hello mr smith

I am looking forward to sitting down to watch BBC2 tonight. in the good old days when I thought I could hack it as a menswear designer, (a dream that didn't really last as long as it should have, but still). I met paul smith, even did some work for his brand involving print designs for mens shirts. it was a long time ago (mid 80's). he impressed me with his calmness before anything was said, he sat down at his desk took out some mini speakers connected them up to a cassette walkman pressed play, closed his eyes and listened to about 5-6 minutes of very calm classical music. in awe I simply sat quietly until he open his eyes looked up at me and said 'ok lets see what you have got'.

BBC2 at 9pm at British Style Genius

designer marc newson >>

it could hardly have escaped your attention that for sometime now mark newson has been much praised in the product / design world. I have to say he seems to have a great working life and in most respects I think his work is wonderful.
watching the bbc tv programme imagine last night and again today on bbc iplayer I couldn't help thinking that even the usually carefully worded questions from alan yentob were just a bit lazy, perhaps bowing to 'celebrity' that is success.

I have to say that some of the work marc newson has produced is to me astonisingly, as a person of a smiliar age (well ok 4 years older) I remember the effect that space travel and the space race had on me and my peers while at school. I would draw and create stuff very heavily influenced by the ever increasing technology that was happening around me.

the way that newson seems to work with a driven ideal and a search for the next project is so good. I have often argued that when I left working as a 'textile designer' to work in clothing retail that I was spending more time designing while trying to manage a group of people and selling products created by other people than I did as a little designer on my own.

I think what I am trying to say is that to me designing is about so much more than answering a given problem, it is about almost everything we do. so the fact that newson works accross so many different aspects of the the design world doesn't seem at all strange to me.

do computers stop creatvity?

I am often involved in conversations with colleagues in education when I find myself as someone who uses, teaches and even spends time (probably too much) using computers of some sort at home as well having to justify the positive aspects of web based media, digital applications and the rest.

however, I am also of the belief that good design or a good idea will be able to stand without much help from mr gates or mr jobs & all. no matter how much software or how cool the pc or imac looks it will not make a bad design better. I have mentioned this before on this blog and I am sure will again. but it seems still that many fellow professionals still think that having the best software and the fastest processor will make students learn more and even make their ideas better.

so much of the work I am involved in is teaching applications and so much of that process seems to teach out the creativity that everyone I believe is born with. don't misunderstand me I am in no way wishing for time to go back or that I am anti-digital applications. just simply that their use should be monitored and encouraged when appropriate. it is all too easy for the software to take over the think and the design process. I think that planning is key the design/creative process is best when the initial thinking is not constrained by what a piece of computer software can do. more that once the thinking and design ideas are established it is time to make use of the machines whatever they maybe.

doesn't have to be complicated >> to be good

occasionally I happen across a website that I like the look and feel of straight away. zapata design is just one, I am not even sure how I found it or what I was looking for. the site was designed by patricia zapata a graphic designer with over 10 years experience in professional services and consumer product design.

however a lot has been said recently after the cost of the london olympic logo (don't go there!) was made public. a bad example but it did get design and designers in the news.

it is difficult to put a value on ability, in my opinion the zapata web design gets close to a pure simple yet considered layout with a clear navigation with great subtle touches. and I just like it.