​Universal Design(b)|通用设计(b)

Universal Design—Seeking the Greatest Inclusivity通用设计，寻找最大包容点

本篇中英文节录自《台湾光华杂志》

九十九年二月第三十五卷第二期

『通用设计，寻找最大包容点』

本社为尊重《台湾光华杂志》，中文原文注销，仅供参考，中英文如有不尽相符之处，敬请包涵。

While universal design contests have been run for only five years in Taiwan, the concept itself dates back over half a century. Over the course of the 1950s, coming out of World War II and going through to the Korean War and then further ahead to the Vietnam War and onward, European and American societies began seriously focusing on the issue of disabled-accessible spaces in the wake of all the casualties of war.

In 1987, American Ron Mace, a professor of architecture at the University of North Carolina and confined to a wheelchair by polio, coined the term universal design. Mace stressed that universal design was not some new style or field, but rather the concept that when designers conceive new products and companies produce them, they should consider using the most direct and simplest methods so that anyone can intuitively use the products. Thus, products would not need to be improved or specially designed and could reach the biggest audience the quickest. Some examples include left-handed scissors or home and mobile phones simple enough for even the elderly to use.

Ever since the first universal design competition he held, Tang has actively been in touch with manufacturers, but there have been many difficulties. Taiwanese businesses still have doubts about the potential opportunities in universal design, but the concept has blossomed in Japan.

Satoshi Nakagawa, head of Tripod Design and known in Japan as the "father of universal design," once designed a pen that required no effort to use for someone suffering from leukemia and whose hands and wrists were so weak they couldn't even write their own name without difficulty. Nakagawa emphasizes that universal design should please the majority, not only a minority—as long as the products are useful, they will become popular. Thinking about people's spirits and trying to make their souls smile a little is what universal design is all about.

(Teng Sue-feng/translated by Geof Aberhart)

虽然『通用设计』比赛在台湾只有短短 5 年，但这个理念至少可追溯到半世纪前。1950 年代欧美国家经历二次大战、韩战和越战后，社会开始正视因战争导致伤残者的无障碍空间。

1987 年，美国北卡罗莱纳大学建筑系教授、自己也因小儿麻痹症而困坐轮椅的朗麦斯首先使用通用设计一词。他强调，通用设计不是一个新风格或新领域，而是设计者构思与公司生产物品时，都应该用最直接、简易的方法，让使用者一用就上手，因此产品不需要经过大幅改良或特别设计，就可以最快被最多人使用，例如左撇子也能使用的剪刀，操作步骤不复杂、银发族也会使用的家用电话与手机等。

自从唐峰正首次举办通用设计比赛后，他就主动接触厂商，过程却是困难重重。当台湾业者对通用设计究竟有多大商机仍有疑虑之际，通用设计理念却在日本发扬光大。

被日本人尊称为『通用设计之父』的 Tripod Design公司社长中川聪，曾设计一支不需费力书写的笔，让患有白血病、手腕无法施力、连写自己名字都有困难的病患使用。中川聪强调，通用设计要能满足最多数人，而不是小众，因为只要产品好用，就能引起广泛共鸣；而照顾最多人，等待使用者一抹会心的微笑，更是通用设计的精神。

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通用设计的概念简单易懂，而且运用范围极广，小如一个马克杯的重量是否会让患有『妈妈手（手部因肌腱炎而无力）』的人拿不起来，一口吞下的果冻应该多小，才不会噎住儿童食道，造成窒息；大到一栋建筑物、环境空间的设施、动线规划等，通用设计强调安全、健康、舒适、美感、无障碍，人人受惠。

而继前 4 届规划的『食』、『净』、『衣』、『厨事』等主题后，唐峰正已经想好，2010 年的通用设计竞赛主题将锁定『住宅』，希望将参赛者由校园扩大到业界的建筑师和室内设计师，并邀请建设公司参与，从无障碍卫浴、可升降的厨柜等，大家集思广益，打造一户 35 坪、三房两厅的理想居住空间。（数据源：台湾光华杂志）