Induction – Study Task

Design

Influences

BTEC Art & Design (Product Design) 2020-2021

Name: ____________________________________________________

Teacher: Mrs Vieira

Phillippe Starck

Philippe Starck was having lunch on the Amalfi coast. As he ordered a plate of calamari he was pondering his latest commission from the Italian design house Alessi. The company, responsible for so many acclaimed designs over the years, had requested a tray. Starck needed to work out how to bring his unique talents to such a humdrum object. Glancing down at his plate, he realised that he had no lemon.As he beckoned to the waiter, Starck was suddenly seized by an idea. He

began scribbling on his paper napkin. Twenty years on, that napkin is

now in the Alessi Museum. Greasy and lemon-stained, it depicts the very first doodles of what would become the now iconic Juicy Salif lemon squeezer.

Alberto Alessi, the manager of the company, recalls: "I received a napkin from Starck; on it, among some incomprehensible marks – tomato sauce, in all likelihood – there were some sketches. Sketches of squid. They started on the left and as they worked their way over to the right, they took on the unmistakable shape of what was to become the Juicy Salif lemon squeezer.

First produced in 1990, this squeezer is as controversial as many of Starck's other designs. Some say it doesn't work very well and makes a mess of the worktop. Others celebrate it as a piece of form over function. Whatever your opinion, it now ranks among the greats of modern design with a place in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which means that it's a work of art in your kitchen.

Salif stands 29 centimetres high, is made from cast and polished aluminium and is still available for £43 for Alessi.com. Alessi has also produced 10,000 gold-plated versions, which were never intended for use as the citric acid in the lemon discolours the juicer. Starck is rumoured to have said: "It's not meant to squeeze lemons, it is meant to start conversations."

Not all squeezers are meant to actually squeeze.

Perhaps the most famous example of this is the Juicy Salif, designed by Philippe Starck in 1990. It is considered an icon of industrial design that has been displayed in museums such as New York's Museum of Modern Art. Originally, it was inspired by squeezing a lemon over a squid in a sea food restaurant, but many observers think it looks like a spider. It is manufactured by Italian kitchenware company Alessi. Its diameter is 14 cm, height 29 cm,

and it is made from cast and polished aluminium.

Juicy

Salif

Lemon

Squeezer

Phillippe Starck

Transforming

Name of Topic: Phillippe Starck - Salif lemon squeezer

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Class: _________________________________________________________________________________________

Turn the material you have read into up to 6 pictures – one per paragraph or one per key piece of information. The pictures must represent the information so that they can act as a reminder of what the text said. Underneath each picture, explain your thinking.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

The lemon squeezer comes with user instructions and a diagram of use. It should be placed on a stable surface and a glass should be put under the body. One hand should hold the object firm by gripping one of the legs, the other hand should squeeze the halved fruit by putting it on the rounded upper surface of the teardrop body and making slow rotating movements back and forth. The juice will then collect in the glass standing underneath. The squeezer should be rinsed immediately after use.

THE MATERIAL- The Squeezer is a mirror polished aluminium casting. the purpose of the lemons squeezer: to squeeze acidity lemon juice from a lemon. Many people who bought the product found that if after using the product, if they didn’t thoroughly clean the head or legs of it and left it for a while, small specs of rust would appear. Aluminium is supposed to put up a good fight with rust but this product, maybe because of the finish, was conquered easily.

THE HEAD- The head of the product, which is the part to be squeezing the lemon from, has been designed with sharp and aesthetic looking grooves. the idea is to place the lemon flesh over the head and to twist it over the grooves which will burst the pockets of juice and they will in turn trickle and pour down the grooves directly into the glass below. In theory it makes sense but we all know that in practice when we squeeze a lemon or lime, the juice squirts all over the place. it never goes in the one desired direction. With this juicer above the glass, a small majority of the juice will actually go in the glass, the rest will be all over your hands and the surface, making a mess.

THE TRIPOD- The product looks great, including the three thin and sleek legs. In the instructions you are told to hold one of the legs whilst squeezing the lemon… this just means that the lemon juice is going to squirt all over your hand! Three big design flaws here:The product is so unstable it cant be operated without holding it in place whilst holding it in place, the lemon juice goes all over you during the usage with the twisting and turning, added with the long legs have thin points at the bottom, the rubber feet will wear easily, come off and then with more use will scratch the surface it is on.

THE FEET- As just mentioned, the rubber feet wear very easily and fall off. there are no replacements that come with the product but you can purchase new ones.

This lemon squeezer produced by Alessi, is made of aluminium casting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSk4nC2hjgM - Analysis of SALIF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41qp1MnnX3g – Alberto Alessi

STARCKVideo clips to watch

Quizzing

Name of Topic: Phillippe Starck - Salif lemon squeezer

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Class: _________________________________________________________________________________________

Read the text and come up with 10 questions to ask someone about the text.

Question Answer

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‘Boxing Up’ Activity

Name of Topic: Phillippe Starck – Salif Lemon squeezer_

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________

Class: _________________________________________________________________________________________

Read back through all of the text and then put your thoughts in to different boxes so that you have ‘boxed

up’ the text.

Box 1 – 3 things I did not know

Box 2 – 3 things I understand better now

Box 3 – 3 things I already knew

• Analyse how the contextual factors can influence the work of creative practitioners

Things to possibly consider: Contextual understanding of the practitioner

• Whether practitioners were part of an art and design movement, such as modernist, surrealist, art and crafts.

• The era/time they were working in, the politics and social norms of the time.

• The sector(s) or discipline(s) in which they produce their work.

• The influence of technology on their work.

• Whether they were part of a political, social or environmental movement or group.

• Ideas or messages they were trying to convey in their work.

• Influences from other artists/designers/movements.

• Relevant factual or biographical details.

• Themes from literature, developments in science, environmental issues.

• Contemporary cultures such as street fashion, film.

• Personal values, spiritual/religious views.

• Investigate the key works produced by the practitioner:

o the purpose of the key works such as to exhibit, for a magazine/publication

o their use of visual language, formal elements and imagery

o themes in their work use of materials, techniques and processes.

Task: How has Phillipe Starck influenced Product Design and manufacturing?

Research into Phillipe Starck, what classic design pieces has he created and how do they fit with his own philosophy of design. Which design movement are his design principles linked to? What materials does he work with and how does he make his products? Why are his designs so popular?

Outcome: create a magazine article that explains how Phillippe Starck has influenced product design and manufacturing. Include photographs of his work and design styles it closely links too.