ו. תמורות חברתיות ופוליטיות
The years IDEO has been active, throughout the 1990s and 2000s, have been marked by a cross of roughly two generations in the United States - Baby Boomers and Generation X. These different groups brought conflicted outlooks, and perhaps IDEO's way of thinking and working is much influenced by the combination of these. Baby boomers, the group to which IDEO founders belong to, grew up during a time of dramatic social and political change. Perhaps because of these changes the group is very divided. There are some that are proponents of dramatic social change, and then there are other, born in later "baby boom" years (Generation Jones), who are more conservative. Some are very experimental, individualistic, free spirited and social cause oriented, while the latter group is less optimistic and more cynical. There are some common characteristics, which are higher rates of participation in higher education than previous generations, and assumption of lifelong prosperity and entitlement, developed during their childhood in the fifties. Overall baby boomers is an extremely dynamic group, and competitive, due to populous birth years. The Generation Jones also largely influenced the rise of the republicans in the United States, as this generation was very impressed by Ronald Reagan's performance.
The Generation X, which came after the boomers, being born roughly during the 1970s, is have been criticized as the 'doom generation', and 'whiners', as it had much to live up to after the Boomers. This is the generation that saw the inception of home computers and internet as a tool for the economic purposes, and this is the first generation to grow with personal computers at home. This is the generation of Dot.coms and MTV. They grew up in times of no major war, and relative economic stability. They have witnessed the fall of Berlin Wall, and the end of the Cold War. They spent their childhood during the political revival of the right-wing politics, and today lead the return to the left. They started addressing social problems, which they see as their inheritance. In general, during the 1990s, and the 2000s, social issues have become more pronounced - issues pertaining to gay rights, gender equality, and human rights, AIDS, and homelessness. Environmental issues, too, have entered center stange. Global warming, for example, while originally an environmental matter, has evolved into a major economic and political issue.
The dynamics, experimentalism, and entrepreurship of Baby Boomers to which the founders of IDEO belong, combined with the familiarity with computers and internet of the Generation X seemed to have influenced the direction IDEO's design thinking followed at the time of it's inception. Perhaps after the tech bust in 2001, all the social and political issues that have been overshadowed by the emerged technology in design business, came to the front row. Among other projects, IDEO started taking on ones, dealing with social issues. Examples include the Aquaduct concept vehicle, which is designed to address water sanitation and transportation in the developing world, the American Red Cross Donor Experience, and Design for Social Impact Workbook and Toolkit. Perhaps another reason for this change in direction IDEO has taken is the influence of the Generation X, which values community, relationships and altruism.
Aquaduct concept vehicle
The Generation X, which came after the boomers, being born roughly during the 1970s, is have been criticized as the 'doom generation', and 'whiners', as it had much to live up to after the Boomers. This is the generation that saw the inception of home computers and internet as a tool for the economic purposes, and this is the first generation to grow with personal computers at home. This is the generation of Dot.coms and MTV. They grew up in times of no major war, and relative economic stability. They have witnessed the fall of Berlin Wall, and the end of the Cold War. They spent their childhood during the political revival of the right-wing politics, and today lead the return to the left. They started addressing social problems, which they see as their inheritance. In general, during the 1990s, and the 2000s, social issues have become more pronounced - issues pertaining to gay rights, gender equality, and human rights, AIDS, and homelessness. Environmental issues, too, have entered center stange. Global warming, for example, while originally an environmental matter, has evolved into a major economic and political issue.
The dynamics, experimentalism, and entrepreurship of Baby Boomers to which the founders of IDEO belong, combined with the familiarity with computers and internet of the Generation X seemed to have influenced the direction IDEO's design thinking followed at the time of it's inception. Perhaps after the tech bust in 2001, all the social and political issues that have been overshadowed by the emerged technology in design business, came to the front row. Among other projects, IDEO started taking on ones, dealing with social issues. Examples include the Aquaduct concept vehicle, which is designed to address water sanitation and transportation in the developing world, the American Red Cross Donor Experience, and Design for Social Impact Workbook and Toolkit. Perhaps another reason for this change in direction IDEO has taken is the influence of the Generation X, which values community, relationships and altruism.
Aquaduct concept vehicle
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