Yesterday in our usual Design and Technology slot instead of receiving a presentation we delivered one. Everyone delivered a short presentation (10 slides, 10 seconds per slide) about their allocated designer, in my case Sir Kenneth Grange. I thought that the standard across the board was very high and it was really encouraging to see that the practice of delivering pitches as part of the PDE course is paying off. As class, we have definitely improved in confidence, delivery and visual communication.
I was very pleased with my presentation. Ten seconds per slide feels like no time at all and it went by in a flash. This was also good practice for the Pecha Kucha presentation in two weeks’ time. I enjoyed the opportunity to glimpse an insight into a range of other famous designers, some I had heard of and others I hadn’t. Or, more commonly, their work was recognisable but I was unaware of who the designer had been and what else they had achieved. I think that as young designers we are particularly susceptible to falling into the trap of admiring designers for their names or awards rather than examining their work. For instance; Scott presented about the controversial Santiago Calatrava. One of the architect and designer’s latest work, the World Trade Centre Transportation Hub, went seven years and $2 billion over budget. Love it or hate it as piece of contemporary architecture, isn’t it about more than the just the finish product? Can something be truly great if it’s built on a foundation of wasted taxpayer money? I think the building looks stunning but it represents a total abuse of power from a designer getting an $80 million paycheque to create a public space.
My designer, Sir Kenneth Grange, helped to define modern British industrial design. I found it particularly interesting to hear about the next generation of designers like Thomas Heatherwick who are continuing to raise the profile of British design. However, in analysis I became critical of some of his recent works. Whilst Grange clearly focused on the user’s point-of-view and the practically of his products, Heatherwick prioritises a human experience and reaction. Sometimes the desire for an impact can hinder the creation of a genuinely desirable and useful product. The proposed Thames "Garden Bridge" was cancelled in 2017 after £46 million of public money had already been spent. Or the “B of the Bang” sculpture in Manchester which had to removed due to structural issues which resulted in the council suing Heatherwick studios for £1.7 million. These are damning examples and it has to be said that Heatherwick has had many other artistic and financial successes; the Routemaster bus, 2012 Olympic Cauldron and, my personal favourite, the Curling Bridge.
However, I remain steady in my opinion that the older ways still reign superior. Take Heatherwick’s sculpture at Hudson Yards; the honeycomb staircase climbs to nothing. The viewpoint is surrounded by skyscrapers in New York city. The choice of colours and materials is striking but is it “a joy to use”? Does it serve a purpose for people and improve their lives? I am not convinced.
A final observation from the presentation was the questionable diversity of the designers. A majority of them were European; some from Germany and the Netherlands but many British. There were some American designers but none from South America or Africa and only one from Asia. Perhaps a future blog post could investigate one of these regions that weren’t represented in our talks?
Below are the slides that I delivered as a snapshot of Kenneth Grange's life: