   we   must   promote   a   comprehensive   design   involving   not   only  
designers,   but   a   multidisciplinary   team   to   help   improve   and   develop   not   only  
products  with  less  environmental  impact,  but  a  change  at  all  levels  of  society,  better  
transport  that  reduce  the  use  of  private  cars,  promote  the  use  of  clean  and  renewable  
energies,   the   creation   of   information   campaigns   that   promote   these   changes,   the  
proper   management   of   waste,   changes   in   large   industries   and   everything   that  
corresponds  to  the  authorities,  to  promote  better  coexistence  with  our  planet.