Articles from the current issue
| Chairs for Africa |
| Issue 1 Oct 2007 - Satire | |
| Written by William Redondo-Brown | |
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  The Chairs for Africa logo combined the strengths of design and the UN. The swish new look UN uniform. In a move reminiscent of ‘Live Aid’ and ‘Make Poverty History’ a group of high profile designers have announced their intention to organise a charity to benefit the people of Africa. Through this action, the group of designers have decided to take on some of the responsibility that the under developed continent has in the fight against the entrenched poverty of many Africans.“Design is a very powerful tool for changing the world, and we would like to be part of changing the lives of some of the poorest people in the world,” a spokesperson for the group said. “Our group feels that through this project we can make a positive and lasting impact,” he continued. The project, called Chairs for Africa, will mean that valuable ‘high design’ chairs will be sent to the most poverty ridden parts of the continent. “These chairs would normally go straight into a museum but we thought they can also be useful elsewhere,” said the spokesman, “we saw images from Africa and felt we could make an immediate and beautifying effect. Once the Africans receive these chairs there will be an inspirational effect that will give them impetus to work on other ugly aspects of their lives, like poverty.” The group is working in collaboration with the United Nations and although the group was happy to work with and under the United Nations there was unanimous agreement within the group that the United Nations uniforms and logos didn’t convey the true spirit of ‘high design’. So with this in mind, the group has designed their own uniform and logo, the uniform will include polo neck jumpers in the UN blue and the logo will incorporate the form of a chair over the UN laurel wreath. These changes are necessary to create an effect similar to, “a price point differentiation within a crowded segment of the more aware consumer and consumable markets, which any designers in the fields that drive all designers will appreciate”, the spokesman commented. When asked how the chairs would be transported the spokesman replied, “definitely not flatpacked.” The project starts immediately and will continue into the future depending on the frequency and duration of design fairs, design competitions and whether or not any of the pieces get picked up by a manufacturer who understands the value of design. |
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Print issue, Oct '07 (A3 PDF) Download
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