Design Discussion – Week 4
The Habits of a Creative Genius – Philippe Starck
– Video and Reading Discussion –Thoughts on Starck and His Design Work:
After viewing The Habits of a Creative Genius with Philippe Starck, I didn’t understand why he was regarded as a controversial designer. If anything, I understood his design philosophy that goes against traditional norms to be his most controversial aspect. His ideas seemed very eccentric, but throughout the interview he remained humble and praised many other innovators. Furthermore, his focus on evolution and sustainability particularly stood out to me. I especially appreciate that he is trying to better the world through his designs and creations. He is intrigued by abnormality and believes that it’s his role to serve society in beneficial ways. When approaching projects, his first thought is “Can the project bring something new?” This aligns with his idea that everyone participates in the evolution of our world and society, as long as each and everyone of us tries to do the best we can with the life path we choose to pursue. Personally, he attempts to do this in his daily life and career by using creativity as a bridge to reach the next society. Starck describes his job as dreaming, opting to isolate himself to reach creative ideas through the limitless capabilities of the brain. He explains that, with each coming day there are constantly new problems to solve, adding that, “There are two types of creativity, the ideas you have by yourself, and the ideas to answer a question.” With each issue that he is presented with, he always tries to reach a deep understanding of new questions and problems. For him, that is the essence of design, the idea of creative thinking, with humanity existing to create.
Nevertheless, delving deeper and doing more research, as well as exploring his website, I found that many harbored ill feelings towards his designs were regarding his contradictory beliefs. For example, despite his sustainable ideals, critics highlight that his openness to mass production and commercialization juxtapose his intent and message. Furthermore, his designs are also not very practical in use, aesthetic and experimentation are a large component of his pieces, but it can seem counterintuitive to some. Overall, although his work seems in ways unorganized, his philosophy, approach to design, and honesty make him a very interesting designer. It is clear that he is passionate about his work and is deeply invested in creating innovative and creative designs.
Reflections on Philippe Starck’s Designs:
1) Design I liked:
When reviewing his portfolio of works, Starck’s GUN LAMP (FLOS) caught my eye. Although upon first sight I hated it, this design in particular stood out to me because of its message and intent. This collection focuses on denouncing war and violence, serving as a direct challenge to greed and economic interests associated with global conflicts. Most importantly, 20% of the proceeds are contributed to Frères des Hommes, an NGO committed to aiding in the development of war-torn regions and struggling developing nations. I appreciate that Starck is tackling pressing real world issues in beneficial and creative ways through his designs. This also supports his philosophy of design, which he describes to be, “… first and foremost a tool that, at best, tries to help people improve their lives.”
Another Design I liked:
VILLA M PARIS
2) Design I Didn’t like:
On the other hand, when compared to all his other works, Starck’s TEDDY BEAR BAND (MOULIN ROTY) piece appeared to be the most lacking to me. Other than being creepy, I don’t find that this design particularly complements his message about design. This creation is not innovative, practical, beneficial, or aesthetic. Although he regards his career as “obsolete,” he claims to try to make his job more respectable and useful through his designs, but this children’s toy does not seem to reflect those stated ideas.
Some other designs I found impractical:
ALESSI PRESENTS JUICY SALIF XXL
FINALLY ALONE
