Design For Life

Task: “Reflect on the design ethics that Starck wanted the young product designers to demonstrate.”

In the beginning of the series, Philippe Starck was introduced as an innovative designer that produced eye-catching and at times controversial products that gained mixed reviews. Despite his way of thinking and his often outlandish personality, he has developed his own system of design ethics which he expects his student designers to respect and assume within their time as contestants. Starck believes in sustainable design and that it’s a force which has the power to change society. There is a movement towards sustainable design today and the future will undoubtedly see a progression towards green living, which is why the designers of today should be working towards building a greener tomorrow.

Initially, the contestants showed much enthusiasm to be working with Starck, but their flaws began to show after the first challenge. Their way of thinking was still very limited and Starck acknowledged this with disappointment, as did I because I really enjoyed this series and expected more talent from these individuals. However, Starck attempted to bestow some of his unique wisdom (though very unhelpful to them) through his criticism of their design decisions. Starck believes design is, “...to help your tribe, society to have a better life,” and is true since the beginning of design.

Starck has an interesting demeanour and is very particular with what he wants, yet he doesn’t give constructive criticism. What he expected from his contestants constantly changed and differed with each designer. Though, what he strongly believed was that there are, “...too many products that don’t deserve to be produced...” in the market today. The challenges developed and revealed more of Starck’s fundamental ideologies of finding ways of creating environmentally sustainable methods of production as well as using ecologically friendly materials. This focus on sustainability proved difficult for the designers as they attempted to understand the significance of designing with the environment in mind.

Furthermore, Starck wanted the designers to, “...find the story behind the product. Why is it sustainable?” By addressing this question, the designers are confronted with the challenge that the earth is currently experiencing – how to offset the degradation of the earth due to unsustainable design. As well as facing global environmental issues, Starck expected not only design, but creativity and ambition, which he regards highly in a designers arsenal. With that said, the products he sees now are becoming smaller and, “Tomorrow will be more and more minimalistic,” which depicts his view that most products are heading towards the pocket sized, hand held kind. It’s not clear whether he approves of this or not, but he acknowledges this event and suggests it may be a direction the designers can take in their challenges.

Throughout the episodes, we unravel Starck’s underlying annoyances with society and what should be done to change the way people think about their products. An understanding that, “Designers need to embrace the future by putting sustainability into the heart of their work.” There are so many products in the market today that shouldn’t be there because of the waste they produce in their disposal and manufacturing. Modern product designers should develop their own design ethics that encompass the ideals of sustainable design and environmental awareness.