I just watched Brian Deputy, Patrick Whitney, and Monica Nassif talk about the things that inspire them. Brian Deputy, designer for Warner Brothers, is inspired by the relationship between form and function, which he believes is perfectly displayed by the lounge chair and ottoman designed by Charles Ray Eames. According to Deputy in good design as with the Eames lounge, form and function are harmoniously married together. They work together so that no element dominates, instead they blend materials seamlessly.
Instead of talking about a specific product, Patrick Whitney is inspired by design’s ability to problem solve. Designers ability to “reframe” complex and intricate problems into creative solutions can change the way society works. Whitney gave a recent example in which Apple reframed the entire music industry by creating not only a better MP3 player (the iPod) but also the changed the entire music business by allowing people to legally buy songs rather than albums. In the future Whitney hopes designers will be able to strike a balance to the opposing ideologies of Sustainability and Innovation.
Lastly, Monica Nassif talked about the inspiration she finds in the spoon. Although the spoon has had relatively the same design for thousands of years it inspires her because it something that we use everyday that fills a vital need. The spoon is a simple perfect example of a tool that works to solve a problem by using available resources.