Rough Structure

Babel Tower...When languages die, is design becoming the new global language?

I am really grateful of Wei-Wen's feedback and advise on my project. Her positive response gave me a "go" to dig further on this subject with more confidence.
What she suggested clears out for me most is the way I am to position myself in this project ( something I found quite troublesome and unsure for a long time), which is, to be critical and reflective, on issues concerning design, the world and the whole human being. I hope am not aiming too high in regard to my experience and knowledge, but at least this is something I find valuable, interesting, and worth pursuing.

With insightful hints from Wei-Wen, and after the short tutorial with Frank this Wednesday, I develop the rough structure of my essay.

Firstly I will be looking at the phenomenon of language death from anthropological, societal, and political perspectives.
Secondly, I will address the relationship between language and graphic design. Design is language / Language is design?
Finally, and probably most important part of my essay, will be discussing the significance of languages death to design practice.
Here is some initial thoughts that might worth discussing:
1. A homogeneous world view? Is design becoming easier? Is this a sign of crisis? Do we need designers anymore?
2. Lost of knowledge about the world => lost of creativity? Rethink about creativity
3. Lost of history & culture. Designer as cultural practitioner, what is our responsibility?
4. Tower of Babel: Does the lost of languages imply the surging of human pride? How to look at the rising role of design in the sense that design is the new “global” language?
Rethink about international style. I might argue that the diversity of design will keep human stay humble.

So that is the basic structure.

Since Tracey's briefing on our timetable for phase two this Tuesday, I realized that there will be an exhibit of work in progress on mid June. This is to compose of our research documentations and visual experiments. Realizing that I am not really a sketch-book person, I will try to use this blog to document my thoughts, discoveries, and visual developments. Long way to go, especially the visual part!