Designing for the contemporary consumer

Never has the notion of selling my projects as a designer brought me comfort. So much life flows through me in the process of designing and fabricating, yet concerns regarding eco-footprint, narcissism, and purpose in general have paralyzed me from accessing any sort of market. As I have matured and my output synthesized as an extension of personal values and interests, I have come to learn that making is indeed not pointless, and that purpose may be discovered if the designer role is reconsidered. Too frequently have consumers been subject to alienation from their possessions due to overproduction, mass accessibility, and intrusive marketing techniques, and a return to object intimacy can be signaled by a new generation of makers.

This text questions how independent designers can foster new connections with their clientele as we breach the quarter mark of the 21st century. I believe the joy of making can reconcile with the joy of owning an object through richer interaction between makers and consumers. I have suppressed my own existential woes in finding a personal connection with my market, and this thesis serves as a guide and reflection of the process.