What do you think about design objects made in socialist countries, when they still existed on the world map? So, now we have such extinct countries as the DDR and the USSR, but products made by their factories and developed by their designers, can still be seen and looking at them provokes some nostalgic feelings...
Some will remember their childhood, some will be fascinated with the look of these products, which is not glossy and glamourous but full of proclamation of long-lasting quality (something you wouldn't throw away within a couple of months because it's out of fashion, defunct and cannot be repaired). As it can be seen, these things are made in order to satisfy the need of a person in good, long-lasting, effective products to be used in their homes.
So, some designs are rather straightforward and not very crafty and glossy. But I still cannot say out of blunt that they have no style, no form, that they are dull and boring. Probably, such interiors and products seemed to be boring and dull for the people who used them and dreamt of something more glamourous and fashionable, but now they seem to be really reliable, good and nice, opposite to glossy, streamlined and poshy things "made in China" and which will be defunct very soon after you've bought them (and cannot be repaired).
In those days, if someone used to buy a gadget or a piece of furniture, they'd expect that it would serve their needs for decades. Now it's not the same thing. We've got used to change our clothes, our interiors very often. There are a lot of reasons why everything has changed in a couple of decades - may be, it's the growth of consumerism to be blamed for that, may be, it's just the poor quality of things we buy now (mass-production when everything is made in Asia where labour is cheap), or some other reasons. Here are some photos of things you could buy in the DDR 30 years ago. I should add that in the USSR the DDR-made products were valued and people who traveled in East Berlin or other DDR cities used to buy their sets of kitchenware, clothes, toys (especially dolls), stationery because it's considered to be much more reliable that the same things of Soviet origin (and much more attractive too).
The principal difference between Soviet and Eastern German manufacturing was that DDR paid a great attention to the design of products they made. It was centralized; "people should develop their tastes through things they buy" - so, the packaging, product and graphic design were cherished by the government. Here are some examples:
Typical DDR interior - minimalistic and modest, but functional - works good in small apartments:
Lamp - minimalist also, but stylish and colourful (I like this yellow!):
Food packaging in the DDR - so, it's clear what kind of food it is (rather straightforward and direct approach)
Some will remember their childhood, some will be fascinated with the look of these products, which is not glossy and glamourous but full of proclamation of long-lasting quality (something you wouldn't throw away within a couple of months because it's out of fashion, defunct and cannot be repaired). As it can be seen, these things are made in order to satisfy the need of a person in good, long-lasting, effective products to be used in their homes.
Pay attention to the font - it's nice, isn't it?
So, some designs are rather straightforward and not very crafty and glossy. But I still cannot say out of blunt that they have no style, no form, that they are dull and boring. Probably, such interiors and products seemed to be boring and dull for the people who used them and dreamt of something more glamourous and fashionable, but now they seem to be really reliable, good and nice, opposite to glossy, streamlined and poshy things "made in China" and which will be defunct very soon after you've bought them (and cannot be repaired).
In those days, if someone used to buy a gadget or a piece of furniture, they'd expect that it would serve their needs for decades. Now it's not the same thing. We've got used to change our clothes, our interiors very often. There are a lot of reasons why everything has changed in a couple of decades - may be, it's the growth of consumerism to be blamed for that, may be, it's just the poor quality of things we buy now (mass-production when everything is made in Asia where labour is cheap), or some other reasons. Here are some photos of things you could buy in the DDR 30 years ago. I should add that in the USSR the DDR-made products were valued and people who traveled in East Berlin or other DDR cities used to buy their sets of kitchenware, clothes, toys (especially dolls), stationery because it's considered to be much more reliable that the same things of Soviet origin (and much more attractive too).
The principal difference between Soviet and Eastern German manufacturing was that DDR paid a great attention to the design of products they made. It was centralized; "people should develop their tastes through things they buy" - so, the packaging, product and graphic design were cherished by the government. Here are some examples:
Typical DDR interior - minimalistic and modest, but functional - works good in small apartments:
Lamp - minimalist also, but stylish and colourful (I like this yellow!):
No comments:
Post a Comment