為什么我們需要“全國(guó)婦女歷史月”(National Women’s History Month),?因?yàn)槟銖膩?lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)她,。我說(shuō)的是哪個(gè)“她”呢?今天要給大家介紹的這位女性,,不僅改變了我們的生活方式,,還設(shè)計(jì)了許多拯救生命的產(chǎn)品,。
薩拉·利特爾·特恩布爾是一位設(shè)計(jì)多面手。從室內(nèi)陳設(shè),、食品到汽車(chē)內(nèi)飾和太空服,,她的作品幾乎無(wú)所不包。在長(zhǎng)達(dá)70年的職業(yè)生涯中,,她始終是一位慷慨的合作伙伴,,從不忌憚涉足研發(fā)、營(yíng)銷(xiāo),、材料科學(xué)、工程和制造等領(lǐng)域的工作,。她成就斐然,,設(shè)計(jì)的產(chǎn)品無(wú)處不在——但你從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)她。
1958年的一個(gè)夏日,,薩拉·利特爾向富有創(chuàng)新精神的3M公司(3M Corporation)解釋?zhuān)瑸槭裁此麄儜?yīng)該將非織造材料擴(kuò)展到許多新產(chǎn)品中,。被聘為產(chǎn)品顧問(wèn)的她意識(shí)到,,塑形文胸罩杯是醫(yī)用口罩的完美形狀。薩拉將一個(gè)彈性頭帶和一個(gè)金屬鼻夾安裝在產(chǎn)品原型上,,并由此萌生了“泡沫”口罩的設(shè)計(jì)靈感,。是的,這款產(chǎn)品最終演變?yōu)榫让鼰o(wú)數(shù)的N95醫(yī)用口罩,。
一位天生的極簡(jiǎn)主義者
人如其名,。薩拉·利特爾真的很嬌小,。她踮起腳尖,勉強(qiáng)能夠到5英尺(約1.524米),。合身的衣服往往都是在孩子的衣架上找到的,。這位身材嬌小、精力充沛的女性巧妙地利用她待人隨和的魅力,,將她超凡的才智和與生俱來(lái)的智慧帶入了公司董事會(huì),。
善于解決問(wèn)題的能力,幫助薩拉擺脫了童年的貧困生活,。從穿著到飲食,,她精心設(shè)計(jì)自己生活的方方面面。她購(gòu)買(mǎi)的每一件物品都是經(jīng)過(guò)慎重考慮的,。為了買(mǎi)一套高級(jí)時(shí)裝、定制鞋子,,或者一件可以用一輩子的家具,,她會(huì)攢上一整年的錢(qián)。她在20世紀(jì)60年代設(shè)計(jì)的單表盤(pán)收音機(jī)簡(jiǎn)單而完美,,在50年后的今天仍然在廣泛使用,。她踐行著自己的座右銘:“物品不在多,,而在精,。”
通過(guò)專(zhuān)注于設(shè)計(jì)用料少,、耐用且節(jié)省時(shí)間的“生活工具”,,薩拉為我們創(chuàng)造了一個(gè)更美好的世界。她的設(shè)計(jì)方法足夠精確:從“為什么”開(kāi)始,,與終端用戶交談,制定計(jì)劃,,并實(shí)施解決方案,。薩拉始終尋求在商業(yè)中彰顯人類(lèi)價(jià)值,這是她銳意進(jìn)取的不懈動(dòng)力,。她懷抱著清晰的愿景,并奉行毫不妥協(xié)的價(jià)值觀:“‘消費(fèi)者’這個(gè)詞被濫用得太厲害了,,我更愿意稱(chēng)他們?yōu)椤脩簟?。?/p>
她告誡工業(yè)界,,不要只顧著了解制造商想賣(mài)給人們什么,,而不去了解人們真正需要什么,。她譴責(zé)稱(chēng),“計(jì)劃性淘汰”是非常不道德的,。
“設(shè)計(jì)是為人服務(wù)的”
