Industrial Designer - Luigi Colani

[kach22i]

Luigi Colani
Industrial Designer

Designs cars, trucks, airplanes................etc.

I did not really know this guys name until today, even though I've been familiar with his semi truck design for many years - burned into my mind as an unforgettable image. When I look at his work and the scope of his, I see a few similarities in my own interest and design direction.

Basic History:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Colani

His hovercraft design:
http://www.ebong.org/gallery/colani/





http://flickr.com/photos/kcohen/13240763/in/dateposted/
Picture.............................
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/10/13240763_3907c1ecbb.jpg?v=0

http://www.bangertinternational.de/colani/images/images.php


Right now I don't know if his hovercraft worked, worked well or in which year it was designed and built.

If you click the links there are a lot of sport car designs, real cool, some more weird than cool though.

EDIT:
Different things:
http://www.colani-gt.de/news/gesamtwerk/gesamtwerk.htm

[Hurra912]

He has done some very good work, and has been a pioneer in several areas. As it is with anyone pushing the envelope, he has designed some really questionable products, but I find most of his stuff inspirational. I have two of his books. "Bio-design of Tomorrow" and "Designing Tomorrow". Some very interesting theories, and projects in both. They are dated, but still offer some good information on his theory of design.

Wayne

[kach22i]

How does one market themselves as a "Industrial designer"?

Any car, boat, or aircraft you attempt to design will have to be "engineered" to really work, so what is the client buying?

The furniture I can see doing, but even then the Copyright laws and Patent laws just give you the right to sue someone, and then all they have to do is change one little thing and it's their design anyway.

[MFAFF]

You sell a vision.. an image..

The Client's engineering tema then make that vision work...regardless..

Look at the number of poor mobile phones with style over substance and function..its the same thing...

Like cars...

Like buildings...

In fact anything that nees to be made can follow a strictly functional approach or a form approach or a mixture of both.

The only ones that really work are those whose form derives primarily from their function, but whose resolution of that function is inherently beautiful and intelligent.

They can be counted on the fingers on one hand.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by MFAFF
You sell a vision.. an image..

Great, I've always been able to do that. The Architecture business is slow right now, I'm now for hire as an Industrial Designer .

Some of my old work.....................the really good stuff and current work will not posted..................bring your checkbook and we will talk.





NOTE:
I can do urban planning and building design too.


EDIT:
I sent an e-mail to Luigi Colani's design firm yesterday asking if he plans to visit or lecture in North America anytime soon. They wrote back today.....................

Thanks George, for the comments...once Mr. Colani plans to have a
speech
in USA , we will let you know...all the best,
regards
Colani Trading AG/ Daniel

[island911]

Great thread kach. Those are perfect examples of a stylist.

Whereas ID guys (Industrial designers) are supposed to have a clue about how the function of something works before designing to follow.

Clearly, this guy Luigi is just a good stylist. And trust me, no one wants to have stylists driving the vision of something which carries people around.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by island911
Great thread kach. Those are perfect examples of a stylist.

Whereas ID guys (Industrial designers) are supposed to have a clue about how the function of something works before designing to follow.

Clearly, this guy Luigi is just a good stylist. And trust me, no one wants to have stylists driving the vision of something which carries people around.

I've built some versions of the lifting body flying aircraft models going back over 30 years ago. I'll admit they sank like rocks. However given what I know now I could get some of my ideas off the ground.

My clay car models are rough, but I could hire someone to turn them into fibeglass for a wind tunnel. That's kind of the fine line where the Industrial Designer or Stylist starts to battle the engineers and marketing people.

Just business as usual.

[on-ramp]

there's a "form follows function" to some application designs.

However, this guy is definitely the other way around, where style is the priority.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by on-ramp
there's a "form follows function" to some application designs.

However, this guy is definitely the other way around, where style is the priority.

From what little of Colani's thinking I've read he claims nature and the curvy shapes found in nature to be his guide.

His Ferrari design sucked real bad, but when teamed up with other people the results can be outstanding.

Abarth Alfa Bertone Colani
http://www.shmoo.com/~bmc/photos/Cars/Rosso%20Bianco%20Museum/tn/dscf0134.jpg.html



His work alone is often over the top making the Speed Racer car look normal and tame by comparision.

[island911]

Originally posted by kach22i
. . .

My clay car models are rough, but I could hire someone to turn them into fibeglass for a wind tunnel. That's kind of the fine line where the Industrial Designer or Stylist starts to battle the engineers and marketing people.

Just business as usual.

That's the mark of a really bad ID guy.

When you talk about machines for man, Style does not trump function. Remember "Form follows function." ...not "Form follows acid-trip reinfoced by giant ego."

