Karim Rashid. Shaping Design

Design, by definition is shaping the contemporary world- Karim Rashid

Yesterday as apart of Modern Atlanta‘s (MA) Design is Human Week, I was able to hear industrial designer Karim Rashid‘s take on design of the day. Among Rashid’s many accolades are the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, and the IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award along with a couple honorary doctorates (just to name a few)! Rashid’s goal is to find the “right materials” not just good materials.

But before we get into the design, I just want to take a second to say how amazing the event was put on by MA. Event planner Sallie Johnston was responsible for the event at Pedini and I thought that it was above and beyond (especially because it was free for attendees)! Can we please address the handmade pizzas being made during the event, Four Roses Rose’ritas a-plenty, and delicious cakes?

But I digress.

During the candid and personable speech, Rashid expressed that at one time people expected the digital age to bring a lack humanism, disassociated, and void of any time-wasting. However, in all instances, the opposite seemed to have happened.

We are more “connected” than ever and have the ability to be anywhere in the world at any given time. The internet also gave everyone the opportunity to blog and become critic and which strengthens the individual voice at the same time uniting us as a society. And innovations were suppose to make the world void of time-wasting? Well, how long have you spent watching funny baby or cat videos on Youtube? We are more efficient and also more creative with leisure time. One of the quotes that Rashid made that stuck out to me was:

I am trying to get the physical world up to date with the fantastic digital age.

In other words, we spend so much time with the wonders that are digital- music, media, etc.-it is time that our physical word keep out attention just as well. Rashid says that it is his role to shape the physical world and I think that as designers it is time that we all do our part.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces from Rashid’s collection: