I began my search for a methodology in design when I was merely twelve years old. My parents, being great admirers of Leonardo da Vinci, hung prints of his engineering designs from the walls of there home. I became a great admire of his work and would spend hours researching into his life and his greater works.
Leonardo’s life (full name Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, which means "Leonardo, son of Mister Piero, from Vinci") was full of controversy. Born in Anchiano, near Vinci, Italy, Leonardo was regarded throughout his life as an artist, engineer, and a man of high integrity and sensitive moral issues. Leonardo was a vegetarian for the most part of his life, and would buy pets just to release them into the wild.
Leonardo often planned over the top paintings with many drawings and sketches, only to leave the projects unfinished. For example, he was commissioned for a large public mural, the "Battle of Anghiari"; his rival Michelangelo was to paint the opposite wall. After producing a fantastic variety of studies in preparation for the work and pioneering new painting techniques, he left the city, with the mural unfinished due to technical difficulties.
Leonardo da Vinci died in France on 2nd may, 1519, in the arms of King Francis[2]. Now only seventeen of his paintings and none of his finished statues survive. Yet a series of notebooks of Leonardo’s that were overlooked for centuries, past down from collector to collector without realisation of what was held in them, was finally rediscovered in the 19th century. Held in them was the real life of Leonardo. His life, writings and ideas held together in 13,000 pages.
It has been said that the majority of Leonardo’s life was spent on these notes, yet after his death the notes were scattered. Separated between friends of Leonardo’s and passed down from collector to collector with some being sold page by page. Over the years attempts were made to re order the manuscripts to a more legible form, separating the science from engineering and even copying huge sections of the document. This is why today the notes of Leonardo are undoubtedly nothing like they appeared during his day, but are divided into ten different manuscripts.
These manuscripts are simply Leonardo’s thoughts and studies of the world around him. He believed that to learn about something, you must study it intently. Using observatory study Leonardo would draw sketches of his findings and adapt them when he found flaws in the logic.
To learn about the human body Leonardo planed autopsies, producing many extremely detailed anatomical drawings that he wished to use to create a comprehensive work of the human body. In 1490 he produced a study in his sketchbook of the proportions of the human figure, commonly known as the Vitruvian Man, since these studies were described in writings by the roman architect Vitruvius.
Fascinated by the flight of birds, he produced countless studies of birds in flight, there wing span and movement and devised several flying machines based on these studies, including a helicopter powered by four men and a light hang-glider. In 1496 Leonardo unsuccessfully tested a flying machine he had constructed. His notebooks also contained several inventions in the military field: machine guns, an armoured tank powered by humans or horse and cluster bombs. Other inventions include a submarine, a cogwheel device that has been interpreted as the first mechanical calculator, and a car powered by a spring mechanism. Leonardo, while in the Vatican, also planned an industrial use of solar power, by employing concave mirrors to heat water.
This is where I feel the importance of Leonardo in this essay should be noted, Leonard could not be considered a modern day contemporary designer. However when looking at these methodical pieces of work, his studies of anatomy, of the world, of flight, and many more, you begin to realise that the method of his study is extremely similar to modern designers of today. Leonard just didn’t have the right tools. Many of Leonard’s designs and inventions have been recently built and tested by following the manuscripts, the majority of these constructions work.
I recently began to read one of Leonardo’s notebooks that have been translated unfortunately without the artwork. The text describes a man besotted by learning, devoted to observatory study by trying to understand a phenomenon by describing it in the utmost detail[8].
It makes me wonder what the world might have been like, if Leonardo had published his works. However due to the ignorance of contemporary scholars because of Leonardo’s lack of a formal education in Latin and mathematics, and Leonardo’s own fear that if his works fell into the wrong hands it may be disastrous to the world, he choose to keep them unpublished.
In my own quest towards becoming a designer I began developing my skills in design when I was in my teens and found inspiration in studying Dali, Leonardo, and aspiring 3d artists on the web. Writing to design companies they suggested the book Presentation techniques, by Dick Powell of Seymour/Powell LTD[9]. This book, although seemingly based around the presentation of finished designs, gave me an insight into the world of design, specifically product design. The book became my bible, and became a great inspiration that developed my interests in this field. The shear difference in comparison to other designers was astronomical. How this partnership could twist and redesign everyday object into more meticulous and refined objects was a wonder and a delight. It often astounded me how these ‘normal’ people could create such diverse works. Redefining in a way in which was pleasing to the eye and yet had still a similar quality to their other works. As if when you looked at a number of objects in a room, you could tell which items were Seymour and Powell’s. Like a signature.
Richard Seymour and Dick Powell are two of Europe's best-known product designers. They have designed over 460 products, for clients such as Nokia, Casio, BMW, Minolta and Tefal. The Seymour Powell consultancy has received numerous international awards for its design work. Their creations include the first electric cordless kettle, the Baby G watch, the Bioform bra, mobile phones with telescopic functions and built-in camera, a motorcycle that looks like a bicycle, and a self-cleaning toilet[10]. Both Richard and Dick write extensively in the British design press and have appeared on many TV and radio programmes.
Seymour believes design is about empathy and understanding the emotional relationship customers make with a product. In short, we respond to an object according to how we feel, not how we think.
In identifying phenomena such as emergent behaviour, where users invent new applications for products, Seymour mapped out a consumer landscape that should inform the product design and development process. Simple methodologies such as watching people use products, rather than asking them how they use them, and focusing on the application rather than the delivery method, would in his view ultimately produce objects more relevant to users’ needs.
Seymour believes good design comes from tapping into the human feeling. Believing all humans to be highly sensitive to their environment, when designing he is fundamentally aware that when put into practise, a persona can sense when something is wrong with the design of a product on a subconscious level. An example of this would be the feelings found in the design of a knife set for the Japanese firm Kyocera. With a cutting edge five molecules across the knife is perfectly balanced. If you rest the knife on a tomato, it will cut through with its own weight. The combination of the look, balance and cutting ability causes the user to treat the knife with respect. For this reason Kyocera doesn’t include a warning to keep the knives away from the dishwasher. Seymour states “There’s no need to, because the user recognises the special characteristics of the product implicitly.”
Seymour says that according to psychologists, “the emotional tie to a product is made in the first 25 nanoseconds, before the mind even registers what the product is. In this pre-cognitive moment a product that carries the “magic” causes the viewer to subconsciously make three statements in a specified order “I like it, I want it, what is it?”
"As Einstein said, you can't solve a problem within the context in which it was created. You have to shift paradigms and move outside the traditional routes to achieve success."
Perhaps this is where the greatest designers achieve success. By being so diverse in their creative methods, and searching outside the traditional for inspiration. Conceivably this is where the commonality between Leonardo and Seymour/Powell lie. To become a good designer, although requiring skill, also requires uniqueness. An ability to think outside the “norm” of everyday life and not to be lead by pier pressure. No matter from where it stems.
My interest in product design latter developed into a passion for 3d design and games design. These 3d worlds created on the screen were so similar in style in their creation to product design, yet without the intricate detail required for materials. Perhaps this is where some companies lacked a good design philosophy. By not researching fully the properties of the materials or characters they were developing they were losing the appeal that would have given more life to the characters and environment.
A 3d company very close to my heart would be Asylum 3d. I first looked at Asylums work at least 5 years ago, in 1999, when I became interested in 3d art. Now they have grown and developed in much the same way as Seymour and Powell. Asylum 3D was formed in 1999 by commercial illustrator Matt Westrup and Robin Konieczny.
Both having successful careers in the advertising industry for fifteen years, and undertaking commissions from some of the worlds top advertising agencies, including clients such as Cadburys, Guinness, Esso and Warner Bros. Before 1999 traditional tools had been used but with technology improving the switch was made from the brush and paint to the computer which in turn led to the decision to expand and become a full digital effects studio in the United Kingdom.
Using Lightwave 3d as their primary 3d design tool, Asylums primary goal was to create a science fiction fantasy film called Asylum, a film created entirely in-house by the two founders, while working on other project to fund this work. Forming a relationship with Passion Picture studios the duo within a year of opening won the Character Design category and were nominated for another in the 2001 Copenhagen 3d festival.
Five years on since I first viewed Asylums inspiring work, it was with great surprise that I launched there web site again to find that I have been viewing there work all the time. Since for the last five years Asylum has created such works as a full alien invasion in the “Mini Adventure” adverts, digitising the female form of Hale Berry for Cat woman to bringing shopping trolleys to life for certain Tesco adverts.
It makes me wonder how these two people can create such fine and crazy designs as a cute flying alien mute that turns nasty in an instant. Perhaps their work, as Symour Powell and Leonardo’s, strives to be different from the norm. This group of two remain so popular, not only because of their techniques or knowledge, but how they tackle each problem without adhering to the typical norms of society. Perhaps there work, as with Pixars, is created not simply by turning on a computer and creating a model, but by being that model. Even for an instant, to feel like the character they intend to portray, and maybe this is how this group of two has become so popular.
It was very difficult deciding on the last of the four inspirational characters for this essay. There are many other designers who inspire me in my work. From Steven Stahlberg and his 3d females to Francisco Cortina with his hyper real humans. Yet one name I found rises above the rest. He could be considered the “great inspirer” for I can find no 3d artist that would not list him as an inspiration. His name is Pascal Blanche.
Pascal Blanche is 32 years old, French, married and has a cat. In his spare time he enjoys reading, movies and working on personal projects. As a child he was fascinated by science fiction and heroic fantasy movies, and stop motion animation. Finding influence by the 50’s and retro look of science fiction and fantasy and artists Nihei Tsutomu, Masamune Shirow and Katsuya Terrada, Pascall has grown to be one of the worlds most acclaimed 3d artists.
Having now worked in the games industry for the last 11 years Pascal is currently Art Director of Ubisoft in Montreal working on “Myst 4”. Prior to joining this team he completed a Bachelor in Mathematics & Philosophy and obtained a diploma in Applied Arts.
His list of credentials includes work in Animation, 3D Art and character modelling. His past games include; "Atripolis2097" (PC), Elric" (PC), "Stupid-Invaders" (PC-Dreamcast) [15]. He also worked on a full CG feature for TVA International called Kaena the Prophecy[16], a masterpiece about a tribe that live in a tree. In 1997 Pascal won 3rd prize in the Film action contest. He also won the MASTER Award for EXPOSE[.
I have always had artist I aspire to. From Leonardo and later Salvador Dali, to Asylum 3d, Steven Stahlberg and finally Pascal Blanche. It was an extremely difficult choice to find just 4 design groups or figures that I could say have had a great influence on me. I hope that these four choices highlight what I find inspirational and insightful in design. I began my walk into the world of design 14 years ago, and still do not consider myself an adequate designer or artist, I have much to learn and intend to continue this process of improvement throughout my life.
In the past two years I have found myself going to extremes to find inspiration for my work. For one recent games proposal I spent several weeks reading about serial killers, studying how they think and feel, for another I sat in a field of wheat for hours, so I might begin to feel what it was to be a mouse. For the smallest of ideas, to look, to study, to be interested in your surroundings, is perhaps the best way to become a decent designer.
I am proud of my work, I know I am not the best, but I also know that I always give the best of myself.