Viewing art or design is one thing, but to listen to the actual artist talk about their work is always better. That’s one thing I miss about being at University (guess lectures) but fortunately there’s TV right?! Tonight I watched a BBC program that showcased Industrial Designer Marc Newson.
I’ve seen a bit of Newson’s work around before but it was great to put it all together. He has a lot of sculptural design pieces that don’t necessarily look comfy to sit on but they definitely look interesting to try out. And at the same time he has a lot of things he’s designed that show a level of thought and understanding of the design problem/ solution that you just don’t see in most products.
One of the projects Newson talks about is a concept car he did for Ford motor company. It made me wonder if Ford would be in the financial trouble they are today if they had used even some of Newson’s designs. It also made me wish car companies would spend more time and money on their interiors. Recently I had the pleasure of driving my dad’s Audi A6 while he was away, and as wonderful a car as it is the whole dash is an absolute nightmare. From button placement to how to navigate the radio. What a nightmare. Audi tried to take 2 steps forward but I think it’s closer to 6 steps back. I hate to sound like a design prick but who has audi hired to do their interiors?
Anyway, that’s probably a whole other post. They should hire Marc Newson or someone who can understand the simple design solutions that would make driving less an effort and more comfortable (Audi if you read this I’m available for Hire). To watch the BBC Marc Newson episode you can catch it on youtube by clicking here.
