California: Designing Freedom

Confusing exhibition at the Design Museum looking at how California has become the home of Silicon Valley and at how the personal computers, smart phones and social media which it has developed have changed our lives.

I say confusing because it took me a while to realise this was the narrative of the show as it seemed to begin with the 1960s and the alternative cultures which grew up in the state. It was a fascinating section looking at the changing politics and the use of graphic design in this. It was particularly nice to see the original eight –stripe Gay Pride flag designed by Gilbert Baker.

It took me a while to grasp that the idea was that Silicon Valley grew out of this counter culture and ideas of freedom and creativity. The show was themed and this progression worked better with some of the themes than others. I loved a section tracing the design process of personal computers and then threw to smart phones. I was astonished to realise we’d had the iphone since 2007 and the commentary rightly reported that its touch screen had created a “revolution in human behaviour”. One I think we are still working out way through.

Two things amazed me. The fact that office chairs have been redesigned since we started using computers and are working in a more a working in a more static way. Obvious when you know but I’d not thought about it! Also it was the first time I’ve seen an object in an exhibition that I was actually wearing, my Fitbit! 

Closing on 18 October 2017

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