Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale.
What does it mean to ‘curate’ a lifestyle? Some ‘Marie Kondo’ their homes. Others distill their digital experience; limiting their screen-time, whittling away the apps they use. In their fashion, one may search for timeless, sustainable garments suited to withstand a particular way of living, with less cost to the planet. No matter how one chooses to curate their lifestyle, embracing a more minimal approach to living means embracing products which connect on a deeper level.
Design is at the heart of curating a lifestyle. When less is more, the products we choose become essential; meticulously crafted in terms of purpose, sustainability and beauty. Mazda’s building on its heritage of Japanese craftsmanship–envisions a unique and human-centric approach to minimalist #design: Kodo – Soul of Motion.
To explore the Kodo approach of the #mx30, #mazda invited two next-generation designers to talk about their own takes on minimalist #design. #rachelgriffin, the Founder of Earnest Studio, has struck a balance of simplicity and multi-functionality in her products. Meanwhile, #wissetrooster – Dutch designer, juror and scout–repurposes existing materials into beautiful, sustainability-driven products, ready to be scaled. Together and through their own unique lenses, they review the MX-30¹…
Wisse and Rachel, what do you appreciate most in well-designed products?
Wisse: “I appreciate it when a product is good in itself, without necessarily knowing the story about, say, the technologies used to make it. The story shouldn’t be the most important element in good #design. It can bring a product to life, but mostly in a complementary way. I recognise this in the #mazda #mx30. You don’t immediately see that the car is all-electric. It’s a good car in itself, with a robust appearance and beautiful rims. The fact that it’s sustainable is something that contributes to an already good product.”
Rachel: “I value a product that synthesises material, process, form, function and context in a sensible and thoughtful way. When each of these elements fits well with the others, you know that a product is working. That synthesis can be found in complex objects like the #mazda #mx30, as well as simpler things such as a vase.”
How do you approach aesthetics in your designs?
Rachel: “I would say that I am a soft minimalist. I am not a purist, but I do try to avoid using more than is necessary – “necessary” being what fits a particular material, process, function or context. For example, I recently designed a vase that would not be considered minimal by traditional standards, but rather tries to strike a balance between simplicity and humor.”
Wisse: “I have a background in industrial #design, rather than from an art academy. This is because most of my products seek the balance between sustainability and scale, which translates into a sleek and straightforward #design language. Also, I use materials that don’t need any explanation, but speak for themselves.”
How do you take into consideration the experience of the end-user in your #design process?
Rachel: “User experience is not something that we can fully control, as #people will inevitably find their own ways of interacting with a product. Still, I try to understand and imagine where and how a product will live in the world. During my process, context is always on my mind.”
Wisse: “I make my products as clear as possible. I want #people to immediately understand what they can do with them. That, to me, is the smoothest product experience you can create.”
How do you see the balance of user experience, aesthetics and purpose in the MX-30?
Wisse: “The #mx30 doesn’t have any unnecessary bells and whistles. The car contains simply everything it needs, without distractions. The combination of all of this makes it really easy to use the car.”
Rachel: “The look and feel of the #mx30 is clean but comfortable. The experience of using the car is focused on familiarity, but without any unnecessary elements. This approach is ideal not only from the perspective of usability, but also sustainability: we should not use more than we need. I would describe this approach as the same ‘soft minimalism’ that I embrace in my own work.”
Further information in the press release to download
© Copyright 2024