Great design is adaptable.

I first came across Tom Dixon in a documentary about a project he undertook with Ikea a few years ago. He is a self-taught British industrial designer who has specialised in furniture and lighting through his own brand which he is the Creative Director of. His long career took off in the mid-eighties after the success of the iconic S chair and now his work can be found in design museums around the world. I was reminded of him during a visit to London Design Week 2019 as I stumbled upon an article in the programme explaining that he, amongst other decorated and famous designers, was to be awarded the London Design Medal this year. It’s another award to go beside his Honorary Doctorates and OBE that already sit on his mantlepiece.

Credits: Cimmermann

Whilst touring the Design Festival I found the time to venture into his shop. It sits in the heart of Kings Cross’ design district opposite the building site which is Thomas Heatherwick and BIG’s new HQ for Google- an exciting project for another blog. The shop was what I can only call a “sensory exhibit”. Each room offered new experiences for one of the five senses with interactive smelling stations, textures to feel and complimentary drinks in the final room; a top tip for all shops. It was exciting to just be in his shop and see some of his famous products. For instance the dramatic Pendant lighting features and exuberant Pylon chair are a little out of my budget but amazing artefacts to witness. I let myself dare to dream of having one of his “Melt” Pendants- these organic creatures inspired by photos of deep space are really something- above my kitchen table when I thought: is there anything he has designed I could afford? Now remember that Ikea documentary I mentioned earlier? Let’s go back to that.

In 2018 Ikea released DELAKTIG; a totally customisable living platform that had been designed in collaboration with, yes you’ve guessed it, Tom Dixon. It is a permanent aluminium structure with the capabilities to add and remove panels and cushions to transform it into a sofa. The documentary explained his obsession with giving it the adaptability to change as our needs through life change; you may need a small bed as a student, later a stylish sofa and then a child’s bed again. Similarly to buying a smartphone and then downloading, deleting and exploring apps to give it new features and functions, this sofa can attach magazine holders and side tables or become something else entirely. The bed/sofa gives the choice back to the customer with the aim that they abuse this choice and “hack” its versatile functionality to give it iterations of life as a product through their own lifetime.

The choice of aluminium for the framework goes against the grain of traditional furniture design. Its rigidity means the simple grooves can support the panels which can slot in and out as desired. Aluminium gives the platform a bright and modern aesthetic with an unobtrusive matt finish. It is a recyclable choice of material; emphasising the awareness of the impact this product will have through its entire lifespan. Unfortunately, the choice of material and its flexibility of functions all contribute to the higher price point than originally planned by Ikea. Now in the range of £400-£700, depending on size and features, it is an expensive piece for the masses. However, even though some of the affordability has been lost, to me, this remains a great design. It’s functional, transportable, permanent and beautiful. It’s an example of how to tackle wasteful consumerism with adaptability instead of compromise. DELAKTIG gives the customer a real sense of their needs being placed in the forefront of the design process and even though I don’t have one yet, I really want one.

Credits: Tom Dixon