Friday 27 May 2011

Entrepreneurs, "good design" & true innovation

There is no one better than the master - Dieter Rams to explain "good design" and how it makes world changing companies, e.g. Oliveti, AG, Braun, etc., into international powerhouses. Design leads the way. 


Although his words cannot be challenged ( because his work literally created the ethos for these firms and whose impact continues to create value for these firms today ) however what can be understood is that consistent design, that is the key. The Rams aesthetic in it's marvelous distinction, never wavered from it's roots and in that a design language and ethos was born. It is however not the only voice and because of it's specificity it's vocabulary and visual accent lives on . This 3 minute video explains it all.

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Misnomers - The "Science" of "Good" Design

It isn't too far to stretch to assume that "science" has an answer for everything - when of course we are talking about physical objects, warp drive, or the newest Porsche 4 track steering system. The big question facing new product development is "why you want it" and for that there is no answer.

The recent article in The Atlantic "The Science of Good Design" makes a very clear case why this is a fallacy and one which more of your colleagues believe than you think. Why? Because design required ego, a masters touch, and a definitive determination of what is valuable that cannot be defined by market research studies or focus groups. Why?

Consumers consume, masters create for consumers. This is the secret of amazing design, and yet the hardest factor for companies and corporations to embrace. Unless of course you are Ferrari or Alessi. Then again, they use focus groups every now and then as well.
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