COVERSTORY Controversial Thinking INTERVIEW Creative Disobedience with Wouter Kets 59 | February 2017
CONTENTS
14 O N E T O WAT C H
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AIRBNB
EDITORIAL
16
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Study Association i.d
B.A.B.E.
23
8 C O V E R S T O RY
VERSUS
F I AT VERSUS FERRARI THE EVOLUTION OF CONTROVERSIAL THINKING
26 F E AT U R E
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DESIGN E V E RY W H E R E
EXTREME W E AT H E R DESIGN 28
ALUMNI
LIGHTING DESIGN W I T H S I LV I A P O N T
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CONTENTS
F E AT U R E
43
DESIGN LIKE M A X V E R S TA P P E N
INTERVIEW
C R E AT I V E DISOBEDIENCE WITH WOUTER KETS
34 INTERVIEW
A COG IN THE WHEEL
WITH FRANK BLEEKER
46 INSPIRING
W H Y FA I L U R E IS WORTH THE RISK
36
CROSSING THE CHASM
F E AT U R E
48 T H E S T O RY BEHIND
38
THE RISE OF GLASS
F E AT U R E
LEGO
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40
CHALLENGE XOXO
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GADGETS
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EDITORIAL
Diana Gonzalez Chairwoman
Casper van Alfen Treasurer
Fay de Grefte Publicity
Joost Tielken Acquisition
Sita de Kruijf Editor in chief
Nils Westhoff Qualitate Qua
Abe Minnema Layout
Renske De Jong Secretary
EDITORIAL We are just starting a new year full of new resolutions, ideas, plans and dreams - and so is Turn The Page with a new committee. We are proud to bring to your table an issue full of controversy, risks and edgy design for a fresh and energetic new year start. To open, we give you something to think about in our Cover Story “The evolution of controversial thinking”. The theme of on the edge design is continued in the rest of this issue. We explore this subject by presenting contexts and situations in which designers deals with extreme situations. Also, we include cases in which the design itself or the innovation it brings leads to unexpected results or even fails. Indeed, sometimes design fails, but failure is not always bad! If you are looking for inspiration on this area, do not miss “Why failure is worth the risk” on page 46. If you want more on the subject of failure, jump to the discussion about the Google Glass on page 38, or have a look at the “Clash of the Titans”, the Versus between the Fiat Multipla and Ferrari F50 on page 23 - hard comparison, right? As the perfect addition, we are bringing back “The story behind”, an inspiring feature to tell the unknown story of companies, this time presenting LEGO. Did you know they started with a big setback? Well, you can check all the details on page 48. 4
To keep you all pleased, we also featured different perspectives on how designers deal with risky scenarios. If this is your thing, enjoy one of the interviews included in this issue: Audi designer Wouter Kets on page 43 or IDE alumnus Frank Bleeker on page 38. If you like it even more extreme, go to page 26 to get insight in the real extreme design on Mars and Antarctica. We also investigate how today’s world full of innovation is on the edge. To find more, go to the discussion around one of the most controversial services nowadays, Airbnb (page 14), or to page 36 to see how design can help technologies to “Cross the chasm”. We hope to inspire you to take risks in 2017, as we already did by giving our own new touch to this issue. Enjoy! Chairwoman Diana Gonzalez
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B.A.B.E.
BOOKS APPS BLOGS EVENTS
The Tipping Point Have you ever wondered why some innovations fail and others make a big difference in society? “The tipping point” is the writer debut of Malcolm Gladwell, a journalist with an interest in social sciences, published in 2000. The title itself means “a magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” The book analyses the sociological circumstances that go hand in hand with ideas, products and messages. Examples that are used in the book are the rise of popularity of Hush Puppies shoes in the nineties and the drop in New York crime after 1990.
Hayden Kays is an artist Is he really? Hayden Kays mystifies me. He makes collages, pictures and writes with his typewriter, but what he does most: he makes you think. Words like “bold”, “provocative”, “criticizing” and “hard hitting” are a common way to describe the message behind his rather traditional craftsmanship. Is his humour deadpan? See for yourself!
