Tadanori Nagasawa's Pool vs Ocean Metaphor for Design's Future

During a Design for Longevity (D4L) workshop in Tokyo, Sheng-Hung Lee, who teaches Urban Technology at the University of Michigan and leads the d-mix lab, shared insights inspired by Tadanori Nagasawa, the Executive Chairman and former President of Musashino Art University. Nagasawa’s metaphor about choosing between a pool and the ocean sparked Lee’s exploration of creative tension, design limits, and the importance of intention in design. He pointed out how AI can quickly summarize complex design tasks, shifting the emphasis to critical thinking. Lee referenced teamLab's 2015 exhibit 'Transcending Boundaries' and Takeshi Yamada's ocean analogy, emphasizing design as a boundary object that connects different fields. He also reflected on his journey from Cambridge to Ann Arbor, where he teaches at Taubman College, while working on his book 'D4L: Exploring Design for Longevity'. Ultimately, he stressed that while AI is powerful, it can’t replace the deep understanding of human needs that designers must cultivate.