Sunday, November 2, 2008

How do Products Gain Meaning?

In spring semester of 2008, ID sophomore students were assigned with an exhibition design project for Design Principles course. The project was group oriented, and my group nominated Ettore Sottsass as one of the most influential industrial designers of the 20th century.


My Group's Exhibition Design in the ID Gallery

In our group’s presentation, we randomly chose people in the room and asked what ‘i-Pod’ meant to each of them (if they owned one). Surprisingly, all the answers we got were different. Some said that it was their “best friend”, while some others claimed it to be the “source of knowledge”, and few others thought of it as their “fashion accessory”.
　
With all these diverse meanings each individuals imply within a single electronic product, have you ever wondered, ‘Since when did the electronic products around us gain such intimacy with its users?’
　
The product design during Post World War II era did not go beyond the conformist approach, and remained restricted in the idea that products had to follow conventional shapes, colours, textures and patterns. Ettore Sottsass was the first designer to bring meaning and character to the office electronics and home furnishings. He was an Italian designer and architect, born in 1917 and passed away on December 31st, 2007. He founded Memphis Design group, as a reaction against the slick, black, humorless design of the 1970's. Against the time of minimalism, they produced a lot of bright, colorful, and shocking pieces inspired by Art Deco, Pop Art, and Post-Modernism.

"Valentine" Typewriter (1970)

The most famous work of Sottsass was the red portable typewriter named, “Valentine”. He called his typewriter the “anti-machine machine”. He wanted a typewriter which was no longer just a chunky machine used in office settings, but an eye-catching piece of design that could be carried around anywhere, and offered you a personalized space for work and leisure. The design was revolutionary not only because of its outer bucket that enabled complete closure and portable feature of the typewriter, but also because of its iconic use of colors and simply elegant look.

"Enorme" Telephone (1986)
Piet Mondrian's Composition Painting (1921)
"Enorme" Telephone Packaging (1986)

Another notable piece of Ettore Sotsass’s work was the “Enorme” telephone designed for Enorme Corporation in 1986. The use of limited, yet primary colors remind me of Piet Mondrian’s composition painting. A strong visual impact and contrast within the painting comes alive through the telephone’s inspired design. The overall shape remains simple and modern, consisting of two major shapes: rectangles and circles. Another interesting factor is the sleek hard case provided for the telephone’s packaging, which looks like a shoe box. It suggests Sottsass’s point of view in which telephone meant something more than an electronic equipment and something precious enough to be handled and displayed with care.

Ettore Sottsass

"When I was young, all we ever heard about was functionalism, functionalism, functionalism," Ettore Sottsass has once said. "It’s not enough. Design should also be sensual and exciting."
　
Ettore Sottsass, through his unique approach to design with use of bold colors and creative forms, is widely accepted as a role model for a new generation of designers. He was able to grant meaning to the everyday objects by adding individuality and personality to them, which brings us joyous and passionate lifestyle.
　
　
　
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