Foldable screens, 5G, multiple cameras for sharper images. At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, phone manufacturers are presenting up to today, the latest developments in the industry. Thus, the Central question is: How the Smartphone of the future looks like, and what comes next? A question, with the help of the French Star-Designer Philippe Starck. In the past years, 70 designed Years several models of the Chinese phone manufacturer Xiaomi.
Mr Starck, what makes beautiful technology?
A device is nice, if it is useful, and it’s ugly, if it is unusable. Because no Designer is going to change something.
So, the much-quoted Mantra, “form follows function?
no, that’s not what I meant. If there is a need for a device and if you really need it, then it is beautiful. If, however, behind only the desire to sell it or earn money from it, it is structurally ugly. This has nothing to do with Design.
in January, his 70. Birthday celebrated: The French Designer Philippe Starck. Photograph: Michael Hanschke (Keystone)
What is with the Airpods? Since the Apple three years ago announced, people fun of how ugly you are. You see?
I don’t understand why people say something like this: Because there are no cables, the headset ugly? This is ridiculous.
How does it Apple to convince people of its Design?
Apple’s Design is heavily inspired by Dieter Rams ideas from the fifties. It is nothing particularly. And Apple’s success is based on the incredible sense of Marketing by Steve Jobs, who has created a universe of music, Apps, and similar things. Not the individual product is important, but the entire universe.
Steve Jobs pulses are missing for some time now. What does this mean for the company?
in terms of mobile phones, is done with Apple – and they know it. That’s why you try now on other things.
“The next step is something I call Bionismus. The product will be Inside of the people.”
In the Smartphone market, the innovations seem to come from Asian companies. Before the MWC in Barcelona, Xiaomi and Samsung have unveiled a flip phone…
at Least 40 to 50 years has dreamed of the humanity of flexible screens. Xiaomi has already shown me some time ago foldable Displays. At that time, the technology was not Mature properly, now it is almost ready. The Nice thing is the incredible Demonstration of the human genius. People always manage to realize their dreams. Also, I find it exciting that customers get two products in one. For the price of a device, the amount of energy and material consumption of a device, you have a phone with a small screen, and then a Tablet. This fits well with the idea of dematerialization.
What do you mean?
dematerialization – the shift away from the Physicality – is a smart Design strategy. More features, Know more in less space. The first Computer was as big as a house, today they are as big as credit cards. The next step is something I call Bionismus. The product will be Inside of the people. I know a couple of scientists who have for the past 15 years, the Computer under your skin, and this works excellent. The dematerialization is used to move the products in the body of the people. Thus, the Designer is superfluous. Our profession was just a transitional phenomenon in the 20th century. and 21. Century. We have made things better, and we embellished it. But if you do not see the products that we used.
“customers will choose your brand then, if their philosophy appeals to them.”
you do for yourself?
We will disappear. And I have no Problem with it. Our history is an evolutionary development. We create every day new ideas and concepts. Many things arise and disappear. I’ve seen my Job as a manufacturer of products. My task was to improve the lives of my friends. If I can do it in the morning without the physical things, for me.
Previously selected people your Smartphone often, then, whether you liked the Design. In the dematerialised world, in which the device resides in the body of the people, as the people will opt for a phone?
It will go to quality, the price, the whole universe around it. You will opt for a brand you love. Different companies will have different philosophies. And customers will choose your brand then, if this philosophy appeals to you. (Editorial Tamedia)
Created: 28.02.2019, 15:39 PM
