Summary of Jack Self: What is design?

00:00:00 - 00:50:00

Design is the process of creating a new solution to a problem. Jack Self discusses the principles behind his work, which includes designing for shared spaces and promoting aggressive economic competition. He also discusses how the design of an exhibition impacts its audience, and how the audience has an impact on the world.

• 00:00:00 The speaker, Julian Bettner, explains that, as an architect and writer, Jack Self has a dedication to design, which is united by the fact that during the 20th century, society asked for design to act in the good of society. Bettner shares a moment from Zoolander in which Fabio, the most beautiful man on earth, wins an award and thanks the audience for their votes instead of thanking his rivals. Bettner asks what the relevance of Self's talk is, and explains that we all have a dedication to design, which is united by the fact that during the 20th century, society asked for design to act in the good of society.
• 00:05:00 Design is a process of creating a plan and then executing it, which is how modernity works. However, non-designers often struggle to imagine what they want or how to make it happen.
• 00:10:00 Designer Jack Self discusses the central role of indeterminacy in design, and how the traditional conceptual art framework does not necessarily help us understand how to design or influence outcomes. He replaces terms such as "artwork," "audience," "artist," and "project" with more broad terms to illustrate the idea that the form of a project always follows the intent of the designer.
• 00:15:00 Design is the process of creating a solution to a problem. It is impossible to design the world, as this would require a design agency, but one can act indirectly through different entities. Jack Self discusses the four steps he goes through when designing a project, beginning with observation of the world and considering the historical and current situation. He concludes with a discussion of the importance of taking risks and the risk assessment process he used for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
• 00:20:00 Design is an important field, and Jack Self's work exemplifies this. He talks about the importance of design, how it relates to space and time, and how it can be used to create positive change in the world. He also shares some of the challenges he's faced in this field, and how his team came up with a solution. However, he advises against creating visualizations of the exhibition in advance, as this can cause disappointment and confusion.
• 00:25:00 Designer Jack Self discusses the principles behind his work, which includes designing for shared spaces and promoting aggressive economic competition. He also discusses how the design of an exhibition impacts its audience, and how the audience has an impact on the world.
• 00:30:00 The video discusses the design process of an exhibition called "Face Value" which took place in Vienna in 2013. The project was designed to create objects with a monetary value that had no value outside of the context of the exhibition. The video also discusses the design process of a book called "Niece in London" which is about the German modernist niece, van der Rohe. The book was cancelled due to protests from Prince Charles and Margaret Thatcher, but is now being re-published.
• 00:35:00 Jack Self discusses how he uses design to create contemporary archives, and how playing cards can help to facilitate community dialogue.
• 00:40:00 The purpose of the book "Communism: A History from the Left" is to provide an overview of American communism, its history, and its lineage. In order to do this, the authors recreated the original book, which lacked footnotes and references, using Christopher Lawson and McLaughlin as the two designers. The book also includes a yellow overprint, which distinguishes it from the original.
• 00:45:00 Jack Self discusses the design principles behind his magazine, "Real Review." He discusses the magazine's focus on living today, and how it tries to do this through an analysis of everything going on. The next issue of the magazine is dedicated to the concept of "absolute proximity," and discusses the effects it is having on society.
• 00:50:00 Design is a process of creating something new from the combination of past and future. The relationship between the two is constantly changing, and what is considered the best future for the past depends on the person's perspective. Jack Self discusses this idea in his talk.