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| Salone del Mobile 2006: Materialise.MGX

May 10, 2006 _fairs

Magic company Materialise.MGX has suceeded again in surprising the audience. At Milan's Superstudio Piu they presented the new series pieces along with breathtaking prototypes.
Dan Yeffet from JellyLab designed the Hidden vase, a beautiful piece of Rapid Prototyping nature and the geometrical Polyvase available in a beautiful grass green.
All pics after the jump!

Lamp by Philip Treacy designed for the G Hotel in Ireland and Handshake by Arik Levy

Foldable stool by MGX

Fruit bowl

Hidden vase by Dan Yeffet

Polyvase by Dan Yeffet

|design and invention

November 28, 2005 _trends

Unfortunately most of designers today do not conceive themselves as inventors, and therefore the majority of new products stand for their aesthetical value. Not that style is less important but I believe innovation and invention are the true engine of design.
That is basically why I appreciate so much the kind of projects born after deep research, the ones that realise ideas and not only shapes, that are conceived defying the potentials of technologies and materials, that stand out for their absolute novelty or for little clever solutions that make the difference.
Materials and technology are a huge innovation factor and when they have the power to modify the design process, to reinvent the way a product is conceived; then you need great talents to come out with projects that could have never been thought before. I believe that is the case of Materialise.MGX, Freedom of Creation and Patrick Jouin that are proposing a complete new way of designing and realising an object thanks to Rapid Manufacturing.

Above pictures of Solid chair and stool by french designer Patrick Jouin made with stereolithography.

Above 3D textiles by Freedom of Creation. The company founded in 2000 in the Netherlands has a wide experience in research and cutting edge technologies.

Below some light fixtured from Materialise.MGX collection. The belgium company was one of the first to use the Rapid Prototyping techniques Stereolithography (SLA) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) in limited design series.

|the power of self-production

October 24, 2005 _trends

An overwhelming amount of self-producers and specialized tiny companies have been presenting their force during the past years and I believe we will be watching many more coming into the design market. Take Tom Dixon and Inflate in UK; the young company Sphaus and the collective Industreal in Italy; the dutch group Cultivate or Contraforma in Lithuania. Not to mention the vast army of young designers that self-produce and sell their creations crowding events such as Salone Satellite, 100% Design, Designersblock and many more.
Young talents, good ideas, high quality products, handicraft, regional expertise, new technologies and reduced series characterize this exciting trend; and I do think lots of innovation will be coming from these small entrepreneurs.
The drivers fueling this trend are to be found in the need for special objects; the possibilities for customization; the difficulties of having big name companies investing in young, unknown designers; the global reach thanks to internet and the will of being in control of one's life.

|Colour Trends

October 10, 2005 _trends

After attending several main design fairs across Europe and observing the design market something appears very clear to me: brown is the new neutral colour.
Along with the furNATURE trend that sees more and more the influence of shapes taken from Nature, the use of dark browns, whites, vanilla, graphite grey, grey-brown shades and natural-brown harmonies is definitely taking the position of leading colour trend.
Accent colours are the by now modern classic orange and the newer acid green. The emerging accent colours are definitely fuchsia and violet.
Patterns and floral motifs are still ruling the surfaces; I believe it will soon evolve into more sophisticated forms as we risk saturation fast.