The June issue of Fast Company magazine will feature twenty designers who have had the largest impact on our daily lives and the world of design itself. As part of a promotion for the issue, the magazine is asking the public to vote who will be the king of the hill, or what Fast Company calls "Master Designer".
The five nominees for this dubious title are J Mays, William McDnough, Adrian Van Hooydonk, Robin Waters, and Yves Béhar.
You will remember J Mays from my essay on Ford Motor Company's lack of real innovative design. But before you accuse me of trying to sway the vote it's important to consider J's contributions to design before and during his stay at Ford. His portfolio includes work at Audi, BMW, and Volkwagen. While at VW, he designed the a prototype vehicle which became the Volkswagen New Beetle. His more recent work at Ford has resulted in the new Thunderbird and 2005 Mustang.
Architect and Community Builder, William McDonough is best known for heavily influencing, if not starting the idea of building spaces that co-exist with the social and environmental surroundings. Founder of the Environmental Defense Fund Headquarters, William has created everything from consumer products to architecture to land developments — all over the world. Some of his better known projects are the Herman Miller GreenHouse and the Ford Rouge Center featuring 10 acres of grass roof tops.
Adrian Van Hooydonk is another entry of Fast Company's competition from the automotive industry. Adrian, president of Designworks USA is primarily known for his approach to designing vehicles for BMW, including but not limited to the BMW X5 (my favorite), X Coupe, 3 series and Z4. However, Mr. Van Hooydonk has a wide ranging portfolio with designs for cell phones, snow boards, GPS units, lawn mowers, and watches.
According to a resume found via Google, Robyn Waters is the Vice President of Design and Product Development for Target (facts corroborated by Fast Company's profile but hey Robyn, how about a website?). She is responsible for repositioning Target into "Tarjay", helping the general merchandise mega store create a new hip and trendy image in contrast to competitors like Walmart and K-Mart. Robyn is also credited with managing partnerships with high-profile designers such as Mossimo, Michael Graves, and Phillipe Starck. Simply put, Robyn has transformed discount merchandise into a highly successful brand through design.
Yves Béhar appears to be the long lost brother of Adrian Van Hooydonk. Founder of Fuseproject, Yves has designed a wide variety of products for clients like Mini, Herman Miller, Johnson and Johnson, Microsoft, Nissan, and Target. He has worked for the likes of Frog Design, Lunar Design, and Apple Computer. He's known for the ultra cool Silicon Graphics O2 workstation and has designed everything from perfume bottles to footwear, computers to furniture.
Damn that's a lot of talent to read about in one sitting. So now that you are familiar with Fast Company's participants in this pageant, who do you think is missing from this list of Fab Five with the Pine to Design?
Before you jump in, let me start by taking Edward Tufte off the list of potential candidates. Yes, Edward has done some great work and yes his books are fantastic, but Tufte has become more and more the obvious child where online conversations about design are concerned. Besides, I don't recall Tufte's work having as broad of an impact on daily life as does the work of persons listed above. I could be wrong.
My nomination to this list is Jonathan Ive, Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple Computer. Ive has changed the face of consumer product design indirectly through his work on the iMac, iPod, Powerbook, and G5 desktop computer. Ripped off by many, matched by maybe a few, but never outdone — Jonathan's work at Apple has helped transform the computer company into one of the most desired brands in the world. His work influences everything from kitchen appliances to office supplies. If there was a write in box, Jonathan would have my vote.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
". . .the obviousness of everything." : )
-I second the motion.
I think that my first vote would probably go to Jonathan Ive (as much as I hate to say it, because I'd love to sneak an enlightening nomination in here and NOT follow the crowd). As you say, he simply hasn't been beat in the last decade or so. His designs have really changed the face of all retail goods.
But, if I had a second vote it wouldn't be for one of these johnny-come-lately auto designers. Give me a Ferdinand Porsche or, especially, a Pininfarina (www.pininfarina.it) over these guys any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Of course, if we are going that far and the person doesn't have to be alive we could probably open it up to quite a few designers. Frank Lloyd Wright, Leonardo Da Vinci (just about anything mechanical), Michaelangelo (domes, architecture), Brunelleschi (architecture and engineering), etc...etc...etc.
It's interesting that automobiles designers are what most of us think of when the subject of good design comes up. Interesting because there is simply so very little good design in modern cars. I have a hard time equating any current automobile designer with the two that I mentioned above.
We have reached the age of shared chassis and parts that restrict what designers can do and how creative they are allowed to be. When they are allowed to be creative their designs are relegated to one-off show cars that never see light, or to high-priced exoticars that can use a non-cookie-cutter chassis because the company is going to charge an arm and a leg for the car.
I, too, agree with Jonathan Ive. Target wouldn't have much of what it does if Apple hadn't started the ball rolling.
Just curious: weren't the Z4 and the new 5-, 6-, and 7-series, not to mention iconic Z8 done by Chris Bangle? People have strong feelings about him; I don't mean to start anything, but he has given car design a bigger kick in the ass than anyone recently. I happen to love those cars, and can't help to notice cars beginning to use some of his elements (the just-introduced Acura RL and Lexus GS replacements, for instance -- look at the trunk lines!).
