“The Medium is the Massage” (Marshall McLuhan, 1967), “Thoughts on Design” (Paul Rand, 1970) and “The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman, 2013) are three of the most well-known books in the history of design.
In the vast and multifaceted world of design, few figures have exerted as enduring and profound an influence as Marshall McLuhan, Paul Rand, and Don Norman. McLuhan, a communication and media theorist, revolutionized our understanding of how media shape our perception of the world with his work "The Medium is the Massage". Paul Rand, a graphic designer and artist, transformed the way we think about corporate design and advertising with his book "Thoughts on Design". Don Norman, on the other hand, changed our view of product design and user experience with "The Design of Everyday Things". Despite their different approaches, these three authors share several similarities: they are all 20th-century men from Western backgrounds, with an education and cultural perspective reflecting the values and norms of their time and place.
However, it is precisely this homogeneity in their profiles - white, heterosexual men from privileged backgrounds - that invites contemporary critique. While their contributions to design are undeniable, their lack of diversity in terms of gender, race, and social class limits their perspectives. This uniformity is also reflected in their ideologies and approaches, dominated by trends such as modernism and minimalism, which, though revolutionary at the time, can now seem somewhat limited in the face of the complexities and diversities of today's world.
As a design student, I find myself in a unique position to appreciate and recognize the importance of these thinkers and their influence on the field of design. Their works have not only laid the foundations for many modern practices and theories but have also paved the way for new ways of thinking and creating. However, it is essential not to get trapped in a single frame of reference. Recognizing their limitations and the lack of diversity in their perspectives is crucial for moving towards a more inclusive and representative design approach. In this sense, my goal is to build upon their foundations but also to expand and diversify design visions, so they reflect a wider range of human experiences and meet the needs of an increasingly interconnected and diverse global society.
Cristina Miquel Garrido