Art is everywhere, and that makes me happy

Our class visit to the V&A’s 20th Century exhibit reinforced in my mind one key benefit of being a designer – we are one of the few classes of artists that have the ability to create art that the average person can interact with every day.

Like any typical museum exhibition, the 20th Century collection sits behind glass. Visitors mosey along a well-worn path glancing at each artifact. If something catches their eye - they skim its description written on a small plaque and learn why it’s important. However, what made these pieces of art unique is that only a relativity short time ago, they were simply props in a normal person’s day-to-day life – furnishing his home, clothing her back, helping her clean the carpets or sitting in his office. The sleek lines and functionality of a typewriter, the playful pattern on a child’s dress, the organized layout of a car manual – all of these things were hand-crafted by a designer. They then entered and exited the consumer’s life and can now be celebrated alongside some of the greatest fine art ever created.

It’s fun to guess what things in my life I might find myself viewing in a museum one day. The computer I type this blog post on? The mobile phone sitting next to me? The trendy boots on my feet? What about these cool post cards we grabbed at the V&A?

Maybe even (fingers-crossed) one of my own future designs….