Re-imagining Design Practices.

Each being — including humans, animals and all organisms— is part of the whole and the whole is part of them, no-one is separated from the rest but rather connected to every other living thing, the biosphere and the Universe. This representation of the self undoubtedly influences people’s understanding of what economy and progress mean.

Today the world is focused on more for the beings than the beings, which indicates the majority of us have the out view of seeing through self. An economy or, may I say, a way of living that favours competition. We are just trying to focus and goal for a world in terms of yield consumption and profit. At the same time, there is another side to it: what kind of impact these practices are creating on the world? Is automating everything progressive? maybe or may not be. But killing existing practices through innovation just for faster production, is that good? No, it is not.

Buddhist economy talks about the idea of obtaining maximum well-being with minimum consumption. According to the Buddhist point of view, work and leisure are complementary parts of the same living process and they can not be separated without destroying the joy of work and the bliss of leisure. There are two types of mechanisms that exist:

• one that enhances a man’s skill

• another that turns the work of man over to a mechanical slave

Buddhist economy builds a way of thinking about supporting meaningful lives by reducing social inequality and simultaneously caring about the environment. Economic progress should not depend on the GDP or production but on creating a way of life where one recognizes the interdependence on other beings and the environment.

One can term the Buddhist Economy as a strategy, that can be implemented in many creative fields. The way the world is functioning today how technological innovation is overlooking the thought of accessibility and for whom to be designed. As a creative practitioner, when I look over the threefold function of work, these can be design principles that can be incorporated into design practices.

1. to give a man chance to utilise and develop his faculties

This can be a design approach to interact with the participants for whom one is trying to design for. Rather designing for it can be designed with them where biases and assumptions can be eliminated with their wisdom and one's analytical approach can speculate about the innovation in regards to their needs.

2. to enable him to overcome his ego centeredness by joining with other people in a common task

As a designer one can engage with them taking with the interaction and speculations, and one can involve them in the design process of creation where they and their needs meaningly will be more important than the outcome or the production or consumption of the outcome.

3. to bring forth the goods and services needed for a becoming existence

With the combined approach of speculation and creation, one can now use their wisdom and participation, and with their observation and learning, lookout for a solution that underlines the idea of functionality and accessibility for the participants.

According to Buddhist economics, small is beautiful, less is more and obtaining maximum well being with minimum consumption is important. Looking over design practices through the same lens sometimes there is no need to overcomplicate or create a new solution that kills the essence of the subject. To tackle the design problem one needs to look through the lens of small is beautiful and how less is more.

As designers, we are expected to change and create a better world. We withstand the responsibility of the coming creation that how it needs to be inclusive rather exclusive. Design creations and innovation should be influenced by the Buddhist Economy strategy, where the application, innovation or the tool should enhance the skill and not kill the essence of the subject.

As summarised by J.C. Kumarappa if the nature of the work is properly appreciated and applied it will stand in the same relation to higher faculties as food is to the physical body. It nourishes and enlivens the higher man and urges to produce the best. Similarly, if the design application or tool is properly thought out, appreciated and applied in the correct context in association with the frame of work it ends up to be a bliss that caters to the concerning design problem.

With the fast running world and changes, we need to stop and look over the consequences of the creations that we are designing. The emphasis should not be shifted to the product. Rather, it needs to focus on whom the product is for; the idea should be more about creativity and accessibility than consumption. It is not about choosing a design practice to work along with but to enhance and evolve a design practice we are already using. And look forward that how it can create a sense of inclusiveness.