The Hybrid Designer
As an Industrial Design student, I have been aware of the many branches in this field. However, more I tried to focus in a specific area of design more I find out new, alternative areas to ID. Different areas of design seem to cross each other and leave us to reconsider the definition of being an Industrial Designer. The “new” designers are more global than before. There is an open communication and appreciation among designers from different countries and fields. This brings alternative processes to design. The results are hybrids of ideas, concepts, and forms.
For me, the excitement in this new scenario is the merge of cultures. A designer that uses their local environment as source of inspiration allows new experiences to users from different backgrounds. Campana Brothers are Brazilian designers that explicitly bring the uniqueness of Brazilian culture in their design. The considerations that the designers take often reflect the historical and cultural particularities. In many of their interviews, they talk about the inspiration of their ideas coming not only from Brazilian nature but also from the social habits. They often reuse existing iconic products or local materials along with local techniques. The final designs are representations of the country’s qualities. The products carry a “message”. The forms are not always aesthetically pleasing or harmonious, but, as mentioned by the designers, “ugly” can be a stronger statement. They make the viewer go back to the manufacturing process and the manipulation of material, where most of the innovation is found. The final form is the result of it but the process is the discovery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2rH3aAbic
Like the other winner of Miami Designer Of The Year, Tokujin Yoshioka’s exhibition for Issey Miyake shows how an innovation in the manufacturing production brings new experiences to viewers and consumers.
In Tokujin Yoshioka exhibition A-POC Making, the designer creates a space where the impact of the A-POC technology by Issey Miyake and Dai Fujiwara could be strongly conveyed. A-POC (a piece of clothing) is a weaving machine programmed by computer software that “prints” entire pieces of clothing with no sewing necessary. The roll of fabric contains the final garments. It is an innovative process in the garment industry because there is minimal waste of material and the consumers determine the final design. The users can determine the length and size of the garment by just cutting out of the fabric. In Tokujin Yoshioka’s exhibition, he emphasizes not the piece of clothing itself, but the process and the manipulation of material. This visual setting also brings up the idea of mass production. It is almost a piece of art being transformed into mass production. When does art ends and design begin? Does art means exclusivity and design mass production?
In the Campana Brothers interview, they talk about the first intention of the rope chair being one piece, a sculpture, but soon the demand for the chair made the designers think about ways to mass market it. Takashi Marukami’s concept is to bring art to the masses. The artist whole philosophy is about democratizing art by transforming it into products. Better dialogues among designers as well as between designers and users encourages modern designers not to be constrained by one field. There is a Brazilian shoe company called mellissa known for making recycled PVC shoes. The company just started a collaboration work with designers from different countries and fields to create designed shoes. This is an interesting project because it shows how cultural background as well a field background affects in the aesthetic of a product.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMvvOT0fQOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs2Xnpw-L1o
All these collaborations among designers from different nationalities and fields of work confirm that there is no boundary in design. Rather than looking innovations in new technology and material, we can reuse and recycle the existing one and find innovation through different ‘eyes’. Innovations are not only in the material but how different designers approach them. All the ideas are influenced by what they studied for, as well as their culture. By using these experiences to design outside of their field, the result is nothing but innovative.
For me, the excitement in this new scenario is the merge of cultures. A designer that uses their local environment as source of inspiration allows new experiences to users from different backgrounds. Campana Brothers are Brazilian designers that explicitly bring the uniqueness of Brazilian culture in their design. The considerations that the designers take often reflect the historical and cultural particularities. In many of their interviews, they talk about the inspiration of their ideas coming not only from Brazilian nature but also from the social habits. They often reuse existing iconic products or local materials along with local techniques. The final designs are representations of the country’s qualities. The products carry a “message”. The forms are not always aesthetically pleasing or harmonious, but, as mentioned by the designers, “ugly” can be a stronger statement. They make the viewer go back to the manufacturing process and the manipulation of material, where most of the innovation is found. The final form is the result of it but the process is the discovery.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK2rH3aAbic
Like the other winner of Miami Designer Of The Year, Tokujin Yoshioka’s exhibition for Issey Miyake shows how an innovation in the manufacturing production brings new experiences to viewers and consumers.
In Tokujin Yoshioka exhibition A-POC Making, the designer creates a space where the impact of the A-POC technology by Issey Miyake and Dai Fujiwara could be strongly conveyed. A-POC (a piece of clothing) is a weaving machine programmed by computer software that “prints” entire pieces of clothing with no sewing necessary. The roll of fabric contains the final garments. It is an innovative process in the garment industry because there is minimal waste of material and the consumers determine the final design. The users can determine the length and size of the garment by just cutting out of the fabric. In Tokujin Yoshioka’s exhibition, he emphasizes not the piece of clothing itself, but the process and the manipulation of material. This visual setting also brings up the idea of mass production. It is almost a piece of art being transformed into mass production. When does art ends and design begin? Does art means exclusivity and design mass production?
In the Campana Brothers interview, they talk about the first intention of the rope chair being one piece, a sculpture, but soon the demand for the chair made the designers think about ways to mass market it. Takashi Marukami’s concept is to bring art to the masses. The artist whole philosophy is about democratizing art by transforming it into products. Better dialogues among designers as well as between designers and users encourages modern designers not to be constrained by one field. There is a Brazilian shoe company called mellissa known for making recycled PVC shoes. The company just started a collaboration work with designers from different countries and fields to create designed shoes. This is an interesting project because it shows how cultural background as well a field background affects in the aesthetic of a product.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMvvOT0fQOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs2Xnpw-L1o
All these collaborations among designers from different nationalities and fields of work confirm that there is no boundary in design. Rather than looking innovations in new technology and material, we can reuse and recycle the existing one and find innovation through different ‘eyes’. Innovations are not only in the material but how different designers approach them. All the ideas are influenced by what they studied for, as well as their culture. By using these experiences to design outside of their field, the result is nothing but innovative.
posted by ji park at
4:10 PM
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