Historically Germans are known to be very efficient. Also Germans are known to be clean – designwise you can see it in the “form follows function” feever that was born in Germany’s Ulm School, but today Germans have a good reputation in sustainable engineering and alternative energies.

Additionally Germans are known to be the world champions in waste separation. Here is a good example for an “invisible design” in the sense of Lucius Burckhardt. The task here was rather “we need a container to collect the separated rubbish” then “we want to offer our residents an environment of sustainablility”.

The outcome is this monumental trash grading device that I found near Neumarkt in central Cologne. Designs like this (some would call it no-design indeed) happen everyday and are made by administrators who are not able to see the full picture and integrate one object into a whole system of things.

The new X-ray scanners make anything visible that is under your clothes (photo via BBC).

“Europe delays airport X-ray eye” was what I read on BBC News today. Subject was the plan of the E.U. to introduce full body scanners that scan the whole body of passengers at security checks on European airports. The plan is now delayed as the members of the European Parliament (MEP) voted for a further study on the implications for privacy and health.

Scanners that make the whole naked body of a passenger visible to the security staff – a sick surveillance idea that cannot be found even in the repertoire of George Orwell’s “1984″. Unbelievable in first hand is the fact, that passengers (=human beings with their own privacy) are confronted with machines that have such a deep impact on their privacy without being warned – if not by coincident the topic stumbles onto the front pages of newspapers, tv’s and websites.

Well, so our MEPs decided that the “implications for privacy and health” should be further examined. So what was the primary object of study? Which amount of electromagnetic or X-ray radiation is necessary for operating the full body scan? Or how easily the scanner is in handling? How much time it consumes to expose the passenger?

There is a huge problem with new technologies: machines are primarily or even only tested on their physical effects, but not on their implications for society and humanity. How does the new full body scanners effect people whose small breasts and penises, love handles or artificial anuses become visible? What happens if pictues from the scanners find their way into the internet (as we know it is a common thing that especially in the U.K. data get lost now and then)? How is human dignity affected by such measures?

When it comes to new technologies, the societal and human implications definetely have to be the first that need to be regarded. As an act of humaneness, there is no other possibility. In this case, however, it is not even a matter of social research, but a matter of justice: Full body scanners simply offend our basic rights.

When technical appliances get too complicated in usage, the problem could be that engineers took the lead in the design process rather than people that think of the user – like e.g. designers. A good example is this light swith that I found in the famous “Schürmann-Bau” in Bonn/Germany.

Complicated enough that this switch has two buttons – one for “EIN” (on), the other for “AUS” (off), it contains more strange behaviours. The green LED for example is lit when you enter the dark room – guess which button you will probably press? Only getting involved a bit deeper with the switch you might see that the LED does not want to guide you to the right button that lightens the dark room – no, it is meant to display the technical status of the light: “I am off”.

Even if this sounds like techno-storytelling, one could say that in the end it contains a certain logic in matters of physical aspects. But guess what happens if you once found out how to switch the light on:

It becomes even more complicated. The green light on the right side is still alight and two more red lights on both sides appear. Only an engineer probably knows what this wants to tell us… . A good example for what a good design should care for.

Anyhow – if you want to know why exactly this switch and no other was used – just contact Joachim Schürmann Architekten, the responsible architect for the building.

Here is a fantastic idea for those nerds that completely organize their social life in virtual networks like facebook, studivz, myspace or else: With this shirt that shows a QR Code containing your profile ID, you don’t even have to talk to people on streets anymore. They can just take a picture of your code with their mobile phone and will then be directed to your facebook profile.

This is quite clever as it redirects more sociality to the internet and away from our public areas. How boring to see people communicating in cafes or on down in the street. Moreover it offers completely new ways for stalkers – they can now easily track their object of desire. And our governments will also be happy to be able to observe and allocate people more easily. There’s a lot of advantages for sure in this brilliant idea! Reminds me a bit of convicts wearing their registration number. Really a fashion for passionate Continue Reading »

In times of sustainability and environmental friendly products there is kind of a new field in design that gains attention. »Social Design« becomes more and more popular. Even UNESCO is partnering actions around the issue, e. g. in »Design21 – The Social Design Network«:

Are you a socially conscious designer, non Continue Reading »

There is a lot of »Liechtenstein« in the media these days, because Klaus Zumwinkel, CEO of Deutsche Post, brought millions of Euros to »LGT«, the bank of the sovereign family of Liechtenstein. All this wouldn’t be a problem would Zumwinkel, who was boss of the German post for 18 years, would have paid taxes for those millions. Zumwinkel was arrested on Thursday morning in his house in Cologne and set free later in the day by paying a bail. On Friday Deutsche Post announced that Zumwinkel steps down as CEO and also as member of the advisory board of Deutsche Telekom and Postbank.

In a James-Bond-like manner the German secret service bought thousands of files from an whistle-blower for around 5 million Euros. Those data carry information about customers of two Liechtenstein banks that illegally Continue Reading »

Here is an interesting case of design with limited view. In the picture you can see the »doorplate« of the German Development Institute that is located in Bonn, the former German capital.

»The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) sees itself as the think tank for German development policy.«

Unfortunately the initials of the institute in German language result in the letters »die«. That did not stop the inventors of the name to baptise the child with the brand »die«. And it did not stop the designers to take this initals as the basic component for the logo. Now there could be three ways how such a Stupid Design forms:

1: In the year 1964, when the institute was opened, english language was not that important as it is nowadays and the Germans just would not realise what »die« means (But even in the 60s development aid must have taken place in countries where German is not the first language.)

2: »die« is a courageous indicator to what happens if there would not be development aid or what development aid is fighting against.

3: It’s just a good example of »officialese« (Beamtensprache) and what happens if public authorities think about communications.

The above is the title of the picture you see to the left – it is an artwork that participates in the »NanoArt 2007«. It is an exhibition that takes place online.

»This site was founded by the artist and scientist Cris Orfescu to promote worldwide the NanoArt as a reflection of the technological movement. NanoArt is a more appealing and effective way to communicate with the general public and to inform people about the new technologies of the 21st Century and should raise the public’s awareness of Nanotechnology and its impact on our lives.«

Using religious or romantic symbolics to communicate what impact nanotechnology will have in our future is probably the wrong approach. Or did those artworks make you think about the critical aspects of new technologies? Design offers better possibilities to experience future technologies or products. On the Interaction Design Department of the Royal College of Art (lead by Anthony Dunne) so called »What If« scenarios are used to display what could happen if certain technologies get applied to the objects that surround us.