We are what we ... design.

 

While driving back to the office from what I’ll politely call a “savorless” meeting, I tuned the radio to our local NPR station, where host Dee Perry was interviewing food guru Deborah Madison, author of What We Eat When We Eat Alone, and most recently, Seasonal Fruit Desserts from Orchard, Farm and Market.

The author was describing how flavorful food tastes when it is prepared from ingredients grown locally and in season, and states what, to me, is obvious – fruits, when shipped across the country or around the world to local supermarkets, have little flavor because they have been picked before ripe. Then she said something that astounded me. We are training ourselves to consume – and even prefer – this almost tasteless, unripened produce. Apparently, in an effort to meet what we understand to be our basic dietary needs, we are making a connection in our brains, associating nearly flavorless produce with what tastes good and is good for us. 

With passion and intensity, Deborah asserts “fruit was designed by nature to be beautiful and colorful so we as humans would be attracted to eat it.”  Let me say that again.  Fruit was DESIGNED.  Color and its intensity, shape, aroma, flavor all contribute to the design, enticing humans to act. Enticing us to eat.

I began to wonder, in our socially networked era of unconferences, unmarketing, and even, undesign – as we’re tearing up traditional ideas, breaking things down to essentials – are we losing something savory, something really flavorful along the way? As we’re redefining what’s important, are we apt to consume a steady diet, however tasteless, gnawing to get at the basics or what’s most expedient at the time? 

It seems many companies and organizations have shifted priorities in an effort to stay nourished, and in the process are serving up thoughts and ideas before they’ve truly ripened. Not that these ideas haven’t been thoroughly explored, but design is often an afterthought – valued only to clean up the mess or package it, or sometimes not valued at all. And we, as buyers, are left to consume bland design. It’s our belief design is an integral part of the idea process – we call it “idea design” – just as nature has built design into the beautiful fruits we eat.

I can’t help but think, if Mother Nature thought it was a good idea to design things to look “good enough to eat,” the world should really follow in her footsteps … after all, Mother knows best, right?