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Adobe Mobile Apps
Launched in November, these apps might not be new to you. Adobe released three new apps that are in line with their computer programs. They are free to download, but you will need an Adobe CC subscription to use the features. Photoshop Fix lets you retouch and enhance photos with a professional outcome. Photoshop Sketch can help you sketch and paint vivid images using its wide arrangement of functions. The last one is Comp CC. This app allows you to design wireframes using images, text, shapes and fonts. From our experience, we would only recommend this to people with a rather large tablet and you may need some sort of pen for your tablet to fully enjoy these apps.
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B.A.B.E.
Bizarium An ode to all inventors and creative minds: Bizarium is a unique museum that revitalizes crazy, genius ideas. With true craftsmanship, they build inventions that only existed on paper for centuries. Bizarium shows that innovations never go to waist but are a building block for new science, new technology and new design. If you do not believe that every fail is a victory as well, or if you just want to get enthused, Bizarium is a great place for you to go. The museum is now open in Sluis.
Learn to how draw As it says in the name, this app is made to teach you how to draw. Thinking of a good idea is hard, but convincing people that it is a good idea is harder. Visual communication can help you understand and develop your thoughts even better. So if you have a fantastic idea and want to illustrate the interaction, or maybe you just feel like being creative, this app features lessons for everyone. Will Sliney, a well known comic book artist, created more than one hundred tutorials to help you build up your characters and figure work.
Black Mirror
You might or might not have seen it, but Black Mirror is the new Netflix series that everyone is talking about. Its audacious interpretation of the future examines our society’s relationship with the media. Learn from it or just enjoy it, this series achieves it all. The long episodes extrapolate where current trends in communications technology might lead us if we do not foster our collective consciousness and humanity. I suggest you to take an evening off for this because one episode takes 40 to 70 minutes and you will not want to move.
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B.A.B.E.
ISEA Competition Marco Reijne en Biem Wibbens, both alumni of the TU Delft, are the first and second prize winners of the ISEA student project competition 2016. They received their award on Friday 16 December, after a lecture from dr. David James ‘Innovation for Olympic success’, for undertaking an individual project on a sports engineering topic. Marco Reijne was given a certificate and membership of the ISEA for his project “The next level in pole vaulting: A mechanical model based on exploration”. His winning scription proves
that the mechanic model they developed can describe the entire movement of pole vaulting and hereby optimize the mechanical properties of the stick, the technique and movement of the athlete for a maximum outcome. The second place went to Biem Wibbens. In his project we discover the relation between the materialisation of a hockey stick and the performance of the player. From this research he developed a new concept, that uses three layers, to provide a more specialised experience to the hockey player.
Purmundus Challenge
The Purmundus Challenge is an international design competition for 3D printing that took place for the fourth time on the Formnext congress in Frankfurt. On 17 November, prices were awarded to the most creative and pioneering products in the area of 3D-printing. Anne Bekker, a student at IDE, received the third price with her Arc Bike. This is a fully functional 3D printed stainless steel bicycle, proven to allow opportunities for aesthetics, ergonomics, as well as physical performance.
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Jumpthegap is an International Design Contest promoted by Roca since 2004 that is looking for new, innovative and sustainable concepts for the bathroom space.This seventh jumpthegap is aimed at creative people who think towards the future whilst designing today. We understand the innovation concept as the anticipation of users’ new desires and needs, as well as (why not?) the transformation of dreams and desires into reality.Sustainability is one of the most important principles to take into account when innovating in the bathroom space. In the era we are living, we have to grantee products oriented to the saving of water, energy and resources. Young design or architecture students born from 1 January 1982 onwards from all over the world may participate. As long as they submit their application on 15 March 2017.In the course of the competition, two winning projects will be chosen and will receive a prize of €10,000 each!
