Design Essay: Philippe Starck

Various products are unique and compelling. It features stylistic and attractive qualities that are attributed to specific designers. Designers play an important role in the way that products and services are produced to suit specific situations.

One of the designers is Philippe Starck who was born in 1949. Starck is a French Product designer and a renown designer in the field of New Design style. These designs range from mass produced consumer products e. g. chairs and toothbrushes to spectacular interior designs.Moreover, Starch is among the best-known traditional designers and has received public acclaim for his wonderful interior designs and proved this through his accomplished products and architects.

It is understood that his father, who used to work as an aircraft designer, inspired Starck. Thus, Starck frequented his father’s workplace and was able to learn how to draw, glue, cut, saw and to sand. Moreover, through his father he was able to dismantle motorcycles, bikes and other objects. He then enrolled in Ecole Nissim de Camondo in Paris.

In 1968, he founded his first design firm that specialized in designing inflatable objects.In the 1970s, it was the foundation of his career in the field of interior design. For example, in 1976, he fitted La Main Bleue and Les Bains-Douches nightclubs in Paris. However, his career began to pick in 1982, when he designed the interior apartments of the then President of France – President Francois Mitterrand (Copper et al, 2004).

Nevertheless, in the recent past, his design capabilities have played an important role due to his inexpensive products indicated by the designs that were developed for Target Stores in 2002 and in 2004 was able to design optical mouse for Microsoft.Moreover, he has contributed in the designing of yachts, packaging, and the Virgin Galactic in New Mexico (Sweet, & Starck, 1999). Designing is an important role that Starck has concentrated. However, his ideologies are not coherent with New Design artists who usually develop products that are expensive and provocative. Hence, his ideas are in the designing of products that are usable in day-to-day life and helps in its mass production.

The products that Starck designs are streamlined, stylish and are usually organic in their looks.Moreover, the products that are produced results in the utilization of materials, which are not frequently utilized such as the combination of chrome and plush fabric, aluminum and plastic, and stone and glass. In the 1980s and 1990s, Starck maximized his creativity. This is attributed to the fact that the products that are produced usually have appealing forms and sensual in character. Moreover, Starck utilizes personal identity in naming the products e. g.

through the use of poetic, clever or whimsical names such as Prince Aha Stool, La Marie chair and Rosy Angelis lamp.Furniture has played an important role in the designs of Starck commonly known as Philippe Starck furniture. Starck employs previous decorative designs in producing new products. Dr. No chair is one of Starck reworking that borrows the design from traditional club chair that is made by injection of molded plastic. The use of certain materials seems contradictorily but it illustrates the paradoxes attributed to his compelling works.

In fact, there is line of furniture that is commonly known as Ghost family of chairs. Some of the design that is used to develop these chairs is compelling.For example, Eros chair constitutes a swivel armchair that has an organic egg shape with refined finishes and material utilized making it elegant and sophisticated in nature. Other furniture includes the Louis Ghost, which is a comfortable transparent armchair utilizing a colored polycarbonate material, Victoria Ghost takes the shape of antique medallions with sits that are geometric and linear in nature and Charles Ghost, which utilizes the shapes of stools that were there in the 1800s.Moreover, he is involved in re-launching the World War II Navy Chair in U.

S. Nevertheless, one of his furniture – The Bubble Chair is featured in the television series Boston Legal (Sweet, & Starck, 1999). The approach that Starck takes towards his design is usually intelligent, subversive and interesting. His creations are a surprise to many even through these designs transgress boundaries and subvert expectations. His interior design capabilities has played important role in improving aesthetic nature of buildings.

Some of his unique interior designs especially in restaurants are the Felix restaurant that is located in Peninsula Hong Kong.The design is located on the 28th floor that has spectacular designs in the men washroom and view of the Kowloon cityscape. Other notable interior designs that Starck has completed are the refitting of Royalton Hotel in New York, Paramount hotel, Delano Hotel in Miami, which was opened in 1995, in 1996, Modrian Hotel in Los Angeles, and 1999 St. Martins Lane hotel in London, and in 2000, the Sanderson hotel in San Francisco. Nevertheless, he designed the interior of Manin Tokyo in 1985 and in 1990 in Madrid the Teatriz.He played a major role in the designing of the Netherlands Groningen Museum in 1991, La Flamme building in Japan.