J Mays is also responsible for the Audi TT, another home run.
As ridiculous as it sounds, David Siegel should be given strong consideration for his influence over how the Web looks and works today, for better or worse. He gave the Web pixel-perfect design (ruining the Web in the process), wrote two highly influential books on Web design and project management, and started the High Five awards, which greatly influenced the first generation of Web designers. Lynda Weinman, Jeffrey Zeldman, and Glenn Davis all contributed to the development of the budding discipline of Web design, but none of them had the impact that Siegal had.
But I don't think he'll make the list. It'll be interesting to see if anyone doing design for the Web does. For something as massively important as the Web has beenover the past 10 years in influencing how people interact with each other, I can think of very few individual designers who warrant special mention as widely influential.
How about Carlos Segura of Segura Interactive fame? He revolutionized the stagnant graphic and web design industry in Chicago in the early 90s, and has been an icon of Windy City creativity ever since then. Just my $.02.
The obvious choice is Jonathan Ive. but to step back a moment and consider someone in the web or tech field, why not John Meada? It might be early, but he is working on some very interesting things as it relates to design and technology.
ART FORUM magazine would be my choice, or Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, or Jorge Immendorf.
I mean most good design is in art galleries, not on product packaging or web sites or automobiles. American auto design is especially imitative, non-innovative, and archaic.
Tufte's blog site is wretched, as depicted at Design By Fire death match Gurus vs. Bloggers contest, sponsored by my new friend Andrei H. (see above comment).
Tufte wrote some good books on design? Really? Judging by his blog site, I am flabbergasted. Yet I am a lowly web usability analyst and content writer, so what do I know about de-sign, de-signification, de-construction?
I say the greatest design theorist is JACQUES DERRIDA. Viva la differance!
P.S. John Meada seems like my kind of designer. Thanks Andrei for mentioning him with a link to his site.
:"What if computer screen was round?":
Yes, what if all computer screens were round? What would web design be like then?
I love innovative design thinking. Some of those images on his home page for that exhibition would make interesting home page designs. Think not just "outside the box" but "anti-box"!
If the contest is meant to measure degree of impact, rather than quality of work, I nominate the anonymous bonehead who decided a few years back that toothbrushes ought to be designed like tiny marital aids from the Buck Rogers universe.
Honest to Pete, you have to LOOK to find a toothbrush these days that's not contoured and beveled on 30 different angles, bedecked with no-skid rubber ribs, and topped with a tricolor bristle arrangement.
Look for the backlash any day now. I'm talking straight faux-wood handles and fake horsehair bristles. The J. Peterman toothbrush.
Random notes: I'm not sure I'd say John Maeda has 'influenced everyday life' — supposedly one of the competitions criteria. While his work is beautiful, clever, and unique, it lives largely in the tiny backwaters. While Apple would like you to think Jonathan Ive is a singular design genius, the reality is more that Ive is a well-imaged and marketed spokesperson for a broad design program in Cupertino. If there is one personality behind Apple's successful understanding of design the name is Jobs, not Ive. With respects to a vote for Derrida, by definition "design" does not appear in art galleries — rather design is reserved for objects of utility, which are specifically not art. It's a blurry subject I know. If I really had to vote on the single most influencial and powerful 'designer' today, and that vote can include architects (as the FC list seemingly does), I'd have to say Frank Gehry, hands down, no contest, game over. Zaha Hadid a not-too close second. If I had to pick something to do with this internet thing — perhaps the man who has done more than anyone to make Flash and rich media invade our world, Josh Davis?
Matt, do you see the second coming of "Generic" black and white packaged goods with matching UPC symbol?
Tom Dolan is in my top 5. No lie.
Matt, do you see the second coming of "Generic" black and white packaged goods with matching UPC symbol?
Oh God yes- with a corresponding price markup.
Now that heavily-designed store brands have replaced generics, "Generic," in the old-school black-and-white-package sense, will be the new "authentic" precisely because it's conspicuously not branded.
Think about how well the goods will stand out on the shelf.
Who'll have the nerve to try it first? Miller? General Mills? Marlboro?
Can the award be posthumous? Can any one of the designers mentioned in the list really claim more of an impact on our lives than Henry Dreyfus still has to this day?
I think it's limited to the living — which makes it a bit of a challenge. Dead ones are easy, but picking them while they're still kicking is a trick.
i guess i gotta throw in with the crowd and go for Jonathan Ive. made the switch to apple last year and i'm still finding myself gazing at my ipod n powerbook with big love eyes.
(must get out more)
I'm not sure I'd say John Maeda has 'influenced everyday life' — supposedly one of the competitions criteria."
He hasn't. Yet. That's what I was hinting at. If his latest project is successful, he very well may. You are correct overall though, Tom.
After a trip to Target, I've got to say Robyn Waters, no questions asked.
Disclaimer- I live within stone's throw of three Wal-Marts, but an hour away from the nearest Target, so seeing discount merchandise that actually makes me want to buy feels a little transcendent.
But I'd gladly buy bunions if I could shop for them in a store that piped in no music at all.