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COVERSTORY
The evolution of thinking controversial
Thinking in the opposite direction from everybody else has caused trouble for many individuals in the past. Nevertheless, it has, in most cases, been a valuable thing for society. In fact, this controversial thinking can often be seen as being ahead of time, which is probably a desirable place for designers to be. Ground-breaking ideas would not exist if people would all keep thinking the same way. If Galileo Galilei would not have gone against all expectations, we might still believe today that the Earth is the centre of the universe. by Sita de Kruijf There have been controversial thinkers in almost every area of study you can think of. For example, in science, art, biology and philosophy there has, at some point, been a revolutionary theory that changed everybody’s view. By ‘controversial’, I mean the unexpected, the opposite of the crowd’s opinion and the debatable subjects. In the past, thinking differently was a brave and unusual thing to do. Society
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had a certain fear of change, which made them reject anyone with a controversial vision. Since we have now embraced many of these remarkable theories over time, I wondered whether there were any controversial ideas or thoughts which we are currently rejecting as the truth, because it would not be unrealistic to say that it will be accepted in the future. To answer this question, I will tell you a story about how controversialists and population’s attitude towards them has changed throughout the years. Controversialists of today To start with, there certainly are controversial thinkers nowadays. People have not stopped thinking differently and remain to be unhesitant to make this clear to everybody around them. One could even say that in the world of design, thinking controversially or at least originally, is a must. In fashion, industrial design, art and prose, ideas are popping up that go against the crowd. Where, hundreds of years ago, the population was struggling with the idea that the Earth rotates around the sun, NASA is now strongly convinced that we are not alone in the universe. Moreover, Elon Musk does not exclude the possibility that we are living in a computer simulation. People have always been, and still are, separate individuals, and controversial minds still exist.
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COVERSTORY
The acceptance of controversial ideas Although controversy has not vanished, what has changed, is the way society looks at it and the degree of rejection. The main reason for this is the contemporary environment we live in. The world is driven by innovation. It is all around us and it is shaping our lives. In a society that is so much focused on the new, newer and newest, there is no place for fear. This fear of change, which has been fatal for controversial thinkers in the past, is now being pushed away brutally by an abundance of innovations. I am not saying that this fear has completely disappeared;
it is something that is rooted in our brains. Yet, in these days, the fear of change results in a slower acceptance, rather than rejection. This becomes evident in the previous examples of NASA and Elon Musk. Their theories may sound weird to us, but they do not per se trigger the reaction of fear and the tendency to reject the idea. We just have to get used to these new ideas gradually and nowadays, people are becoming increasingly good at that.
to the fact that it is more easily accepted. Speaking aloud about your strange theories or ideas has become less brave or dangerous. In a place where cars are already going in all directions, it is hard to be a ghost rider. 1
Since innovation has become a common part of the world, controversial thinking has become less noticeable. This is linked
“In a place where cars are already going in all directions, it is hard to be a .� ghost rider
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COVERSTORY
How controversial thinking can turn out favourable Now we know that it is ‘okay to think differently’ in our time, could this element actually be used in our favour? It can. In fact, controversy may be the key to moving forward. This statement is backed by a theory, which points out the difference between revolution and evolution. Evolution can be defined as ‘a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development’, whereas the revolution means ‘a sudden, complete or marked change in something’. The latter is the essence of the ideas that go down in history. These are also the ideas that big, controversial minds want to, and often do come up with. For highly ambitious designers, revolution in this sense could be the highest goal. The key to describe the difference between evolution and revolution is controversy. That is why controversial thinking could – in our times – help a designer move forward. So, being controversial can be a good thing for designers. But, there is another positive side on controversy, this time in regards to the collective, instead of individuals. This does not directly connect to design, but it is relevant for the dynamics of population. Clearly, controversial minds
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COVERSTORY
“Controversiality might be the key to moving forward.” do not have to be right. There are, and have been, various individuals who have caused a lot of friction by their controversial words and actions. To find examples of this kind of people, we certainly have to look into politics. Big, important and contentious political leaders often cause more friction in the world than anybody else - think of Donald Trump and Fidel Castro. Actually, this friction is not necessarily a bad thing. These people force everyone to ask questions and they make other politicians be more cautious. Friction puts society on the edge and keeps us focused, and all of this was started by controversial thoughts in a stubborn mind. Controversialist of tomorrow After looking into the past and analysing the present, we can paint a picture of the future. Controversial thinking has gone from being rejected in the past and being accepted many years later, to finally being accepted much more easily in the present. We could say controversial thoughts have always been important and noticeable in design. What is changing is the time it takes for ideas to be accepted. As said previously, present-day designers can make use out of controversy. If the rising line will continue, controversial ideas will be accepted even faster in the future and will
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maybe even not experience any form of rejection. If this happens, you can imagine that controversial thinking loses all its uniqueness. Maybe, doing things differently will eventually go ‘out of style’. Think about it: retro is already becoming more and more popular. The fact that we are already going back to what already has been, instead of seeking for the unknown and unexpected, might be the beginning of the end for controversialists. Although I started with the question if there are any controversial thinkers today, I did not simply find an answer to that. I did end up with the conclusion that controversial thinking is different than it has been. Rebellious individuals are nowadays harder to identify, because controversialists have simply become more common. Common enough for designers to take advantage of it without putting themselves at risk. Even common enough to raise the thought that, in the future, it will become mainstream and conservatism will be the new controversy. 3
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Study Association i.d
Freshmen Party On 15 November, i.d-Kafee was transformed into an atmospheric setting for the Freshmen party. The Freshmen Committee chose TokIO for the theme. They dressed up i.d-Kafee in Japanese style, with billboards, animé characters and florals. The attendees appeared in beautiful kimonos, wore Pokémon outfits and there was a pair of sushi bites amongst the bartenders as well.
