ALAIN GILLES
designer, Belgium
What is ‘design’ according to you? Design is a way to create fresh, innovative products while taking into account the social evolutions that our society goes through. But when it comes to furniture it can also refer to a personal approach to a new or existing typology, in order to create very differentiated and personal products. In that case, the designer is really creating his or her own universe. Design is the will to do something different, something more unique, with particular attention to details.
Name an iconic piece of design. I would go for the little red Valentine typewriter designed in 1969 by Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti. It is a pure industrial product but with a very strong attention detail: the graphic outlines, a smart transport case that highlighted a sense of freedom, a striking colour that made it all the more human. It is a perfect reflection of its time, of a Europe that was being transformed by the social events of 1968. |