02/04/2007 
8 Comment(s)Keep British Design Alive
Dated: 7th July 2006
British design, it seems, is quickly becomming a thing of the past. Technology and communications are getting better, and with it the world is becomming smaller. A person coming to Britain from, say, America 50 years ago would have found a great difference is in the two countries' take on design; the way we advertise, dress, decorate our homes, music, the arts, what we see as beautiful, exciting, stylish or unattractive.
However over the course of the past half-century influencial countries, similar in culture to our own, have been making a strong impression in more ways than are perhaps beneficial.
Design is changing in this country. We are becomming a nation of import addicts, hooked on asian food, American entertainment and eastern technology. How long will it be until we have lost the cultural identity we once held for so many centuries? From the days of Romans right up until the British art movements of the 1960's?
Forign influence is never always a bad thing. It has helped improve our way of life and in many respects unite the world. But wouldnt it be such a shame to loose one of the main things which has defined our culture for all these years?
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On Friday 07th of July 2006 Rik Lomas said:
Whilst you do make a good point, I think that there still is massive differences between the US and the UK are still huge. I think architecture is strongest design area where we can see differences. We're always going to have the little Northern villages and the gothic cathedrals - the US won't. Music is another massively differing area.
Britain (and the US) have always been influenced by foreign cultures, due to mass immigration, be it Vikings, Normans, or Indians in the '50s. It's not like all of a sudden there is all these non-British influences.
On Friday 07th of July 2006 J Phill said:
I can understand you not wanting a place to be overly influenced by other cultures, however, there are some things about our culture that I hope don't influence others like greed and extremely heavy reliance on the dollar.
Dont think that we're not influenced by your culture though, mainly in fashion, which is HUGE. As much as I love America, there are many o' things that I would not brag about. And at least you don't have a moron president spending billions of dollars on a war that most of American doesn't even want to be in....
On Friday 07th of July 2006 P.J. Onori said:
I think this is what we're going to be seeing more and more due to the globalization of countries. It's sad that local cultures stand the chance of being diluted, but I think this is going to be a continuing trend.
On Friday 07th of July 2006 Pascal said:
Like I always say - we sleep in the bed (or should I say coffin) we make for ourselves.
@ J Phil - But isn't greed THE most important factor that influences those changes that Steve talks about?
No offence but whilst T.Blair is far from being a moron, he too is spending a lot of Sterling Pounds on a war most Brits do not want either.
It's a rat race. You always have to be better, bigger, more efficient then the next guy. You will, no doubt about it, not only be influenced by those things you cite...but you will also learn to adopt them.
On Saturday 08th of July 2006 Elessar said:
Um...i live in America, so i dont really know much about UK designs and such. All i know is that your pizza sucks (no offense). But in todays day and age, EVERYTHING is influenced by something. But even with this outside influence, we, as in people, still manage to retain what makes us who we are, whether its English, American, Itailian, Japanese, etc...
On Saturday 08th of July 2006 lorissa said:
i definitely see what you are saying and agree for the most part. i think the problem is we don't seem to find a good balance between being influenced by the good attributes of another culture, and keeping the good attributes of our own culture.
influence is part of what develops art and design. those influences vary dramatically, but it's about the way we approach and define those influences in our own work/life etc.
not sure if i've actually sad anything worthwhile. i'm just babbling really;)