27 TSANG SEYMOUR DESIGN
In Design for the Other 90% consumers see exceptional design achievements as they were intended—for everyone. “Ninety five percent of the world’s designers focus all of their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10 percent of the world’s consumers,” states Dr. Paul R. Polak of International Development Enterprises, explaining the disparity that is the raison d’etre of this exhibition that ran from May 4–Sept. 23, 2007, at the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

The companion catalog was created under the direction of partners Catarina Tsang and Patrick Seymour of New York-based Tsang Seymour Design. “Within the catalog, there is a relatively broad representation of design, from the most utilitarian, economic solutions to those that represent a thoughtful aesthetic borne out of utility and economy,” says Tsang. The catalog explores the breadth of problems the world faces, she continues, noting that “lack of fuel and water are not issues unique to the subjects featured in this catalog.” Tsang and Seymour consider the breadth of the subject via narrative photographs and illustrations juxtaposed with what Tsang calls “a kind of typography derived from commodity graphic design associated with commercial strip malls and supermarket windows.” The printing—on lightweight, uncoated stock—references a temporal aesthetic that stands in contrast to typically glossy, high-end museum publications. This strategy allows Design for the Other 90% to “spotlight intentionally unglamorous and mostly unselfconscious design content.” by Mary Louise Killen

Tsang Seymour Design | Art Directors: Catrina Tsang, Patrick Seymour | Designer: Laura Howell | Photographer: Vestergaard Fransen (cover) | Client: Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum | Contact: www.tsangseymour.com