There is a designer by the name of Philippe Starck. He designs just about everything: chairs, buildings, watches, motorcycles, dishware, lamps, desks and more. While I am not a fan of his style, I agree with the basis of his ideals; design is everywhere. Design is the chair we are sitting on, the drawers we keep are clothes in, the car we drive. It was all designed; pre-determined by humans.
Though design is a huge part of every person's life, I feel it rarely gets the respect and acknowledgment it deserves. Fame from design is not common; Ralph Lauren, Betsy Johnson, and Giorgio Armani are some of the scarce few designers to achieve fame within popular culture. The common focus of design here is fashion. But what about architects, magazine designers, industrial designers and the rest? Fashion claims the fame while other forms of design are overlooked.
Philippe Starck has made an attempt to reach out for new design talent and show the world what design is about. Last year, on the BBC, Starck began a new reality show "Design for Life." The show is essentially a talent search contest for design students. What appeals to me is that the show focuses on all design concentrations: interior, industrial, graphic and so on. While I am not sure of the show's success in the UK, I hope something along the same lines makes it to the United States. It may open the public's eyes to the fact that their chair, plate, watch, kitchen, house, lamp, etc. were all designed by a designer.
I don't expect "Design for Life" to achieve the success of "American Idol" or the "Top Model" series (I am not sure that Starck's show is still running). Nor do I expect many designers to achieve the same level of fame as celebrity singers and actors. But I hope we designers make progress someday.
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