schneiderism

This has been cycling around for the last few days, and I mostly just thought that Philippe Starck’s comments were those of a person who has just become really bored. His comments were made during an interview for Die Zeit, specifically an answer to the question regarding how he can design more things in a world already rampant with stuff (much of it designed by Starck, himself):

“I was a producer of materiality and I am ashamed of this fact. Everything I designed was unnecessary. I will definitely give up in two years’ time.”

Philippe Starck

I imagine he is massively distracted by his role as a developer and tastemaker for the exploding Chinese moneyed glitterati. That would wear anybody out, right? I was not planning on writing about this, but then read a post at Mocoloco that was right on the mark. Here’s the deal, he may have committed much effort over the past decades to create designs within a materialistic constraint, but he didn’t have to. Instead of toilet brushes he could have focused on insulin pumps. Instead of bathtub drain plugs he could have improved the wheelchair. He could have committed that same effort to non-materialistic designs that improve and/or save people’s lives. The thing is, he still can do this and we would love him to do this. I am surprised that he has given himself a two year sunset as a designer. Why not just quit now? Directed at Starck by Mocoloco:

“Why don’t you devote that substantial talent and media savvy of yours to making stuff that’s smarter, more sustainable, and dare we say it, cool, in that gotta have it, materialistic way you know so well. Or is this really about clients who aren’t quite ready to make the big changes required to create the smarter, more sustainable, cool design? Greenwashing got you down? It’s not going to be easy.”