I was reading about the Winterhouse Awards for Design Writing and Criticism and looking for what I needed to do to submit to the competition.
I was reading the eligibility section and came across the following requirement:
“At the time of submission, the writer must be under the age of 40.”
Whoa! What? Under 40? What the????
I was stunned.
I clicked on the FAQ page to see if perhaps there was some explanation. There it was:
“In recent years, AIGA has noticed that younger designers seem not to share the same inclination that earlier generations had in articulating their reactions in reasoned essays. Educators who have encouraged students to express themselves report the same phenomenon. “
The article continues:
“We believe it is important to encourage design writing and criticism, both for the strength of the profession and to explain design to other audiences. Our particular concern is to encourage a new generation to write. Hence, we have developed an award program aimed at designers under 40 as of this year’s deadline: June 1, 2009.”
At a time when the world is in need of creative solutions, it’s mind bending to think that those under 40 are under-equipped to partake in a global innovation dialogue.
Good writing is thought provoking, compelling, inspiring and challenging.
Good writing can seed innovation and elicit creativity.
While one can complain that those under 40 over-utilize other communicative modalities (texting, etc.), this phenomenon is also the responsibility of those over 40 who have shaped curricula and systems in which their students and children received less than optimal creative preparation for their lives, and the world’s future.
While I don’t think things are beyond repair, it does sound an alarm for educators and parents everywhere. It is important that we do not further the ‘culture of the inarticulate writer’ (Plus writing is good for you!).
- Don’t underestimate the power and value of the written word. Encourage writing - descriptive, inspiring writing.
- Encourage the reading and writing of poetry – three lines of poetry can often say more than three pages of prose.
- Encourage reading period. Reading is a school for writing.
- Encourage the penning of logical and spirited disagreement over designs/issues.
- Try writing without a computer
What are your thoughts on this? What would you suggest be done?
