1.I chose Karim Rashid because Robert suggested I should look into him. His work includes home goods, packaging, interior designs, surface designs. His work is interesting in that it is usually mass-produced, but still retains a clear sense of personality.
2. He has a Bachelor’s Degree from Carleton University. He studied for a graduate program in Naples and Milan. He has honorary doctorates from Ontario College of Art and Design, Pratt Institute, and Corcoran College of Art and Design.
3. His website is a great introduction to his aesthetic and branding and a testament to the power of a great website. His fan is an example of how he reshapes everyday objects to make them look extraordinary. His life table is a great example of his color sensibility.
4. Rashid’s sources of inspiration seem pretty varied, from curvilinear to geometric structures. His choice of materials is usually pretty straightforward, either going for a matte rubbery material or a glossy colorful material. I would say he’s also influenced by psychedelic art, op-art and pop-art.
5. From researching Rashid, I learned that it’s possible for a designer to work in many different media, as it seems Rashid has designed at least one of every object that could be designed. I would be curious to explore more about object production to figure out how his designs get produced, as it seems unlikely that his studio has enough material/manufacturing expertise to have done all of these designs. I would guess the collaborative nature of these designs allows Rashid to leverage the technical expertise of his clients and partners, but I don’t know for sure.
