Glocal.

It’s interesting to see everything blend together.  It’s when we are on point, always available even while sleeping, usually under some sort of time restraint or deadline, constantly writing emails, and checking social media updates, always in a state of … distraction… to be connected – when standardization derails variation and floods our attempts to connect, worldwide.  Designing and acting on a local level is the first step to extending ideas further, on a global level.  Ideation, trends, and innovative processes are often subject to local acceptance before a translation into deeper waters.  But is this possible?  Is it possible for design globalization to exist in a realistic manner? 

Culturally, our lives operate on a certain evolutionary tradition.  There are a handful of countries, including the U.S. and Japan that is pushing for globalization (positively & negatively) in attempts to monopolize economies.  However, in a number of third world countries, mass-production is just a day job or non-existent, and under the laws of a weak economy.  In these societies, when a mass produced product is purchased, it is what it is, and often times poorly built, or little resources to improve the functionality.  Perhaps, allowing for globalization with product decreases a cultures identity, resulting in generations lost to manufacturing.  The way we dissect our ways of living must be understood by others in order to extend a safer, more functionally stable proposition in this translation.  For instance, the facelift in Europe’s currency has had a huge impact on social learning, and questioning of who you are, who I am, who the person across the street (or, ocean) is.  Utilizing as many resources at ones fingertips is key to evolution, is key to connection with the world without sacrificing our diversity and individual contributions. 

What we must realize is that good design is functional first and simplicity in function is a basic need of humanity, “good is a known quality, forget about good,” says Bruce Mau, an influential Environmental Graphic Designer.  Alexander Popov was the inventor of the portable radio, a device that can be used for the same purpose from Los Angeles to Toronto, from Amsterdam to Sydney; it has successfully proved itself as a globalized product.  And there are definitely international standards of design, and we know that we operate on a “creature of habit” basis, so instead of attempting to “re-educate” the world on why this/that should be standard, why not instead focus on local language.  Why not combine global and local?  Throw out the worry’s and keep working towards what our species does best… evolution.