Philippe Starck - Design for Life

Philippe Starck's design reality show 'Design for Life' starts tonight on BBC 2 at 9pm.

I'll admit to being skeptical and I'm not a Starck fan, but I'll reserve judgement until I've watched the show. There's some stuff on the web, from biogs of the contestants, a Facebook page and these articles in The Guardian and the Indy. Most of the designers have web pages so helpfully, I'll copy the biogs and their links below. Let's all watch the show and then report back tomorrow morning.

Ana-Maria Stewart Pasescu
Age: 23
From: Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire

Ana-Maria's passion for design stems from when she lived in Romania and had to make her own toys to keep herself amused. She moved to England at the age of 10 after her parents were forced to flee the Romanian revolution. Excitable and fanatical, she often draws the thoughts she has in her head straight onto her bedroom wall. She is a free thinker: doors that don't open both ways genuinely frustrate her; she'd love to convert an old phone box into a shower; and she's dreaming up a way to make the shopping trolley a more user-friendly object. Ana-Maria graduated with a degree in Furniture and Product Design from De Montford University, Leicester, and worked for a brand design company for a year until quitting because she was not getting enough creative freedom. The timing was perfect, however, because shortly after leaving the job she was invited to join Starck's School of Design.

Helen Bickford
Age: 22
From: Durham

Helen recently graduated with a qualification in product design from Lincoln University and describes herself as a fun designer. She loves design brands such as Alessi and Ikea as well as quintessentially British design icons, such as the red telephone box. The lack of females in the world of product design spurs her on to make a name for herself in the industry. She believes the experience of working with Starck will help shape the rest of her career and life: "The ideals I'll get from him could inspire me to start my own business, or take those ideals to a new workplace and hopefully change it or make it better – it's just such an amazing opportunity."

Ilsa Parry
Age: 27
From: Liverpool

Ilsa is feisty and fiercely independent. She left home when she was 18 and has supported herself ever since. Her go-it-alone attitude is her driving force but she's so used to doing everything for herself that working as part of a team doesn't always come easily – she doesn't think before she speaks and that often gets her in trouble. A self-confessed workaholic, Ilsa's never happier than when she's busy – she lectures in 3-D design at Liverpool Community College and she's trying to bring a newly developed range of conceptual light products to the market, all while studying for an MA. She loves designs that have a twist of irony and surprise people – like her practical design for a vertical coffin which will save space in already overcrowded cemeteries. It caught Starck's eye – and led him to invite her to Paris.

James Malcolm-Green
Age: 24
From: Fulham, London

James graduated last year from St Martin's College with a BA in Product Design. Since graduating he has been looking for his big break into design. Although James is quietly spoken and quite serious, he is certainly not lacking in confidence – he thinks he has the potential to be one of the best young talents in design. Ideally he wants to go into homeware and furniture design and likes to incorporate fun into his designs. He is worried that his drawing skills will be found wanting by Starck, but is confident with computer-based designing and feels his passion for the work will stand him in good stead.

Jessica Viana
Age: 25
From: Southampton

Jessica, a self-confessed introvert, is serious-minded and desperate to make her way in the design world – although so far she has not found it easy. After graduating in product design she was unable to secure a job in the industry, but after three years working in retail, she has quit her sales job and thrown herself back into design. Her main drive is to find ways of simplifying complicated products to make them more user-friendly and more suited to a sustainable world. She has a flair for thinking outside the box, she loves loud colours and dresses in a very distinctive style.

Lachlan Roberston
Age: 19
From: Inverness, Scotland

Lachlan is the youngest of the 12 students at Starck's school of design. He has just completed the first year of a degree course in Product Design at Dundee University in Scotland – and is prepared to put his second year on hold to seize the opportunity with Starck. Lachlan's father has been the main inspiration for his interest in design – he studied architecture before becoming a surveyor and always fostered his son's interest in building styles and form. He also introduced Lachlan to the work of Scottish designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who remains an influence on the teenager. He loves the way Starck believes that excellent design should be for everyone and not just for a wealthy elite.

Michael Cloke
Age: 22
From: Sevenoaks, Kent

Michael is a quietly confident young man who makes friends easily and will have no trouble bonding with the rest of the group. He graduated in 2008 from the University of Brighton with a degree in 3-D Design. As a child, he used to infuriate his parents by dismantling everything from telephones to televisions – but this apparent vandalism betrayed a deep fascination with how things work and how they are put together. He is eager to work with Starck because of the way he has adapted his philosophy of design and now believes in designing less in order to help achieve a sustainable planet.

