Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Marc Newson

“Sometimes you need a meteor – just to bring about change.”

Marc Newson is a well-known industrial designer; his work varies greatly from watches to interiors and even automobiles.

He does a lot of work to help himself learn more about the materials and possibilities as though gathering information and inspiration, which I feel is an admirable way to design; to better yourself whilst delighting people with new creations. 

One approach I really liked was how he designed the concept car based on a child's perceptions. A few boxes squashed together, separate yet joined ans some wheels for good measure.

He has turned this into something tangible; it is the quintessential car.



"Good designers are geeks," Newson believes that to be a successful designer, a curiosity of the things that surround us and an interest of how they work is required. Personally I feel there is a lot of truth in this; the things we obsess over and get excited tend to have an influence in the work we do.  

He definitely has a style – and it is one much influenced by the romanticism of the Space Age. These designs all seem to have been influenced but is it intentional, or is he reflected in his designs?

 Even in the design of a shoe boutique he manages to sneak in some space age features. 


Some, more prominent than others:

Is this style derived simply from his love of space or has that gripped him in a much deeper way? His entire persona seems to lead him in an optimistic and explorative way... almost as though he is searching for a utopia himself...

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

The Demise of Skilled Manufacturing


Okay, here goes! So our first talk was from Craig Whittet (Head of Product Design Engineering at GSA) and I found I agreed with most of what he had to say but there were a few things that surprised me.

When we think of manufacturing – we see large metal machines whirring away, stamping out obscure looking pieces, ready to be assembled. But is this the reality? Many people are involved in the manufacturing process of our everyday products, from those who operate these machines, to hand finishing and polishing parts that we may never even see.

So what is it like to work in these conditions? Due to the nature of the work, workspaces tend to be noisy, dirty, warm environments. In the UK we seem to think our working conditions are superior to those in other countries. This may be the case but it seems as though, in this sector, safety and protocols are placed well above comfort. The article informs of liberties being taken with sick days; this is more likely to occur in poorer working conditions. In addition, females accounted for a meagre 4.3% of Engineering and Manufacturing apprenticeships in 2010/2011.

It seems to me that this working environment requires some attention. This industry does not seem automatically appealing and this, in conjunction with relatively low pay makes it a rather unattractive prospect. A skilled operator’s average salary is £23,834 and this often starts significantly lower, especially for apprentices. I had no idea there was a lower minimum wage for those in apprenticeships, and honestly – I don’t feel it represents the level of skill at all!  Is it any wonder then that people are not attracted to this type of work and valuable skilled workers go elsewhere? So - would you rather to spend your working life here or in a cosy office?

Links – (in case you are skeptical)
I also drew this little guy shortly afterwards.... I'm sure my tutors would be so proud of my artistic abilities....