Stephen Bayley

Stephen Bayley is a design critic who was brought to my attention in Design For Society, Nigel Whiteley where Baileys criticisms towards Papanek were described as 'disdainful'. Whiteley wrote that 'Bailey dismissed Papanek as 'a cult figure while ecology was fashionable during the early seventies'. This is therefore an example of a critic of Victor Papanek. 

From this criticism being highlighted, I have further researched Bailey to understand his views more. 

Stephen Bayley. Dezeen. 16.10.17 "A war against branding is a war against people" Available at https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/16/stephen-bayley-opinion-war-against-branding-signs-life-why-brands-matter/

In this article, Bailey expresses his views towards the changing/dying media and how brands are maintaining their status in society - 'people are still motivated by desire and magic, by the promises that brands offer, the stories they tell, the secrets they share and the ambitions they excite.'  
'No-one wants to promote smoking, but here's a warning that this might even predict the death of branding itself. Cars and alcohol are at least as dangerous as cigarettes: why not forbid attractive presentation of them too?' - I agree with Baileys questioning however Is he disagreeing with the change in cigarette packaging because of the negative reflection it has on branding? Perhaps. 




'A brand is a collaboration between consumer and producer in a piece of theatre: playwright and actor working on an agreed script. But the last act is not written.'

'Still, the fear is that generic packaging is not just the last battle in the war against tobacco manufacturers, but one of the first actions in a new and more sinister war against branding itself. And a war against branding is a war against people. Brands are, quite literally, signs of life, or, at least, popular expressions of it. They are culture, art, design, value, belief. And they make a lot of money. Without them, we will in every respect be poorer.' - This would suggest that Bailey does not see the social responsibility that he has a designer. The aspect of money and 'good' design is of greater importance than influencing positive change in society. 

https://vimeo.com/224995419

'Design for me is the whole of the world arround us. The application of inteligance to ordinary things. The application of asthetics to ordinary things.'

'You can't create brands...they evolve over time' 

'A brand is about a associations and expectations that all succcessful products have' 

'The consumer identifies with the brand, or the product'

'The worrying thing, at the money, is that the whole idea of brand is becoming under threat. One from health and safety legislation' 

When talking about tobacco packaging, Bailey describes it as being 'designed to be dull'.  'Now we have the deliberate imposition of ugliness' 

'If brands are under threat then so is our culture and economy'

Summary: Bailey is pointing out that the change in brands such as tobacco companies may only be the start of presenting the consumer with the health warnings that the product entails. He is saying that if this is the start of new legislations, then will there be warnings presented on other items, such as sugary foods, diesel and petrol cars? 
Although Bailey is fighting for true nature of branding not to be lost, he also does not address the impact that branding can have on society. He describes a brands as being 'an image, a promise' and this is what consumers buy into. Through having an understanding of branding, I would not disagree with Bailey in this sense. However, there is a balance of being honest to the consumer as well as presenting the product through 'good' design.