利用一筆獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金完成帕森斯設(shè)計(jì)學(xué)院(Parsons School of Design)的學(xué)業(yè)后,,薩拉在著名的室內(nèi)外家居裝飾雜志《House Beautiful》找了一份工作。在她為該雜志工作的近20年里,,薩拉注意到設(shè)計(jì)拙劣的產(chǎn)品不斷涌現(xiàn),,泛濫成災(zāi),。她想將二戰(zhàn)期間開(kāi)發(fā)的材料重新用于家庭。她還對(duì)女性不斷改變的角色產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣,。薩拉決定離開(kāi)出版業(yè),,與美國(guó)制造業(yè)的巨頭們打交道。
薩拉經(jīng)常是房間里唯一一位經(jīng)常為美國(guó)企業(yè)界的首席執(zhí)行官提供建議的女性,。作為他們的秘密武器,,她無(wú)懈可擊地將自己的知識(shí)封存起來(lái)——這些知識(shí)是她同時(shí)為許多公司設(shè)計(jì)不同的產(chǎn)品時(shí)開(kāi)發(fā)出來(lái)的,。這位極富創(chuàng)新精神,,勇于打破傳統(tǒng)的設(shè)計(jì)師看到了無(wú)處不在的聯(lián)系。她深知,,要是有人意識(shí)到她只知道這么多,,她的設(shè)計(jì)生涯就算走到頭了。不過(guò),由于薩拉為他們賺了數(shù)十億美元,,也沒(méi)有人問(wèn)她這檔事,。
后來(lái)任教于斯坦福大學(xué)(Stanford University)的薩拉,成為許多有影響力的變革者的導(dǎo)師,。她鼓勵(lì)她的學(xué)生成為各自公司的良心擔(dān)當(dāng):“設(shè)計(jì)是為人服務(wù)的——滿足我們的需求,,讓我們的生活更輕松,、更優(yōu)雅,讓我們的意識(shí)更加敏銳,,或許還能夠在這個(gè)過(guò)程中提升自己,。”
位于西雅圖的設(shè)計(jì)中心(Center for Design)正在展示薩拉·利特爾的作品和研究制品,,其中包括身體外層,、紡織品、餐飲用具,、裝飾品和儀式工具。她的系列作品表達(dá)了全球各地的人類(lèi)文化中神圣的女性精神,。
她沒(méi)有采用我們常見(jiàn)的那種以戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)和征服為主題的商業(yè)隱喻,,而是專(zhuān)注于觀察家庭生活。她也是仿生學(xué)的早期實(shí)踐者——在自然界中發(fā)現(xiàn)線索,,并將其融入真實(shí),、美麗的設(shè)計(jì)方案,。她忙于設(shè)計(jì)我們的未來(lái),無(wú)暇考慮她的未來(lái),。這就是為什么你從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)她,。
天才是不分性別的。倘若世界上一半人口的智慧被充分調(diào)動(dòng)起來(lái),,我們就可以實(shí)現(xiàn)新的可能性,。通過(guò)紀(jì)念像薩拉這樣的女性所做的重要工作,我們能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)一些有助于我們攜手解決當(dāng)今世界重大挑戰(zhàn)的非凡洞見(jiàn),。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者葆拉·里斯是跨學(xué)科設(shè)計(jì)公司Foreseer的主理人,。這家位于美國(guó)華盛頓州西雅圖的公司創(chuàng)造了從洛杉磯到巴塞羅那的多用途目的地。里斯珍視薩拉對(duì)她的諄諄教導(dǎo),,目前負(fù)責(zé)監(jiān)管這位昔日導(dǎo)師的設(shè)計(jì)中心,。該中心計(jì)劃推出一套以薩拉和她的作品為基礎(chǔ)的兒童系列圖書(shū),。其中《萵苣惹的禍》(Lettuce Get in Trouble)一書(shū)將于2022年5月17日出版發(fā)行。
譯者:任文科
