Pondering design
By Becky Smith -- Home Accents Today, 4/1/2006
During the Milan furniture show, the online version of The Wall Street Journal published a fascinating article giving opinions of some powerful, mostly European designers on the state of design.
Since our business is all about design and style, I thought you might find their opinions thought-provoking.
As the author phrased it: "…in the past few years the pace of change in the design world has speeded up — to the point that some critics say it's more like fashion than furniture.
"Do we really need so much design?" the writer asked.
"I don't think we have too much design," said Simon Andrews, head of the modern design department at Christie's, London. "I think we have too many things masquerading as design."
Paola Antonelli, a curator of architecture and design at MoMA, said, "I sometimes wonder what people do with all those sofas — but I don't know whether it's the manufacturers' or the media's fault. ... I think it's (fashion people's) influence. They are used to putting out collections every six months."
But listen to Deyan Sudjic, dean of the faculty of art, design and architecture, Kingston University and director-designate of the Design Museum, London, and Murray Moss, founder of the New York store Moss.
Sudjic: That's like saying there's too much wealth. Design is a reflection of how the world works.
And Moss: Designers continue to propose (and we to consume) because vital people continue to evolve; vital people make new sofas because they have new thoughts, new hopes, new visions of how we might live better.
There are too many wonderful and provocative thoughts here to list. I'll close with two opinions on the difference between design and style.
"Design is about ordinary things done extraordinarily well … about practical intelligence and aesthetic," said Stephen Bayley, a design consultant.
"Design is about problem solving; style is about making things attractive," said Jeremy Langmead, Wallpaper magazine editor.
HAT Retail Editor Lisa Casinger is leaving our staff to become editor of Kids Today, a sister publication. She'll do a great job there.
Our readers will miss her good writing, terrific ideas and enthusiasm about retailing. I'll miss her good humor, her caring and her wonderful team spirit.
Good luck, Lisa.
