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In chapter 7 of Design A Very Short Introduction, John Heskett talks about design relating to Identities. Heskett defines identity as such, "a deliberate attempt by individuals and organizations, even nations, to create a particular image and meaning intended to shape, even pre-empt, what others perceive and understand." He goes on to talk about the various identities and the people or groups that use them. Starting with individuals Heskett explains how people have a perceived identity of themselves and an identity they want to project towards others. As an example he talks about how advertising plays into this concept by helping people develop an image of themselves they think they should have and thus exploiting those Identities. This is an excellent point as most clothing manufacturers use this idea of lifestyle to sell their products. In our consumer based society the best way to sell people another pair of pants or another shirt is not to talk about the item but to show people the lifestyle they could have wearing the item. The same could be said for alcoholic beverages. In advertisements for these beverages most companies show people the lifestyle they could have consuming a particular companies beverage over another. All of these examples are exploiting the fact that we as individuals have a personal perception of ourselves.

Heskett next discusses identities of countries. The most obvious aspect of this identity is the use of flags to add a sense of identity and pride to a country. There are other examples though of identity not related to a countries standards. One example Heskett uses is the story of when the United Kingdom replaced the iconic red telephone booths that were part of the British landscape since 1936. British people were outraged because the red booths were part of that countries identity. Another example could be the design of the clothing worn by athletes in the Olympics. Countries try to distinguish themselves by creating a unique identity in the uniforms. This helps the athletes feel part of a team and gives them pride to want to do their best.

But the biggest example of identity, one could argue, is corporate identity. Heskett explains that when companies started off small there was no need for an identity but, as companies grew and expanded to new markets and locations the need arose to have an identifier that employees and customers could relate to. Examples of this can be seen everywhere we look today. Companies spend millions of dollars on the design of corporate identities so people will, one, have an easy way to identify the company, two, give a perception of the company and three make it easily recognizable. Heskett makes a good point when he discusses the difference between identity and image. Heskett uses FedEx and their logo redesign as an example and says the logo is the identity but the image the company wants to convey is one of speedy reliable service. If the company can't provide this then the identity is, in a way, useless.

This chapter really helped me see the importance of design to identity but also taught me that a good identity must be backed up with reliable service and dependability. If it is not then it's just a good design.

Chapter 8 talks about systems. When discussing design we all can see the tangible things, advertisements, products and spaces to name a few. But another form of design can be found in the design of systems. This aspect of design is becoming more popular with the introduction of information systems. Heskett's point on the spread of technical infrastructure systems and the electric supply in California in 2000 is an interesting one. The Idea that these systems are not, typically designed with future use in mind is amazing to me and a good example of how we should apply design thinking to future infrastructure and power system designs. Take the roadways of Columbus for example, more specifically the old I-70/I-71 split. When first designed the roadway could handle the traffic load but as time went on and more and more people were commuting to work from the suburbs the roadway started to become congested to the point of being ineffective. Future design of these systems should take into consideration growth.

Another point along those same lines was in dealing with public transportation systems and how to navigate them. This part was interesting to me because I ride the bus. The system used by Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) to help navigate the bus lines, I feel, is not a good system. With maps that are confusing and schedules that don't make much sense, at first glance, it is easy to see why people may be uncomfortable using public transportation in Columbus. As a way to rethink the design, COTA should keep in mind the design should be easily understandable to everyone to the point of being intuitive.

Cradle to Cradle - Introduction
In the introduction of Cradle to Cradle William McDonough paints an all too real and very scary picture of a typical family sitting around their house enjoying activities of several kinds. This family may consider themselves to be environmentally conscious but as McDonough explains may be surrounded by very toxic materials that can be damaging to the environment and to their health as well. This introduction is a great way to grab our attention and prepare us for the subjects ahead. The ideas and problems McDonough discusses in the introduction are mind blowing, for instance how a chromium factory in Europe only employs people over 50 years of age because the chemicals the plant uses take up to 20 years to cause cancer and the workers would be retired by then.

Both William McDonough and co author Michael BraungartMcDonough is an architect while Braungart is a chemist. Both have strong feelings toward the environment, McDonough grew up in Japan and their environmentally minded culture and Braungart was a member of the Green Party in Germany.

I think this book will be interesting as the whole subject of the environment and being environmentally conscious is becoming more important. I look forward to reading the ideas of McDonough and Braungart and learning more about solutions to environmental problems.