為什么我們需要“全國(guó)婦女歷史月”(National Women’s History Month),?因?yàn)槟銖膩?lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)她,。我說(shuō)的是哪個(gè)“她”呢?今天要給大家介紹的這位女性,,不僅改變了我們的生活方式,還設(shè)計(jì)了許多拯救生命的產(chǎn)品,。
薩拉·利特爾·特恩布爾是一位設(shè)計(jì)多面手,。從室內(nèi)陳設(shè)、食品到汽車(chē)內(nèi)飾和太空服,,她的作品幾乎無(wú)所不包。在長(zhǎng)達(dá)70年的職業(yè)生涯中,,她始終是一位慷慨的合作伙伴,,從不忌憚涉足研發(fā)、營(yíng)銷(xiāo),、材料科學(xué),、工程和制造等領(lǐng)域的工作,。她成就斐然,,設(shè)計(jì)的產(chǎn)品無(wú)處不在——但你從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)她,。
1958年的一個(gè)夏日,薩拉·利特爾向富有創(chuàng)新精神的3M公司(3M Corporation)解釋?zhuān)瑸槭裁此麄儜?yīng)該將非織造材料擴(kuò)展到許多新產(chǎn)品中,。被聘為產(chǎn)品顧問(wèn)的她意識(shí)到,,塑形文胸罩杯是醫(yī)用口罩的完美形狀。薩拉將一個(gè)彈性頭帶和一個(gè)金屬鼻夾安裝在產(chǎn)品原型上,,并由此萌生了“泡沫”口罩的設(shè)計(jì)靈感,。是的,這款產(chǎn)品最終演變?yōu)榫让鼰o(wú)數(shù)的N95醫(yī)用口罩,。
一位天生的極簡(jiǎn)主義者
人如其名,。薩拉·利特爾真的很嬌小。她踮起腳尖,,勉強(qiáng)能夠到5英尺(約1.524米),。合身的衣服往往都是在孩子的衣架上找到的,。這位身材嬌小、精力充沛的女性巧妙地利用她待人隨和的魅力,,將她超凡的才智和與生俱來(lái)的智慧帶入了公司董事會(huì)。
善于解決問(wèn)題的能力,,幫助薩拉擺脫了童年的貧困生活,。從穿著到飲食,她精心設(shè)計(jì)自己生活的方方面面,。她購(gòu)買(mǎi)的每一件物品都是經(jīng)過(guò)慎重考慮的,。為了買(mǎi)一套高級(jí)時(shí)裝,、定制鞋子,或者一件可以用一輩子的家具,,她會(huì)攢上一整年的錢(qián),。她在20世紀(jì)60年代設(shè)計(jì)的單表盤(pán)收音機(jī)簡(jiǎn)單而完美,在50年后的今天仍然在廣泛使用,。她踐行著自己的座右銘:“物品不在多,,而在精?!?/p>
通過(guò)專(zhuān)注于設(shè)計(jì)用料少、耐用且節(jié)省時(shí)間的“生活工具”,,薩拉為我們創(chuàng)造了一個(gè)更美好的世界,。她的設(shè)計(jì)方法足夠精確:從“為什么”開(kāi)始,與終端用戶交談,,制定計(jì)劃,,并實(shí)施解決方案。薩拉始終尋求在商業(yè)中彰顯人類(lèi)價(jià)值,,這是她銳意進(jìn)取的不懈動(dòng)力,。她懷抱著清晰的愿景,并奉行毫不妥協(xié)的價(jià)值觀:“‘消費(fèi)者’這個(gè)詞被濫用得太厲害了,,我更愿意稱(chēng)他們?yōu)椤脩簟?。?/p>
她告誡工業(yè)界,,不要只顧著了解制造商想賣(mài)給人們什么,,而不去了解人們真正需要什么,。她譴責(zé)稱(chēng),“計(jì)劃性淘汰”是非常不道德的,。
“設(shè)計(jì)是為人服務(wù)的”
利用一筆獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金完成帕森斯設(shè)計(jì)學(xué)院(Parsons School of Design)的學(xué)業(yè)后,,薩拉在著名的室內(nèi)外家居裝飾雜志《House Beautiful》找了一份工作。在她為該雜志工作的近20年里,,薩拉注意到設(shè)計(jì)拙劣的產(chǎn)品不斷涌現(xiàn),,泛濫成災(zāi)。她想將二戰(zhàn)期間開(kāi)發(fā)的材料重新用于家庭,。她還對(duì)女性不斷改變的角色產(chǎn)生了濃厚的興趣。薩拉決定離開(kāi)出版業(yè),,與美國(guó)制造業(yè)的巨頭們打交道,。
