大众设计师群体的边缘叙事--以佛山龙江镇家具行业为例

The Edge Narrative of the Public Designer Group--Taking the Furniture Industry in Longjiang Town,Foshan,as an Example

原创设计的崛起和独立设计师群体的形成,是中国近年来家具行业的重要特征,受到广泛的关注。而作为跟随者的大众设计师群体被赋予了“抄袭者”的标签化印象,并视为中国家具产业发展阻力而受到批判。对精英设计师群体中心话语的关注固然是研究的重要方向,但因此而忽视大众设计师群体的边缘叙事,或者脱离具体情境和细微视角来考察其行为方式,也无法系统理解中国当代家具行业的发展逻辑。以广东省佛山市龙江镇的家具行业为例,通过参与式观察、深入访谈等方法,将大众设计师群体套嵌在具体的情境中来研究,对其边缘叙事的背景、边缘叙述的表征以及未来的趋势进行探索。其社会和产业结构以及设计师的身份缺失形成了结构性和能动性两大边缘因素;大众设计师的边缘叙事并不是简单地与中心对抗,而是体现在对设计卓越性与合法性定义的弱势。大众设计师利用商业的实用主义逻辑这一“弱者的武器”来消解精英设计师群体的话语强势;边缘叙事并不是静止和标签化的,而是随着产业的转型和设计师职业身份的重塑而向中心靠拢。

The rise of original design and the formation of independent designers is an important feature of China's furniture industry in recent years,which has received widespread attention.As a follower of the mass designer group,they have been given a"copycat"label impression,and their resistance to the development of China's furniture industry has been criticized.Although the focus on the central discourse of elite designers is an important direction of research,it is impossible to systematically understand the development logic of China's contemporary furniture industry by ignoring the marginal narrative of mass designers or examining their behavior from specific situations and subtle perspectives.Taking the furniture industry of Longjiang Town,Foshan City,Guangdong Province as an example,through participatory observation,in-depth interviews,and other methods,the mass designer group is embedded in a specific situation to study the background of its edge narrative,the characterization of the edge narrative,and the future trend.Its social and industrial structure and the lack of identity among designers form two marginal factors:structure and initiative.The fringe narrative of mass designers is not simply opposed to the center but is reflected in the weak definition of design excellence and legitimacy.Mass designers use the pragmatic logic of business as the"weapon of the weak"to dissolve the discourse strength of elite designers.The edge narrative is not static and labeled but moves toward the center with the transformation of the industry and the reshaping of the designer's professional identity.