Lately, the words "Education of Desire" have set my thoughts in motion. If objects are created in response to people's desires, the quality of their desire will affect that of the object. If in response to the demands of appetite, we loosen our belts to the next hole, slovenly fashion follows. People's "needs" are sometimes loose. Therefore, needs require education. Desire and education are both words that seem too direct, but I haven't found any better. The English word education is better than the Japanese word, kyoiku, because it communicates the nuance of causing potential to blossom by supplying a vision. Design must be a slow, quiet education that gradually exerts influence on the quality of need--the standard of the desire. The aesthetics instilled in a subtly designed and well-made product kindle a small awakening and the desire life swells like a bud swollen to bursting. Objects are thus produced according to the desire that swells. Objects come into being in concert with these swollen desires, and the soil of culture grows and matures because of those countless cycles and linkages. The essence of design is participation in the quality of the soil. [Naito-san, I spent some time researching commas and "therefore". If we want to emphasize the introductory word or phrase, which in this case is the word, "therefore", we put a comma after it. If we don't want to emphasize it by making the reader pause after it, we don't. I think in this case, you're right. Let's put a comma after "therefore"! Thanks for urging me to look into it. Grammar is sometimes loose, like needs!]

Jun 12, 2011