薩拉經(jīng)常是房間里唯一一位經(jīng)常為美國(guó)企業(yè)界的首席執(zhí)行官提供建議的女性。作為他們的秘密武器,,她無(wú)懈可擊地將自己的知識(shí)封存起來(lái)——這些知識(shí)是她同時(shí)為許多公司設(shè)計(jì)不同的產(chǎn)品時(shí)開(kāi)發(fā)出來(lái)的,。這位極富創(chuàng)新精神,,勇于打破傳統(tǒng)的設(shè)計(jì)師看到了無(wú)處不在的聯(lián)系。她深知,,要是有人意識(shí)到她只知道這么多,,她的設(shè)計(jì)生涯就算走到頭了。不過(guò),,由于薩拉為他們賺了數(shù)十億美元,,也沒(méi)有人問(wèn)她這檔事。
后來(lái)任教于斯坦福大學(xué)(Stanford University)的薩拉,,成為許多有影響力的變革者的導(dǎo)師。她鼓勵(lì)她的學(xué)生成為各自公司的良心擔(dān)當(dāng):“設(shè)計(jì)是為人服務(wù)的——滿足我們的需求,讓我們的生活更輕松,、更優(yōu)雅,,讓我們的意識(shí)更加敏銳,或許還能夠在這個(gè)過(guò)程中提升自己,?!?/p>
位于西雅圖的設(shè)計(jì)中心(Center for Design)正在展示薩拉·利特爾的作品和研究制品,其中包括身體外層,、紡織品、餐飲用具,、裝飾品和儀式工具,。她的系列作品表達(dá)了全球各地的人類(lèi)文化中神圣的女性精神。
她沒(méi)有采用我們常見(jiàn)的那種以戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)和征服為主題的商業(yè)隱喻,,而是專(zhuān)注于觀察家庭生活,。她也是仿生學(xué)的早期實(shí)踐者——在自然界中發(fā)現(xiàn)線索,,并將其融入真實(shí),、美麗的設(shè)計(jì)方案,。她忙于設(shè)計(jì)我們的未來(lái),,無(wú)暇考慮她的未來(lái),。這就是為什么你從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)她。
天才是不分性別的,。倘若世界上一半人口的智慧被充分調(diào)動(dòng)起來(lái),,我們就可以實(shí)現(xiàn)新的可能性。通過(guò)紀(jì)念像薩拉這樣的女性所做的重要工作,,我們能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)一些有助于我們攜手解決當(dāng)今世界重大挑戰(zhàn)的非凡洞見(jiàn)。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者葆拉·里斯是跨學(xué)科設(shè)計(jì)公司Foreseer的主理人,。這家位于美國(guó)華盛頓州西雅圖的公司創(chuàng)造了從洛杉磯到巴塞羅那的多用途目的地,。里斯珍視薩拉對(duì)她的諄諄教導(dǎo),目前負(fù)責(zé)監(jiān)管這位昔日導(dǎo)師的設(shè)計(jì)中心,。該中心計(jì)劃推出一套以薩拉和她的作品為基礎(chǔ)的兒童系列圖書(shū),。其中《萵苣惹的禍》(Lettuce Get in Trouble)一書(shū)將于2022年5月17日出版發(fā)行。
譯者:任文科
Why do we need National Women’s History Month? Because you’ve never heard of her. Which “her” am I talking about? In this case, a woman who changed how we live and designed products that saved lives.