Nebil Avas
Age: 22
From: London

At the tender age of 22, Nebil's confidence is astounding – he compares the way he works and thinks to Salvador Dalí and Philippe Starck. "Personally, I'd like to think I'm one of the best designers of the future," he says. Of Turkish Cypriot descent, Nebil didn't enjoy his childhood – as a hyperactive child he hated school, and his father was always on his case. His only salvation was going to Cyprus during the school holidays to help his grandfather in his cobbler's shop. At 15, Nebil saw a book of Starck's work and from that day realised he wanted to be a designer. At school he began to visualise how 3-D objects were made and realised this was his true calling in life. Nebil believes it is fate that this opportunity to work with Starck has come along for him.

Polly Firth
Age: 21
From: Middlewich, Cheshire

Polly received a First in her MA in Product Design from the University of Leeds and believes that she was the best student in her class. She's hugely determined and has her heart set on becoming a renowned international designer by the time she is 40. What infuriates her in the male-dominated design profession is the countless men who design products for women. She is confident and believes she could teach Starck a thing or two – she has a watch of his that drives her insane because of how complicated it is to use. Polly is a leader in group situations. She thinks that coming up with the ideas is her best quality in design – and, interestingly, she doesn't see the fact that she can't draw as a problem.

Robert Meredith
Age: 29
From: Northamptonshire

One of the older members of the group, Robert, already has a career as a designer – he freelances, designing packaging for food products. Robert is a quiet, focused individual who likes to work on his own and is not a natural team player. He therefore may find it less easy than some to mix socially with a large group of fellow students. His first memory of design is sitting on his father's knee and helping to fill in a big scrap book. It left him with a strong desire to work creatively. He feels his thirst for a challenge will enable him to do well at the school of design.

Robert Richardson
Age: 32
From: Leicester

The oldest of the 12 students, Robert has taken a real gamble to pursue his dream of being a top designer. He had a secure job as a sign fitter, but gave it up after five years to retrain as a designer, enrolling in a BA in furniture design at Sheffield. His passion in design is to create products that are functional and appealing but that also help create a sustainable world – and he's excited to work with Starck, whose interest in sustainability is well known. He has no qualms about being the oldest student at the school of design and is confident he will fit in. The idea of spending a few months in Paris is also appealing – in the past he has gone off for months at a time travelling to far-flung parts of the world.

Trevor Brinkman
Age: 27
From: Bournemouth

Originally from Holland, Trevor is the BFG of the group. But beneath his gentle exterior lies a man with strong opinions, who is prepared to do battle with Starck if he doesn't agree with what the master has to say. Trevor came late to the design game – he has a degree in Marine Biology – but nothing has inspired him quite like it. Now at 27 he has gone back to the drawing board and is studying Product Design at Bournemouth University. He may only have been studying for a year but he knows that the rest of his life is going to be devoted to design in one way or another.

Comments

[Russell]

It amazes how many designers and artists have such unusable, badly designed and constructed sites.

[Ben]

Yes, I agree.

[Furniture Stores]

Sounds interesting. Wish the States had a half way decent show idea like this. Sigh...

[Victor]

holy crap these opening credits are shocking...

[Ben]

6 minutes in - first mention of lemon squeezer.

[davidthedesigner]

I think the blonde girl will win.

Says it all, really.

[Neil Martin]

Is it just me, or is every girl on this show very attractive indeed?

[Neil Martin]

Having just fully watched the first episode of this, I want to raise some points.

Starck - Seems like he knows his stuff very well indeed, but it felt like he kept interupting his students - sometimes unecessarily.

His cheerful nature - At first it was quite nice to see that he wasn't serious and stone-walled, but after a while it did seem like the students were taking it more seriously than he was.

And finally, hypocrisy - On berating the guy who bought the bike to symbolise ecology and telling him that he had "partnered with slaves", you then see Starck a few minutes later riding around on it. That to me is an utter contradiction.

Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to see how this show pans out.

[Website Design Kent]

Most of these guys think that going to university actually entitles them to something. Anybody can get an education but inspiration, creativity or desire is something else. Starck showed what a forward thinker he is and how he embraces design. Design is important but realistically, there is a limit to how many times you can re-design a tea cup! Design often encompasses art - is this necessary?

[Simon]

I can't stick Philippe Starck. Anyone that owns one of his watches (and can't find the instruction manual) will attest to the poor design. And the lemon squeezer that puts the juice in a pool around the squeezer. Form over function anyone?

It's like the apprentice, but for designers. I'll pass, thanks.

