SEYMOURPOWELL
either build themselves or take to their nearest fabricator. Hacking, a concept originally
derived from computer programming, describes the process of taking an existing product and modifying or manipulating it so it becomes something else. Once the domain of the outsider and geek, hacking has managed to break into the mass market as demonstrated by this year’s event ‘Hacked Milan’, hosted in one of the most prestigious shopping centres in the city. Dubbed as “100 Hours of Rebellious Imagination”, it celebrated hacking as a contemporary concept of appropriation, alteration and transformation. Crowd-funding is a way to
raise money for a project through social networks (e.g. Kickstarter); a practice that is enabling startup companies and young designers to get funding from the public and is causing new business models to emerge. All of these developments
champion a more democratic and transparent approach towards design, making it a more social and participative affair, whilst streamlining and lowering the cost of the design process.
Q
How might the Japanese influences from Milan
translate into interior designs here in the UK? The Japanese happen to be very
good at humble, considered design, but I think this is an approach that is appealing to consumers globally. We can see the demand for loud, ostentatious design pieces decreasing. Consumers are now looking for more timeless, long-lasting products instead. They are taking more time to consider their purchases, so they are keen to buy products that are truly useful and meaningful beyond their surface and resonate with them on a deeper emotional level.
Q
Which country do you feel was best
represented through product designs during Milan? I have been most impressed by
the many Japanese designers and manufacturers this year. Their design values of simplicity and understated beauty feel particularly appropriate in this time of austerity. Their level of craftsmanship is incredible and it is encouraging to see that this is again something
valued by the consumer. One show that stood out in this respect was ‘Karimoku New Standard’, a collaboration of emerging international designers and one of Japan’s leading manufacturers of wooden furniture.
Q
When considering the designer as the
manufacturer and the re- evaluated role of the designer, how will this affect the industry and what does it mean to a designer to be able to design and produce from inception to completion? Designers will be better able to
maintain their creative vision by having control over the whole process from idea to final product. This will be driven by the rise of alternative means of production and 3D printers becoming more affordable (as well as developments mentioned above such as crowd- funding and open-source design). It also means that manufacturers
will have to step up their game. If designers are able to get their goods directly to the end consumer, without the involvement of a big production company, the power of the manufacturer is diminishing rapidly. They will have to find ways to work more collaboratively - with both designers and consumers.
Q
In what way is the economic climate causing
designer ambitions to change? The economic situation forces
designers to be more creative in their approach. Clever use of material resources, products that are of real use to the consumer, and contributing to the overall social good become more pressing issues. Making beautiful things is not enough – designers will have to carefully consider the value of their products. This rethink combined with the
possibilities of being designer and manufacturer at the same time is causing designer’s ambitions to evolve. Not all designers (particularly young designers) necessarily want the big manufacturers to take on their products any more.
Q
When thinking about the change in the value and
meaning of currency, do you think that this had an effect on Milan overall or was it more reflected within the individual designs at the show? Questioning our monetary system has been the subject of
numerous student shows at this year’s fair. Although very conceptual in nature, these projects are stimulating the debate about the meaning of currency and traditional value systems. I think this is an emerging trend that is going to influence the design industry in the future. We already see concepts like time banking or the trading of skills gaining a lot of traction in Europe and the US, so this is likely to have an impact on consumption at large.
Q
Experimenting and the idea of imperfection as
perfection are two ideas that can draw parallels on today’s society and how people are now beginning to operate, adapting to unusual circumstances and embracing ideas that do not conform to perfect sciences. Give an example of how this might work in terms of design within a commercial and residential space. Spaces will become a lot more
flexible, adaptive and open- ended. The rise of pop-up shops for example emphasises this trend. Often set in an unused building, these new retails spaces are designed to be easily constructed, re-arranged and knocked down. A temporary and rough and ready DIY aesthetic adds to their unique appeal. For residential spaces people
will also demand more flexibility. Our lives are much more fluid nowadays, so people are looking for products that can fulfil more than one role in the home, allowing them to switch smoothly between
work and leisure. At this year’s fair we have seen
a range of new products that represent a crossover between two archetypes, which leave it up to the user what to make of it (a wardrobe, side table, shoe shelf…), further breaking down conventional usage of space in the home.
Q
Why are shows like Milan so important to
the interior design industry and how did it alter your perspective on the industry for this year? Milan is still the biggest event of
its kind. On the one hand there are the big manufacturers launching new ranges at the Fiera, and on the other hand, there are all these smaller events dotted around the city where emerging designers are presenting prototypes. What makes it so interesting is being able to see the whole spectrum from high-end mass production to more process-oriented conceptual design in one place. This year was special in the way
that big shifts in the industry are becoming tangible. The designer as manufacturer and new means of production are the most potent trends for the year’s to come – aptly captured by British design icon Tom Dixon: “It’s the idea that we can take the factory plant to the consumer and then we can make these things in front of people, so people really understand how possible it is now to design and develop and distribute things in a modern way… What we’re trying to prove here is that the power is back in the hand of the designer.”
example of humble beauty and the craft behind it
Karimoku is another
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