Sara Little Turnbull was a multi-faceted design consultant who created everything from furnishings and foodstuffs to car interiors and spacesuits. A generous collaborator for seven decades, she was unafraid of working in R&D, marketing, material science, engineering, or on the manufacturing floor. Her achievements were many and her products are ubiquitous–but you’ve never heard of her.
One summer day in 1958, Sara Little explained to the innovative 3M Corporation why they should expand their nonwoven material into many new products. Hired as a product consultant, she realized a molded bra cup was the perfect shape for a medical mask. Attaching an elastic headband and a metal nose clip to a prototype, she inspired the bubble mask that eventually evolved into the lifesaving N95.
A born minimalist
Sara Little was literally little. Standing on her tiptoes, she barely reached five feet. The clothes that would fit her were found on the children’s racks. This diminutive dynamo cleverly employed her easygoing charm to bring her oversized intellect and innate wisdom into corporate boardrooms.
Sara’s problem-solving abilities helped clear her pathway out of childhood poverty. Everything from what she wore to what she ate was created by design. She carefully considered every possession, saving all year to buy a couture outfit, custom shoes, or household furnishings that lasted a lifetime. Her simple, perfectly designed one-dial radio from the 1960s was still in use more than 50 years later. She modeled her motto, “Fewer things of better quality.”
Sara built a better world by focusing on “tools for living” that use fewer materials, last longer, and save time. Her methodology was precise: Start with why, talk to end-users, create a plan, and implement a solution. Sara was driven to set the stage for human values in commerce. Her vision was clear, and her values were uncompromising: “The word consumer has been highly abused; I prefer to employ user.”
She admonished industry for not finding out what people needed instead of what manufacturers wanted to sell them. She decried “planned obsolescence” as highly unethical.
“Design is for people”
Using scholarships to attend Parsons School of Design, Sara went on to work at House Beautiful magazine. During her nearly 20 years at the magazine, she noticed the proliferation of poorly designed products. She wanted to repurpose the materials developed during WWII for use in the home. She was also keen on the changing role of women. Sara decided to leave publishing to take on the titans of American manufacturing.
Sara was often the only woman advising the CEOs who ran corporate America. Valued as their secret weapon, she impeccably siloed her own knowledge—developed while working simultaneously for many companies on disparate products. This innovative, iconoclastic designer saw connections everywhere. She understood it would be the end for her if anyone realized how much she knew. But since she was making them billions of dollars, nobody was asking.
Later in life, Sara taught at Stanford University, becoming a mentor to many influential changemakers. She encouraged her students to become the conscience of their companies: “Design is for people—to fill our needs, to make our lives easier and more graceful, to sharpen our awareness, and perhaps to uplift us in the process.”
Sara Little’s ongoing Center for Design in Seattle showcases her work and study artifacts, including body coverings, textiles, dining appointments, ornamentation, and tools for rituals. Her collections express the divinely feminine spirit of human culture around the globe.
Instead of employing the usual business metaphors of war and conquest, she observed domestic life. She was also an early practitioner of biomimicry—seeing clues in nature to inform authentic, beautiful design solutions. She was busy designing our future instead of worrying about hers. That’s why you’ve never heard of her.
Genius is not specific to gender. When the wisdom of half the world’s population is included, we can realize new possibilities. By remembering the essential work of women like Sara, we discover insights that help us solve the critical challenges of the modern world together.
Paula Rees is the principal of Foreseer, an interdisciplinary design firm in Seattle, WA that creates mixed-use destinations from L.A. to Barcelona. Rees treasured Sara’s mentorship and oversees her Center for Design. The Center is launching a children's book series based on Sara and her work with Lettuce Get in Trouble on May 17, 2022.