DESIGNER LIVING
New ovens launched by CDA at kbb 2020
DESIGN AND PRINCIPLES Design keeps the electrical industry alive by encouraging consumers to buy the next, bigger, better, best or most stylish products on the market. But technology for technology’s sake is a no-no. Not only is it costly and wasteful, but it causes consumer confusion. Striking the right balance is the difficult part, as noted by Andreas Enslin, Head of Design at Miele, who concurs with the philosophy of German industrial designer Dieter Rams. Rams said in his 10 principles of design: ‘good design is as little design as possible’. “Unfortunately, omission is the difficult part,” Enslin asserts. “It is only when things are as simple as possible and no longer contain the superfluous and when each and every detail has been thought through and mastered that we become fascinated by the simplicity and elegance “Elegant products of a solution. But the act not equalled by modern of omission requires functionality, or those great effort and this is which look straight out of the only way for things to acquire significance. the 50s but perform like There is simply too antiques, won’t cut the much that is loud and mustard.” superfluous already.”
WHEN LOOKS ARE NOT ENOUGH Design can be as diverse as the personalities it indulges, but behind the façade must lie the substance to address real-life challenges and needs. GC reports
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ne person’s shabby chic is another person’s Tat… one person’s beige is another’s Boring… one person’s minimalism is another’s Cold… and flamboyant colour is another’s migraine. Design is subjective. Industrial is, well, industrial. It speaks to the professional chef, or those who aspire to be, for others it says factory, workshop, places of toil. Modern contemporary – “contemporary” becoming an indefinable word in the eclectic world of design, but in kitchen terms the perceived statement is show, display, clean, clutter-less, open-plan and airy. The country look: Twee or bold? Both exist. But it is a look which imagines warmth, cooking, hearty meals, family gatherings… and it is not purely the reserve of the rural dweller, it is equally desirable for townies seeking, or wishing to recreate, the pastoral dream. Retro 50s, now there’s a poser. For those who remember the scullery, the pastel coloured Frigidaire or Servis fridge, or the occasional neighbour who could afford one, the strange 50s fish wallpaper (How odd was that!?), times, in general, were frugal. The memory – teeny workrooms, lino, few worksurfaces, washboards, outdoor mangles – is not one some would wish to return to. Reminiscence is one thing, but an everyday symbol of those times in the home is a step too far. For others, of course, retro appliances are deemed icons, particularity by Millennials, or Generation Y as the demographers’ alphabet soup will have it, and the later Generation Z.
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DESIGN AND PURPOSE
But design is about more than style, it’s also about substance, as many misguided consumers will, to their great disappointment, have discovered. As Lucy Dunstan, product manager UK & Ireland for Smeg, the brand famed for its 50s-style FAB fridge, puts it: “Great aesthetics are worthless without great functionality.” Commenting on what constitutes the cornerstone of good design, Dunstan says: “Simplicity and clarity of vision, because communication is key. Know what you want to say, have confidence in it, and make the statement clearly and boldly.” This can be expressed in a variety of ways, Dunstan maintains, citing the brand’s 50s-style range which captures the nostalgia of a bygone era but with a modern twist. Catherine Balderson, Senior Hotpoint Brand Manager, believes good design empowers a brand because it leaves a lasting impression with the consumer. “Aesthetics draw the customer’s attention in the showroom, which is why the exterior design of the appliance is so important. Impressive functionality of appliances, however, is what ultimately drives a sale. Hotpoint believes there is no great result without the care and passion of impressive design behind it.” She adds that innovations from Hotpoint are driven by consumer needs, resulting in appliances that empower the user to care for what they value most.
DESIGN APPROACH Fisher & Paykel takes a themed approach to design based on a philosophy rooted in understanding the macro changes that form consumers’ different patterns of use – themes such as sociability, ergonomics, nutrition, changing cooking styles and respect for the planet. “Our world is changing at a pace never seen before,” comments Mark Elmore, VP Design and Brand. “The way we live, interact, and what’s important to us as consumers is in constant flux. We call it Design for a Changing World. It is the result of macro changes in the way we live, and these relate directly to our beliefs on health and wellbeing.” A generational shift has occurred, Elmore points out. Millennials are now the largest consumer group globally and with them come a different set of values: “A willingness to spend disposable income, a deep care for food and its provenance, a love of design and a desire for the finer things. They are looking for something fresh, new and authentic. Global lifestyles, cultures, mobility and urbanisation are distinct but intertwined.”
DESIGN AND VALUE Design is a complex business which embraces aesthetics, purpose and function – having any one without the others fails the underlying principles of the process. It is an expensive
