"Form follows emotion" is one of the maxims that informs Ross Lovegrove's designs. Born in Wales, he received his training as an industrial designer at Manchester Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art, then joined Frog Design Germany. At the start...
[more]"Form follows emotion" is one of the maxims that informs Ross Lovegrove's designs. Born in Wales, he received his training as an industrial designer at Manchester Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art, then joined Frog Design Germany. At the start of the '90s Lovegrove opened his own office, Studio X, in London. Over the course of his career, he has spread his design talent around the globe, working for American, Japanese, and European companies. His various design projects include chairs for Driade, lighting for Luceplan, office accessories for Knoll, and fine leather luggage for Louis Vuitton.
Designing in an era of new materials and manufacturing processes, Lovegrove has embraced emerging technologies and strives to craft products that are user- and manufacturer-friendly. Along with ease of production, Lovegrove employs any manufacturing innovations that might make products more environmentally friendly. Lovegrove is also known for incorporating the newest materials available on the market, including polypropylene and carbon fibers, which combine to create strong, lightweight fabrics and support structures for furniture and other products. His "wet shave razor," notable for its wafer-like look, utilizes a single sheet of curved high-tech plastic to support a durable ceramic blade. The result is sleek but organic.
At the other end of the tactile scale, the latex rubber camera that Lovegrove designed for Olympus is outstanding for the sensual experience it offers its users. Realizing that the camera is actually touched more than it is looked at, Lovegrove focused on feel, but without sacrificing visual form. "Everything I do is intended to be used by human beings and is pleasant to touch," says Lovegrove. With such attentiveness to the desires and needs of consumers, plus the award-winning track record he already possesses, he promises to be one to watch for designs that will both engage us and shape our daily experience in the years to come.
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