For Love & Design with Ross Lovegrove | Sustainable Future | Industrial Designer

John E Arnold and The Story of Design Thinking

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Charlotte Fiell: what is design thinking today?

Ross Lovegrove & Ila Colombo — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 06:08:00 +0000

Design is not just a vehicle for commercial gain. Today, it is increasingly viewed as a transformational tool for social change. But what is ‘design thinking’? Charlotte Fiell’s book ‘The Story of Design’ chronicles the history of this approach. In this episode, Charlotte discusses what this means in the era of artificial intelligence and environmental destruction.

Charlotte Fiell - one of the world’s leading design authorities - joins Ross and Ila to discuss design thinking’s origins and change over the last 60 years. Together, they decipher the true meaning of ‘design’ and whether it can be attributed to all types of creative work, from cushions to stocking fillers, or only the most large-scale groundbreaking creative projects. Charlotte shares her criticism of gifting culture, and asks whether creativity should maintain the freedom and luxury of expression, regardless of the cost to our planet.

Mentioned in this Episode

Ross Lovegrove Tynant bottle

Ross Lovegrove ‘Go’ Chair

Walter Dorwin Teague

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More info on Ross at RossLovegrove.com

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How human creativity will outsmart AI

Ross Lovegrove & Ila Colombo — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:08:00 +0000

Ep. 5. AI has the ability to reference the past, present and future of design in an instant. It’s forced designers to re-think not just what they create, but why they do it. No more art for art’s sake. Far beyond making work that just looks nice, creatives must consider the cognitive meaning behind their work, so AI doesn’t get the upper hand. This poses a challenge: how to balance authentic creative design with work that has deeper intellectual purpose.

In this conversation, Ross and Ila debate whether visual and cognitive are separate creative modus operandi - where visual design simply looks nice, but cognitive design attempts to convey richer intellectual meaning. Or are these considerations inextricably linked? This episode discusses the lasting imprint of Ross’s iconic monolith chair, explores the cerebral quality of seemingly mindless work by Jackson Pollock and touches on the cognitive fuel of the post-war Dadaist movement. Ross and Ila will explore how creatives can perform the visual vs cognitive balancing act within the confines of the current socio-political order.

Mentioned in this episode

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More info on Ross at RossLovegrove.com

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How AI has changed creative identity forever

Ross Lovegrove & Ila Colombo — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 06:08:00 +0000

Ep.4 Historically, artists took influence from their nation’s socio-political history. A patchwork of triumphs, defeats and political turmoil guided aesthetic decisions. Today, a new tapestry of influence has emerged through algorithms and artificial intelligence. Designers must navigate this, ensuring individual creativity and cultural identity is not lost entirely.

As a native Welshman who spent thirty years working in London in the analogue realm, Ross remarks on being a de facto outsider, questioning what it means to be ‘cultureless’. From the allure of ‘Britishness’ among fashion designers to architects who seem culturally misplaced, Ross and Ila discuss where today’s creatives should take inspiration, and whether it's possible to be a blank slate.

Mentioned in this episode:

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More info on Ross at RossLovegrove.com

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Is true originality possible? Maybe...

Ross Lovegrove & Ila Colombo — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 06:08:00 +0000

Ep.3 Pablo Picasso is widely quoted as saying ‘Good artists copy, great artists steal’. In an era where algorithm-generated Instagram suggestions have become the new moodboards, it’s easier than ever to be a copycat. Being original is getting harder. But what does ‘originality’ actually mean anyway?

In this episode, Ross and Ila discuss the pursuit of originality for the modern designer. With 40 years of his own work to reference, from tracing by hand in his early career to using AI modelling tools today, Ross shares how defining yourself as a true original has changed. In this conversation, Ross and Ila debate where inspiration crosses into plagiarism, and ask whether originality today requires a shock factor.

Mentioned in this episode:

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More info on Ross at RossLovegrove.com

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Algorithmic design with Tim Fu

Ross Lovegrove & Ila Colombo — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:08:00 +0000

Ep. 2 Bricks, mortar and hard hats: all features of the traditional building site. But construction is rapidly changing. Imagine if drones started laying bricks and buildings could self-adapt to their environment. Such developments are already emerging in modern architectural practice, proving that coding and AI will be crucial tools for the next generation of designers.

Tim Fu - formerly of Zaha Hadid Architects and founder of Studio Tim Fu - is a pioneer of such revolutionary thinking in architecture. Tim specialises in using generative AI and coding in the design process.

In this episode, Ross and Ila welcome Tim to discuss smart-buildings, 3D printing and algorithms in modern architecture. What does all this mean for the future of our houses, offices blocks and public spaces? Tim explains why we must embrace, and not shy away from new methods.

Mentioned in this episode:

How technology changed design in the 2020s

Ross Lovegrove & Ila Colombo — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 06:08:00 +0000

Ep.1 The fundamentals of design have changed. Technology has transformed the creative process, and environmental destruction has changed the role of designers. When Ross Lovegrove started out, designers worked mainly in analogue. Now, modernity has ushered in fresh techniques, opportunities and limitations. What does this mean for designers today?

In this debut episode, Ross and Ila explore how design has transformed in the 21st century, how to adopt a contemporary strategy and how to stay relevant as a creative. Ross discusses mainstream design culture and how to harness nature and technology within your creative practice.

Mentioned in this episode

Dieter Rams - ‘What is good design’
Konstantin Grcic, German industrial designer
Toni Cade Bambara - ‘The role of the artist is to make revolution irresistible’
Nick Knight - British fashion photographer
Alberto Meda - Alias Design

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More info on Ross at RossLovegrove.com