[kach22i]

Originally posted by island911
That's the mark of a really bad ID guy.

When you talk about machines for man, Style does not trump function. Remember "Form follows function." ...not "Form follows acid-trip reinfoced by giant ego."

Business; the purpose of a business is to make money.

T or F

Product; the product must have an appeal, cavemen liked shiny pretty rocks - shiny pretty still sells.

T or F

If you answered "T" for any of the above, you have a clue as to the value of ID.

FYI/EDIT: When Frank Lloyd Wright first used/invented the phrase "form follows function" it was to describe the Wainwright building's styling elements and sense of proportion and vertical order (like a column with base/shaft/cap). The Europeans and the Modern or International movement gave it a different meaning which we use today.

[island911]

Originally posted by kach22i
Business; the purpose of a business is to make money.

T or F

Product; the product must have an appeal, cavemen liked shiny pretty rocks - shiny pretty still sells.

T or F

If you answered "T" for any of the above, you have a clue as to the value of ID.

HA! Classic.

Don't be a dumb-ass. Just because this guy misses the mark does not mean I devalue styling.

I work every day with ID guys. I design and develop products w/in a team of ID & egrs. I know a good ID guy from a "pretty picture" guy.

I .get. that you like this guys style. But if the product don't fly, just how good is he?

[kach22i]

Originally posted by island911
I know a good ID guy from a "pretty picture" guy.

The pretty picture guy will make you work harder, but often will be rememberd as brilliant. Form will not equal function with these guys yet they are still valued by our culture.

Example:
Frank Gehry

[island911]

Originally posted by kach22i
The pretty picture guy will make you work harder, but often will be rememberd as brilliant. ...

Is that your goal? . ..to be rememberd as brilliant.

Yep, that seems to be the goal of lots of stylists . . .whom think their strange "vision" will carry them (and only them-damnnit) to greatness.

News flash - this just in - style is only ONE component of any project. (Gasp) Yes, contrary to popular belief that "style is everything" recent studies have shown that 'style' is often just a self dillusion.


Remember, kach, Just because no one understands you, doesn't make you an artist.

[azasadny]

Some of those things look like they belnog in a Jules Verne story...

[island911]

Originally posted by kach22i
The pretty picture guy will make you work harder, but often will be rememberd as brilliant. Form will not equal function with these guys yet they are still valued by our culture.

Example:
Frank Gehry

Yeah, fake dog ***** is valued by our culture too. $2.99 - that's a lot to a kid.

Is that your point there?

[Hurra912]

Actually the phrase "Form follows function" was coined by Lois Sullivan.

Industrial design is a critical position for any company wanting to createe a well thought out product.

I am no writer but I will try to articulate my point.

Let's take a simple computer mouse for example.

You have the engineering team that knows what it is supposed to do, another engineering team that knows how it should work, and still another engineering team that has to mold it. A marketing team that knows who they want to sell it to, and a purchasing team that knows how much it should cost to build. Each team believes their job is the most important, as they should. It is the duty of the Industrial designer to listen to and understand each team to create a perfect blend of all teams. It is not easy and is often overlooked, but it is so fulfilling when it all comes together as a success.

Wayne

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Hurra912
Actually the phrase "Form follows function" was coined by Lois Sullivan.

Industrial design ................ It is not easy and is often overlooked, but it is so fulfilling when it all comes together as a success.

Wayne

So you take Louis Sullivan's side of the story? They both claimed credit for the phrase.

FLW was a big bull****ter and often tried to take full credit for the work he did under Louis Sullivan and even some work he had nothing to do with. Sullivan was a drunk, who are you going to believe?

Good description of the design process involved, thanks.

[island911]

Originally posted by Hurra912
Industrial design is a critical position for any company wanting to createe a well thought out product.
. ..

Yep. ..the wheel, the light-bulb -- so many products would have been accepted as "well thought out" if we only had ID's on the jobs.

Sorry, your ID-centric world had to be rocked. --by an egr.

[Hurra912]

Yep. ..the wheel, the light-bulb -- so many products would have been accepted as "well thought out" if we only had ID's on the jobs

By todays standards, neither of the above inventions were created by engineers.

An engineer is typically paid to be a specialist. An Industrial Designer is typically paid to be a generalist. Neither are superior, and neither function to their full potential without the other. And yes one person can cover both bases if they are properly trained in both professions.

Nobody's on a high horse. I am simply stating the duty of an Indutrial Designer as I see it. If I didn't think it was true I might as well get a new job.

As for "Form Follows Function" we may never know which of those two said it first, but it doesn't matter since it was taken from the sculptor Horatio Greenough.

Wayne