SPEK Input Moment Although the renovation is technically concluded, board 44 still has many plans to make Study Association i.d more attractive to their members. SPEK Amsterdam facilitated a brainstorm session using a method they came up with themselves, called ‘Effectuation’. It is meant to assist designers, so they can use resources they already have access to. Using ‘Effectuation’, Study Association i.d thought of a few ways to improve the renovated space even more. We are sure you will love them.
“Effectuation is like cooking without a recipe.”
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Study Association i.d
Kafeest Celebrating their ninth lustrum, i.d-Kafee used this number to their advantage; the theme for the party was Kafee’s ninth birthday. Everybody looked half their age, some painted their faces like animals, others came in princess dresses and had pigtails. At the main stage, the bubble machine was the star of the show and the DJs were working their magic as well. The second stage was converted to a silent disco; the two DJs that played simultaneously were in a constant duel to become the dominant channel.
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Study Association i.d
Flightcase Interest Drinks The first of two FlightCase Interest Drinks was held in “De Kuil�. The committee dropped balloons with letters attached to them, revealing the destination for FlightCase 2017. The students will go to Shanghai next summer where they will solve exciting cases.
Sinterklaas Kafee Sinterklaas graciously delayed his return to Spain this year to stay for Sinterklaas Kafee. Armed with his large book he told stories about i.d-Kafee regulars, committee members and board members. Afterwards he roamed amongst the - slightly tipsy guests, asking the Zwarte Pieten to award them with pepernoten and candy if they had been nice last year.
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Study Association i.d
EXid X: Prague From 15 to 19 December, a group of 30 students went to Prague to ‘Czech out’ all of its design and cultural aspects. The group visited DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, National Technical Museum and Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, and a guided tour around the city of Prague was also part of the weekend. They spent their last night in Prague in the Karlovy Lazne to dance the night away.
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Study Association i.d
Cases on Tour The students that went on Cases on Tour 1: One is not enough, just returned from an exciting journey. They went to Haag Wonen, Eneco, ProRail and Procter & Gamble to get students and companies acquainted with each other in a very special way. Companies benefit from new insights into their everyday problems, whereas students can experience the role of an industrial designer in various industries. Students solved cases like giving a second life to an abandoned building, mounting a sensor on the Dutch train tracks and motivating users of Eneco’s thermostat to save energy.
New Year’s Lunch On Wednesday 11 December, almost a hundred freshmen came to i.d-Kafee to have lunch with each other and celebrate the new year. The Freshmen Committee prepared a terrific lunch buffet at i.d-Kafee with hot dogs, juice and a mug of warm soup that was thoroughly enjoyed by the attendees.
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Study Association i.d
FEB 3rd
ski.d
FEB 15th
Actid Valentine’s Kafee
From 3 to 12 February, Study Association i.d will leave for Les Orres, France to go skiing and snowboarding for a week!
Saint Cupid is coming to i.d-Kafee, are you taking a date? Or are you going to seduce a single lady or guy spontaneously?
MAR Kafeest 2 Of course there is going to be another Kafeest this year, especially 1st after the success that was Kafeest: Kafee’s ninth birthday . MAR General Members Assembly 4 While the lunch meetings are more enjoyable, it is not always 6th possible. We have a lot to talk about, so it will be in the evening. MAR IDE Business Fair On 15 and 16 March, the IDE Business Fair will take place in the 15th IDE Hall again. Expect cool companies there, as always. turn the page | february 2017
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If everyone likes it, it is not good enough.