Lost in Space - A Traveler's Tale
John Thackara



When Harry Swaak invited me to give this lecture, I was so flattered and amazed
that I said yes without even thinking about the consequences.
It was only when I got back from holiday and confronted
the task in earnest that I realized
the extent of my problem.

Unlike previous lecturers in this series,
I am not a creator, like an architect or designer.
Neither am I a producer, running an innovative manufacturing company.
Consequently, I have no portfolio of beautiful products or buildings to show you.

I also lack a well-developed eye for fashion trends -
so I can't even tell you whether 1996 will be brown!

On the Contrary:

my archive is a somewhat dispiriting pile
of old magazine articles
(many yellow and curling at the edges),
a couple of books,
and some uninspiring slides
of bygone exhibitions
and conferences.

You would not thank me for showing them!

In fact I do not propose to talk about objects at all.
I hope this will not disappoint those of you who consider products
- real, hard things -
to be the essence of the subject of design.

M own view is that the design of processes is just as important for design,

particularly when they bring people and technology into contact with each other.

I hope I can make this aspect of design interesting for you, too.

That's why I have decided to talk about airports, air travel,
and the whole business of flying around the world.
My modest aim is to tell you what fascinates me
about the design aspects of aviation. With luck,
this will stimulate some of you to think
differently about the process,
next time you
fly.

John Thackara

Onward