Dominica:As a designer, you also sometimes conduct "investigations." Such was the case with the Salaula project - you discovered connections between Western countries, but also China and African Zambia. How did you address this topic?
Lotte: A few years ago I was on an internship in Cape Town, and as part of a completely different project we went to Zambia. There, on the street, I saw a man wearing a soccer club jersey from the town next to where I was born. It's really a very local and fairly unknown club, so I was very surprised to see someone in Zambia wearing such a jersey. I also noticed that people there attach a lot of importance to brands, someone, for example, decorated his entire car with the Nike logo. Some time later, I submitted my research project as part of a call for proposals for the Geo-Design platform to trace the path of this soccer jersey. Being in Zambia, I was able to talk to people, take a look at their work and learn firsthand what was going on there. It also turned out that the Chinese are not only involved in the clothing trade, but are also investing in infrastructure, resources, building roads - colonizing Africa. It's interesting that you learn all this through second-hand clothes, having been there for only a month.
Salaula project - working with local entrepreneurs in Zambia
Dominica: You did some pretty quick research, and you discovered a whole list of problems: the disappearance of local production, the pushing of responsibility for the problem between countries, corruption, land grabbing....
Lotte: Well, the role of the designer is to give form to these problems and show them to people who have more power and decision-making power, and to connect these people with each other. You also have to be aware that sometimes it's not your role to solve the problems, because you're just not in a position to do it.
Dominica: Was there any follow-up after your "investigation"?
Lotte: At Leiden University in the Netherlands, as part of the Center for African Studies, we worked on a program to bring together African and European leaders to build a platform to work on solutions. The event was supposed to take place in December, but unfortunately it was canceled.
Dominica: You've uncovered some huge problems. Aren't you tempted to put pressure on whoever you can to solve these problems immediately, or do you realize that time and patience are needed here?
Lotte: Both statements are true. On the one hand, you are knocking on every door, and on the other hand, you have to be realistic and know that some things can't be done now. Besides, maybe it's a lame excuse, but you also need to earn money to be able to do these projects. I would like to continue the Salaula project - next year I plan to work with local designers as part of Zambia Fashion Week. But current events are forcing me to work more locally.
Salaula project presentation in Eindhoven
Photo right: Jürgen Schmidt © Lenswerk Fotodesign
Dominika: Since you've already touched on earning... How do you raise funds as a social designer? Wouldn't it be easier to make money through product design?
Lotte: I don't have big costs, I don't need to invest in materials or technology. Personally, I don't need much - enough to pay for basic needs, food and bills. I do, however, invest my time, but it's not important to me to earn money for every hour I spend on a project. My job is to make contacts, network, call people, look for opportunities or attend events that are in line with my values. Perhaps this makes it easier to raise funds to continue my work, since I have no material costs.
Dominika: You have worked in many places: in Athens, Cape Town, Lusaka and the Netherlands. Which of these design experiences is most important to you?
Lotte: I like informal places where there is energy and unexpected things can happen. It's easier to find such places in Africa - informality is everywhere. It's easier to invite people to your project because they don't have commitments, set meetings and plans for the next day, like in the Netherlands, where everything is organized. My favorite place is Cape Town. There you can experience what is happening globally, but in one place. It bridges the gap between informality and organization. There are extremely rich and extremely poor people living side by side. So when I talk about these experiences and people say Cape Town must be a great place I reply that it absolutely is not. You can see the remnants of apartheid there, you can encounter social problems at every turn: poverty, racism, violence, gangsters. It's painful, but at the same time interesting, because, perhaps, when you understand the small scale, you will also understand what's going on globally. And if you want to build bridges, this is the best place. I would also like to visit countries like Brazil, Chile, India. It's also interesting to me to bring that informality, where things happen spontaneously, back to places like the Netherlands. Here, one way of life is set: study, work, children, buying a car and a house... So that's what I'm focusing on in the Netherlands, to get people to start building a life their own way, instead of planning everything in a way imposed by society.
Dominika: You don't work with material, texture or form. Instead, you choose to work with people. Why?
Lotte: I like to experiment. I see the system, society and people as material. You can compare it to ceramics - when you put something in the kiln, you don't quite know what will come out of it. In my case, it is the same with people. Although the medium is different, it is as exciting as looking into the kiln after firing a new ceramic piece.
Dominica: You write on your website that you don't pay much attention to what you have already achieved, you look forward more to what is yet to come. What design ideas are going through your mind right now?
Lotte: I would definitely like to explore the Salaula project more and study what else we can do to solve the problems found there. An interesting task would be public transportation in Cape Town, which is a big social problem. How about introducing informal modes of transportation? I'd also like to simplify the "election beacon" system in the Netherlands, which helps you choose which party you will vote for. It is too abstract now, and should be based on situations that are known and understood by citizens. O! I would also like to work on creating a more inclusive cultural scene. So as to move it to where life is happening. For example, a museum in Eindhoven asked me how they could include more people in their activities. At the time, I lived on a street inhabited by many representatives of different nationalities, who had never heard of such a museum, but... on weekends they rented fast cars to just drive them around. What if these two facts were combined and part of the exhibition was organized in these fast cars? However, this was too radical a solution for the museum, because they said no [laughs]. I would very much like to do this kind of intervention.
Dominika:You are a very young designer. Do designers your age think like you? Can you talk about a design generational shift?
Lotte: I would like to think that people in design are beginning to realize that design should mean meaningful activities. However, there is still the question of what that means for whom. For some designers, it is really important to create beautiful things. A lot depends on the university and education. My studies supported me a lot in searching for what is important and finding satisfaction in it. However, I know that not all universities are so open. I also don't think that these changes are a generational issue - rather, the moment we are in demands it and designers are trying to respond to it. The time of design superstars like Philippe Starck is over, and instead designers are increasingly acting collectively: sharing knowledge, space or co-creating projects. I hope this is a trend that will continue. I believe we really have the power to make a difference.
Dominica:Thank you for the interview.
interviewed: Dominika Drozdowska
Illustrations provided courtesy of Lotte de Haan.
