Throughout the entire range of his history, man has created

artifacts for work and for pleasure. Such artifacts, or products, were

indicative of his level of intelligence and his ability to form materials

in response to function. Perhaps less obviously, they also reflected

his aestHetic-religious value system. There was an admirable

directness of approach and a primitive sophistication evident among

his earliest products, a condition which gradually changed as his

requirements for existence and pleasure changed.

The current scene in Western cultures reveals a tremendous

collage of artifacts, some useful, some not; some pleasantly

structured and some ugly. There is a plethora of goods, which con-

dition (rightly or wrongly) seems to be associated with the most

advanced cultures.

The designers who devise such goods have contributed to this

rather elusive and controversial state called "a high standard of

living." But it is common knowledge that this opulence has not been

without its trials and problems, for man is beginning to question

the product in range and kind. The issues relate to a series of four

contemporary crises: excessive energy consumption, the misuse of

material resources, waste disposal, and rural and urban blight. Each

issue treated in turn uncovers the same major concern: excessive

energy consumption.

First, the recurring regional brownouts and blackouts are vivid

reminders that this nation is incapable of producing sufficient

energy at reasonable cost to provide for its total needs. The designer

can contribute to a solution by policing himself and his profession

.with respect to the kinds of energy-consuming products he places

upon the market. For example, the necessity of using electrical

energy to brush one s teeth, to open tins of foods, to slice meat and

bread, or for that matter even to wash one s dishes might be ques-

tioned. Certainly, the need for certain household appliances cannot

be denied: it would be difficult and uncomfortable to exist without