I really enjoyed watching these videos! I got a little carried away and watched almost all of them but these are ones that stood out:
Greg Hoffman, Nike.
He said that the Mission One motorcycle inspired him the most recently. The motorcycle is innovative because it maintains the aestheic and performance quality as well as producing next to zero emissions. It can go 150 mph on one battery charge. It creates a new visible language as he said.
Design should attack the issue of youth obesity. It has become a pay to play system, sports should be funded, not cut as many schools are doing. He came up with three points to improve these issues. 1. environmental design- should design more play areas, places to engage youth in activities. 2. equipment design- things should be made to motivate and inspire them to be active 3. Communication design- we should created inspirational messages that will promote healthy and active kids.
I liked what he had to say because it was very specific. Since he works for Nike, he is obviously focused on the athletic side of life but it is a good point to be made that as designers we can help the health world too. This is a problem that can really be helped. Disney is doing things on their channel to promote activity but that is one channel one audience, there is more to be done.
2. Ellen Lupton- Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, NY
She said she was most inspired by the Book. She sees it as the most wonderful, useful object. It has everything you want between the covers. It serves as a frozen memory you can read and always go back to. Then she held up the Kindle and says it isn't the perfect object but it is about connecting to a system–one of mobility and change. It is the full library in the most simple format. The book is changing, keep re-inventing it. Also to save the newspaper and more importantly in a general sense that design should find new ways to get out the word.
3. Joe Duffy- Duffy & Partners.
He said there wasn't one example of something that inspired him most because he has too many sources of inspiration. But in the most broad since he said nature as a whole. He showed two examples one of the Classico jars, how they drew from nature for colors and handmade sketches. The second example was the Bahamas branding, they created a language, a graphic that was an interpretation of nature and the colors there.
If nature is our inspiration then we should preserve it for the generations to come. Especially as designers we can have a huge impact. Not just in using soy based inks and recycled paper but on a larger scale just simply reducing our materials, do whatever we can to be more earth-friendly.
4. Ed Fella- Californian Institute of the Arts
Ed's inspiration is heavily based on the what the younger generation produces. He says it's all good. Aside from that he is interested in the vernacular- the under the radar design as he called it. He collects pages and pages of what crosses him in life all the time. things like subway tickets, notes, slips, receipts-just anything.
What he wants designers to fix is a more specific issue which I agree with–the organization of Google. When we search something he wants there to be some break down other than just a massive list of things. There should be a break down maybe a chart or something in space of things like these are the shopping sites, these are research, these are the ads etc.
I think he made two very good points. I like him collect the vernacular day to day objects. I am slightly pack-ratish in that sense. I think they are interesting to observe for their function and design. Who designs that stuff? Also Google needs to be organized-lists are overwhelming.
5. Miguel Vesquez- MASA Tialpan, Mexico
I thought this one was interesting. He is inspired by Facebook. It surprised him, it drives him to capture the social network, how people connect on an off line. Communication is growing and the usability is changing. Facebook has become such a tool. Some people don't even use email anymore, just Facebook messaging. It provides a chat, email, posting, and picture service all in one. It has evolved as an entity.
Design can and should solve the problem of the quality of life. Design is not just a tool, it is a responsibility. New and clear information should be produced. everyday people are overwhelmed with what we don't need. People choose what to see and read. Designers should be socially responsible. Quality not Quantity.
6. Brian Deputy- Warner Brothers.
His inspiration was the Eames Lounge Chair with Ottoman. He said it was the perfect combination of materials and gets better with time. To create this chair they had to create a new technique which makes the chair that much more innovative.
Design causes people to act. Designers make it work. We need to do our job.
I also liked Richard Wurman who said the best thing ever made was the first German book with movable type. It was the beginning of mass communication. Designers should make complex, clear and understandable dual design.
I got a good laugh watching Erik Spikermann's conversation. He is really in love with type. His biggest inspiration was the alphabet. Which is a very valid source of inspiration. You should go watch his video and listen until the very last second-made me laugh.
My answers:
My Inspiration: I would have to say is the world around me. This is broad but think of it as a collaboration of what Joe and Ed said. Nature, people, vernacular objects, sounds, smells, words, scenes. It is a lot to say inspires me but it does. I am very observant of my surroundings and people around me. Sometimes the smallest things set me off into a thought or idea.
I think designers should improve, this is a big statement but... the attitude of people. So often these days, in college, in other people I see so many struggling. They are constantly fighting the negative comments, complaints, bad things happening etc. I would like to use design to evoke positivity in peoples lives. Inspire them as other things inspire me. People need to have a better outlook on life sometimes and need something to show them or remind them of that-even me.
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