Design as Conversation

When thinking of the word design, anything and everything that pops up in our head can be argued to be a design. However, when thinking of the word conversation though, it’s a little bit trickier, because not everything and anything can be a conversation. A conversation entails a form of communication that one person participates in with another person – and possibly an object – to share information, emotions and feelings, and ideas. So what’s design got to do with conversation? Well, where design and conversation intersect is when communication is present. Design plays the form and structure of a conversation; the way information is communicated and received.

Work by Nevit Dilmen

Music is an element used as communication. Music communicates and converses in a way that allows artists to use designed lyrical words to convey their sorrow; their fantasies; their anger; their voice (opinions) etc… to connect with the person on the other end of the line (their fans, friends, family, and just the public in general). Music is a powerful tool of communication that can come to be and respond to any topic, even war. The Black Eyed Peas’ track “Where is the Love?” from their third album Elephunk is an example of communication to the masses. The track, released in 2003, 2 years after September 11, addressed the nation in regards to war and discrimination after the attack of 9/11; asking where is the love? Why we are overseas trying to stop terrorism when there is terrorism here in the United States? Another example would be John Mayer’s track “Waiting on the World to Change” which resembles and anti-war hymn.

LINKS: Waiting on the World to Change Where is the Love? Talk