10 lessons I have learned from Karim Rashid

How design will change the world? Simple, says Karim Rashid, one of the most important voices in nowadays design. And for the designer who invented more than 3.000 objects (yes, I know, some people would say “designed”, but I personally consider that Karim Rashid made something more than that), received over 35 important awards and had his projects expanded in more that 35 countries in the world… everything seems simple. In black and white. Or… may I say, especially in white, like his personal appearance in Bucharest at the conference “How design will change the world”.

I met Karim Rashid twice in a week – I know some friends of mine would be jealous – and I’ve noticed that the music he mixed in Uanderful lounge was as much as happy and cool as his designs. And that he is as I always imagined he would be when I looked at his Poly XOXO chair, the rooms from Semiramis hotel in Athens, his bobble water bottle or when I saw his work in the residential area (and yes, I still want to move to Latvia, as I said last year, to the residential building by the sea where, in a beautiful natural park, some out of this world condos are for sale now…).

What I have learned from the one who wrote “Design Yourself”? That…
“… straight lines do not exist in nature. I want to create a world where I can navigate nicely.”
“… creative people don’t live in the future, they live in the present. The rest of the people usually live in the past.”
“…objects are obstacles. Physicality gets in the way. We use to believe that if we own things we will live forever. Now we know is not true.”
“…analogue age has ended 40 years ago. Now it’s all about digital age. And when in analogue world all that counted were dynasties and kingdoms, in digital world every person is empowered.”
“… the digital world will save us.”
“… we touch over 650 objects a day; that is huge. And that why is important to respect nature’s design, to have organic forms, shapes that are natural, organic.”
“… love the colors!”
“… I call myself a cultural shaper. Because I think this is what design does, it shapes human behavior.”
“… the world will live in now was designed in 2D, yet it is a 3D world. Therefore, in the future, designers will project the things and the world around us in 3D, but we will gonna live in a 4D world.”
“… I want to change the world.”

Karim Rashid’s designs include the Garbo waste can, the Oh Chair for Umbra, perfume bottles for Kenzo, watches and tableware for Alessi, lighting for Artemide and products for Veuve Clicquot, along with a lot of residential spaces (Miami, New York, Latvia) or hotels (USA, Germany, Spain, Korea, Saudi Arabia). He has also worked with Audi, Samsung, Swarowski and Armani (www.karimrashid.com)

(“How design will change the world”, an event by www.brandminds.ro; partnes: MINI, Băneasa Shopping City, AVON, LENOVO, KEPI, TNT, Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino, Publica, Natuzzi, Uanderful & Fratellini.)

Photography: Florin Vitzman (www.vitzmanvision.com). Thanks for support MINI România (www.mini.ro)