[Rob]

It professes to promote innovation and fresh thinking, but follows the format of The Apprentice. A missed opportunity

[Richard]

I liked Robert's park bench idea and enjoyed Starck's ridiculousness.

[Steve Leard]

I enjoyed the programme, I thought Starck was entertaining and inspiring. It's probably premature to judge to hopefuls, but on yesterdays viewing they need to wake up. Half of them seemed asleep, stubborn and closed to the project brief. I hope they can really throw themselves into the tasks that follow, what an amazing opportunity! When's the graphic design version?

[alexparrott]

Having just caught up on iPlayer, I liked it. But knowing that I enjoy good design and The Apprentice I could have probably predicted that. The Apprentice background music played in an accordian-esque way might be a step too far, but made me smile nonetheless.

[Tom]

Did anyone get any volume ? I couldn't get the volume to work. Were there any voices on it ?

[Anthony]

I thought the actual programme was ok and with a lack of decent stuff on TV about design a refreshing change.

I did think that some of the students were trying to second guess Phillippe's left field take on design especially Nebil. Every good reality TV show needs a maverick/bad guy/extrovert and he looks like being it.

I'm sure its going to be an interesting talking point on Tuesday mornings in the studio. To add a little spice we've run a sweepstake on the winner! http://www.zonedesignweb.co.uk/blog/?p=381

I'll be watching how the discussion goes here as well.

[Tom]

Speak up a bit, will you.

[firebaldey]

I get the feeling this programme could backfire in several ways, having winced through three episodes :
1 Mr Stark seems to have a problem communicating to the entourage - ironic when he is to encourage good presentation skills
2 Mr Stark seems a distant busy man - he semms to have underestimated the time that will be required !
3 I get the feeling the designers dont know the difference between a tutorial and professional expectations
4 If all the designers get sacked, then the ethos of the programme reflects badly that britain has no design talent in this field - or from the cross section of talent that he interviewed
5 The group is too clique - as strangers in a foreign country theyre not at ease and seem to think theyre in big brother, not competing for a top design experience
6 Mr Stark seems to be looking for the polished article, and the contenders are looking very 'straight out of college'
7 Mr Starks buffoness and playing in front of the cameras is putting the designers too much at ease, and I think he will regret this by not setting a more serious tone
8 Mr Stark will only tarnish his and their image if he does pull out of the show
Ill carry on watching more to see if it does develop back on the right path, and hope to see the great ideas that the show initially promised to produce. I suppose this is entertaining, but id rather see young uk design talent showing off their potential than being made a laughing stock. The polished professional format of the Apprentice is hardly a comparison - if only the format of the show was more original - id never thought of making that criticism against the legend of monsieur Stark - e !

[Anthony]

I do think Ilsa's comment last night of the brief somehow being 'lost in translation' was correct. Obviously the show is edited and we're not getting the full story, but such an open brief and using phrases such as 'avant project' don't exactly make it any easier.

I think Starck's expectations are too high for the students to come up with a sustainable, ecological NEW product in a week. But on the other hand I think the students are trying too hard to justify what they are doing and consequently not focussing on a final product.

The phrase 'keep it simple, stupid' rings true here. I think they will be lucky to get ONE good idea that comes close to being a marketable product.

Still loving the show though and good to see any sort of design process opened up on TV.

[Tom]

There's a difference between the creative act and managing the process within which it sits. I think that Starck is a great creative and produces fantastic work - and although his studio - and this programme undoubtedly has a process that includes the brief, the presentation, the feedback, the learning, the improvement etc - I don't think that HE is the best person to be in charge of all that.

The creative person is not the best person to manage the process as well. I thin that is what makes the students frustrated - like that girl with beautiful eyes who got really frustrated that she didn't understand any of his feedback - that it wasn't positive enough etc. It's important to give good feedback if you want to design good products, or if you want to run a good business.

[firebaldey]

Well said Tom ! Now id get on with some work if I were you, your design guru is watching !!

[Tom]

I assure you there is no-one talking about modernism and sinusoidal waves in this office.

[Allen]

The e-myth,
Stark is a designer not a coach.

In one episode he blames all the students.

and "Not his ability to communicate his thoughts." -

Firstly I am not suggesting it may be him but I am suggesting his inability to see multiple perspectives when coaching. With his style most businesses just turn over staff till someone understands them via luck.

Second, his generalisation of conversation when placing the orders, he wants unique new products not just revamped products, look at his designs, a mouse, juicer, boat,watch. > he is being a tool for TV.

His is not a coach, so keep churning students.

"Communication is the response you get, there is no way to blame others" bandler