Original Article: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/top/story/0,4136,80541-1,00.html
Good design is not just about applying the usual aesthetic principles or giving people something they are familiar with. Infographics journalist MINDY TAN finds out some effective design tips from BMW Group's design director
HE is the man responsible for BMW's radical 'flame-surfacing' design found in their latest models.
And now, Singapore wants his help in firing up the local design scene.
Mr Christopher Bangle, BMW group's design director, is one of eight prominent international designers recruited by the Design Singapore Council to help mould Singapore into a major international
design hub.
BANGLE'S THREE STEPS TO DESIGN
1. BREAK THE MOLD
Today's automated assembly systems allow the car to breed like rabbits.
You can make lots of them, but they end up looking the same.
And in the 1990s, even BMW was guilty of producing models that did not stand out from the masses.
The lesson here: Don't let the process dictate the design.
''Design was one of the problems, not one of the solutions,'' said Mr Bangle.
''We were in a paradigm. The design was not moving and we ourselves were reinforcing a static issue.''
2. FIND YOUR STRATEGIES
Mr Bangle cites cultural transfer as one of Singapore's advantages, likening the country to a crossroad where many cultures meet.
And as these cultures interact, our design strengths will be unleashed. Another message for designers is to think about uniting industry and humanism (the artist).
They should think about how others react not only rationally, but emotionally to design as well.
Just like how a well-designed car tugs at the heart-strings of a buyer, so should the design of other products.
3. LEVERAGE YOUR RESOURCES
Design should be a two-way street with the designer at one end and the consumer at the other.
That's why Mr Bangle feels that the consumers should be made to understand the design process, so that designers are forced to take their designs to the next level.
In other words, the consumer should not be the target of designers, but should take command of them.
Said Mr Bangle: ''We must constantly say 'It's not enough for us to play this game. We want to be part of the group to go beyond'.
''I think Singapore is the spot where the democratisation of design can take hold.
''Because in doing so it will raise the bar and raise the standards of design for everybody.''
![[scratch]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_headscratch.gif "Head Scratch [scratch]")
![[confused]](/images/smilies/confused.png "Confused [confused]")
Good design is not just about applying the usual aesthetic principles or giving people something they are familiar with. Infographics journalist MINDY TAN finds out some effective design tips from BMW Group's design director
HE is the man responsible for BMW's radical 'flame-surfacing' design found in their latest models.
And now, Singapore wants his help in firing up the local design scene.
Mr Christopher Bangle, BMW group's design director, is one of eight prominent international designers recruited by the Design Singapore Council to help mould Singapore into a major international
design hub.
BANGLE'S THREE STEPS TO DESIGN
1. BREAK THE MOLD
Today's automated assembly systems allow the car to breed like rabbits.
You can make lots of them, but they end up looking the same.
And in the 1990s, even BMW was guilty of producing models that did not stand out from the masses.
The lesson here: Don't let the process dictate the design.
''Design was one of the problems, not one of the solutions,'' said Mr Bangle.
''We were in a paradigm. The design was not moving and we ourselves were reinforcing a static issue.''
2. FIND YOUR STRATEGIES
Mr Bangle cites cultural transfer as one of Singapore's advantages, likening the country to a crossroad where many cultures meet.
And as these cultures interact, our design strengths will be unleashed. Another message for designers is to think about uniting industry and humanism (the artist).
They should think about how others react not only rationally, but emotionally to design as well.
Just like how a well-designed car tugs at the heart-strings of a buyer, so should the design of other products.
3. LEVERAGE YOUR RESOURCES
Design should be a two-way street with the designer at one end and the consumer at the other.
That's why Mr Bangle feels that the consumers should be made to understand the design process, so that designers are forced to take their designs to the next level.
In other words, the consumer should not be the target of designers, but should take command of them.
Said Mr Bangle: ''We must constantly say 'It's not enough for us to play this game. We want to be part of the group to go beyond'.
''I think Singapore is the spot where the democratisation of design can take hold.
''Because in doing so it will raise the bar and raise the standards of design for everybody.''
