 "Photo: Isaac Elster")
Wayne State University faculty and students from the department of anthropology, the Industrial Design program in the department of art and art history, and the Institute for Information, Technology & Culture have collaborated to present the exhibition “Constructing Identities” on Nov. 21 in the Museum of Anthropology.
The exhibit offers a glimpse into the study of the rising field of design anthropology, which is the use of anthropological approaches in the production of industrial design.
The exhibit focuses on the different ways people use things to create identities, specifically through the brands Starbucks, Adidas and Harley-Davidson.
“Constructing Identities” projects the impact of designed objects and spaces and how these forms condition people’s actions and the reactions of others. Not only do individuals decide to define themselves through specific products, manufacturers of the products also tailor their designs to a target audience.
With the rapid movement of advanced products and changing lifestyles, the construction of pioneering designs has become more difficult. “Constructing Identities” shows how manufacturers use design anthropology to better understand their consumers and market designs created within the context of the brand’s identity.
Associate professor in industrial design Brian Kritzman, explained that the team began with 12 different brand identities before they narrowed it down to the selected three.
“We chose these three because they are all very strong brands,” Kritzman said. “Adidas was this purely athletic object that blossomed into a fashion element, Harley Davidson raises a romantic notion of no boundaries and Starbucks is not selling a product as much as the social environment experience.”
Throughout the exhibit, each brand is subdivided into three viewpoints. The first division is categorized by specific objects linked to each product to get a sense of the brand’s individual vision.
Next, the department of anthropology conducted ethnographic research that explained human behavior to interpret the process involved before creating the identities and products. Students of the Industrial Design program constructed the third division of the exhibit to demonstrate the theoretical process of producing new objects that integrate the brands’ identity.
Senior industrial design major T-Nigel Hamell explained that working with the anthropology students was a very collaborative effort and everyone was open and receptive throughout the entire process.
“I was introduced to a totally different world working with the anthropology students,” Hamell said. “They use facts and numbers to project their theories and I never viewed things as aesthetically as they do.”
Adjunct faculty member and recent graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts Program, Bernie Brooks, noted the simplicity of the exhibit’s layout.
“I was really taken away by the sparseness of the displays,” Brooks said. “I think not having as much things focuses more on the beauty of each individual design.”
From the caffeinated cultivation of Starbucks to the rebellious rider of a Harley-Davidson, the exhibit explores the production of identities.
The exhibit will remain open until April 15.
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