Recently, he is working with Sam Nazarian in designing Nazarian’s hotel and in 2007; he redecorated Le Maurice public areas in Paris. Technology is an important sector that Starck has been involved. Starck has been involved with the designing of watches that are bold and are not that much expensive and utilizes fossil. His uniqueness in design with digital watch technology by Fossil produces watches that are elegant in terms of contour and utilizes minimal color.Some features of his watches are sleek, modern, chronograph, 24-hour digital display, countdown clock, light up function and two alarms.

Starck has designed and produced various items that play major roles in day-to-day activities. He started designing items in 1980s for individual purpose and fore various manufacturing firms in Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France and Japan. He designed lamps for FLOS company, noodles for Panzani, mineral water bottles for Glacier, boats for beneteau, luggage for Vitton, toothbrushes for Fluocaril and utensils especially the juicy salif for Alessi.He designed the juicy salif for Alessi in 1990 and it has become one of the major controversial fruit squeezers (Fitoussi et al, 2005). Nevertheless, Philippe Starck was involved in the development of energy machines such the wind turbine.

Due to the increase of demand on the amount of energy that is used in homes, Starck designed a turbine that could save between 20 and 60 percent of energy that is used in households. However, the product was not successful. This design he collaborated with Pramac energy group in designing the windmills come wind instruments.Moreover, he designed a personal power-generating windmill that is referred to as Leolienne individuelle Pramac in polycarbonate that rests on a platform of wood.

Starck as played an important role in motorcycle industry. In 1995, he designed Aprilia 6. 5 Moto motorcycle for Aprilia Motorcycles. This motorcycle gained popularity and was the centerpiece in Guggenheim exhibition. It has also been exhibited in various museums including Guggenheim museums in Spain, Field Museum in Chicago and Barber Museum in Birmingham. Nevertheless, recently he designed a motorcycle for Voxan factory (Fitoussi et al, 2005).

Commonly referred to as CAFE RACER, the motorcycle is futuristic and minimally designed. Its design is of a simple bike with a bigger engine when compared to other model of motorcycles. The engine is 1200cc with a 140Hp power weighing 180kg. Starck work has played a crucial role in the design industry because of awards, prizes and recognitions that he has received. Some of his items are found in famous museums all offer the world including Museum of Design in London, Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris and Brooklyn Museum in New York.

Nevertheless, exhibitions have been held in Munich, Paris, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Hence, the prizes, wards and recognition that he has received illustrate his impact in the design industry and the way that many people view him. Acknowledgement and loyalty that companies and organization have towards him through the contracts that he has received show that he is highly liked and his designs are appreciated (Fitoussi et al, 2005). In today’s world, Starck continues his bold re-workings of the everyday objects but understands that honesty and integrity are important virtues in the design industry.Moreover, he views that the products that are designed should not be only seen as something for survival but should have durability and should last for a longer period. Thus, the crucial point in the current designs should be objective and employ honesty.

Generally, Philippe Starck has contributed a lot in the design industry. Starck whose work originates from contemporary design deals with re-working on objects producing new and unique products. The chairs that he designed can illustrate this. His accomplishments are in the field of interior design, products, architecture, and household products, and hi-tech.His interior design capabilities have spanned all over the world from United States to Hong, design museums, hotels and luxury apartments.

There are various products in his name including the juicy salif for Alessi, toothbrush, chairs and doorknobs. Nevertheless, he has played a major role in hi-tech designing such as designing watches, energy items and motorcycles. Starck is highly appreciated in design industry and the numerous awards and prices that he has received can illustrate this. He contributes a lot to the modern world and he is continuously acknowledged and appreciated.