04 December 2007

Why design? Philippe Starck on TED.com

Legendary designer Philippe Starck -- with no pretty slides behind him -- spends 17 minutes reaching for the very roots of the question "Why design?" Along the way he drops brilliant insights into the human condition; listen carefully for one perfectly crystallized motto for all of us, genius or not. Yet all this deep thought, he cheerfully admits, is to aid in the design of a better toothbrush. (Recorded March 2007 in Monterey, California. Duration: 17:07.)

Watch Philippe Starck's talk on TED.com, where you can download it, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances.

Read more about Philippe Starck on TED.com.

NEW: Read the transcript >>

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08 March 2007

TED2007 Day One: things that knocked my hat in the creek

I had my mind blown in a thousand different directions by TED2007 today.  My big impression was having felt the future, in myriad ways.  From hallway conversations to the content of speaker presentations to the feeling of just being a part of it all, it was a fabulous first day. 

My assignment, as handed down by the head office of TED, is to tell you about the thing which blew my mind the most.  However, I'm going to take the easy route and talk about everything buzzing in my mind right now.  All the speakers were wonderful, but here are my personal highlights.  So bear with me; here we go:

• Philippe Starck:  Proof positive that tangents are but the arcs of greater circles, Philippe gave us a very big picture look at life, beauty, meaning, the universe, and brushes for one's toilet and mouth.  No photos, no precious design shots, just him and the space around him dancing around the stage in a virtuostic lesson in what it means to be a charismatic speaker.  Strictly nonlinear in presentation -- and likely uncomfortable to some -- his time on stage tickled me pink, and was formidable!  Watch for the TEDTalks on this one.  You need to see it to understand it all.
• Hans Rosling:  How does one go about topping your previous world-changing effort?  Hans Rosling did it.  With equal parts killer interface design + serious storytelling + oodles of data + approximately a third of a meter of reliable Swedish steel, Hans Rosling pulled it all off.
• Murray Gell-Mann: Was the field of particle physics ever presented in a more human, accessible way?  Elegance personified.  I loved every minute of this.  It was like being in the room with a triumvirate of geniuses: Newton, Einstein, Gell-Mann.  Wow.
• Jeff Han:  Okay, I want one.  Please.  I want one.
• Steve Miller: As part of TEDUniversity, told stories about Tiger Woods to reveal some elegant points about how to set standards of excellence and then rise to meet them.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar:  A moving essay on jazz, leadership, responsibility, and the need to look deep within to find excellence.  Inspiring.
• Raul Midon:  A degree of artistic achievement which made we weep, so powerful was his music.  The high point of Day One.  And recipient of my TED Quote of the Day Award:  "Feel the fear, but do it anyway".

Onward!  Tomorrow bodes to be another amazing day.

photo credit: Jurvetson

Posted by Diego Rodriguez | Permalink

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07 March 2007

TED2007: Day one wrap-up

Quotes of the day:

Cassini imaging team head Carolyn Porco: "So there are possibly liquid water, organic materials and excessive heat on Saturn and its moons. Which means that Saturn could be a place were life is possible. If we can demonstrate that Genesis has happened not once (Earth) but twice (Saturn)  then we can infer that it has happened hundreds of thousands of times across the solar system. If we can demonstrate that Genesis has happened not once [on Earth] but twice [including Saturn] in the solar system, then by inference that means it has occurred a staggering number of times across the universe in its 13.7 billion year history".

Nobel prize of physics Murray Gell-Mann: "In fundamental physics, beauty is a very successful criterion for choosing the right theory".

Psychologist Steven Pinker: "The truth is that our ancestors were far more violent that we are, and today we are probably living in the most peaceful times in history".

Computer scientist Jeff Han: "We basically have to un-teach people what they have learned so far about computing, and convince them that they can use several fingers, that several people can work on the screen at once".

Architect Philippe Starck: "I believe in general that my job is absolutely useless; but now, after Carolyn and these guys, I feel like shit".

Statistician Hans Rosling: "Bring me my sword!" (Rosling is a serious demographer but he is also -- another deadly serious activity -- one of the few sword-swallowers active in Sweden, and he ends his speech swallowing a Swedish bayonette).

Posted by Bruno Giussani | Permalink

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05 March 2007

What's your Starck factor?

One of the greatest things about TED is the opportunity to get acquainted with people who are already part of your life, even if you don't know them personally.  Be it hearing them in a speech, meeting them in the audience, or catching them in a TEDTalks video, TED gives us all a chance to meet the designers, entertainers, technologists, academics, film makers, poets, architects, writers, scientists, journalists, and politicians who help shape the world we live in.

So imagine my excitement when I learned that Philippe Starck would be on the TED2007 speaker lineup.  A maverick's maverick, Starck continues to exert a massive influence on our aesthetic and social landscape.  As the TED2007 program states:

He is the most famous and prolific designer alive.  The streamlined and organic look of his architecture, interior design and product design has influenced designers and consumers alike, and as a result he has changed the way we live.

Which made me ask, "What's my Starck factor?  How much Starck is there in my day to day life?"  The answer is: quite a lot, and more than I thought.  Here's a quick survey -- your results may vary:

First, the Starck Gnomes.  As it happens, I have a lot of meetings at work in a room staffed by these patient and sturdy little guys.  I think they help bring good karma to the room, which makes some of the harder meetings a little easier:

I also occasionally hold an outdoor meeting where we end up sitting on this Starck sofa. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to tell you that my bottom doesn't find it to be a plush sit. That's okay, though, because the comfort limitations curtail the length of those sessions, and academic studies have shown that 10-20 minute meetings are more productive than their lengthier cousins:

Above all, I like sitting in this Eros chair.  It feels great to sit in and be seen in.  And it helps you empathize with the olive in a martini.  Fun!:

In a drawer at home I keep this incredible watch by Starck for Fossil.  I love the way it looks on the wrist,  like a timepiece beamed back from the future.  It's my "special occasions" watch.  The green readout is cool, too:

Here's one I don't have.  But if I was living in a flat in Paris, I'd be riding this Aprilia Moto 6.5 whenever a pedal bike wouldn't do.  Where other motorcycles get tripped up by their own macho fixations, saying "I'm going to take you for a ride," this one has a kindlier aspect.  It says "Let's go for a ride -- together."  And I love the orange splash.  Perfect:

Another one on my "to buy" list.  This clock from Oregon Scientific is extremely clever in that it beams the time up on to the ceiling, so that you can read it while lying in bed.  Come to think of it, that easy glance up could be useful in many situations, such as making sure that that work meeting goes no longer than 20 minutes: 

That's just a brief personal inventory based on the life works of just one TED speaker.  It's worth your while to browse through Starck's immense portfolio.  Imagine the breadth and depth of impact across all of the TEDsters through time.  What's your TED Factor?

Posted by Diego Rodriguez | Permalink

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