Spotlight on a star designer

Top industrial designers are a bit like rock stars -- well known in their fields, and frequently known for their quirky personalities. Last weekend one was featured in The New York Times' Sunday Magazine -- including enough plastics manufacturing references to make Plastics Blog readers smile. The story, "Is There Anything Marc Newson Hasn't Designed?" profiles Marc Newson, called "the most acclaimed and influential designer of his generation" -- and that's just on his own firm's website. Many of Newson's creations are made from plastic, and the feature story doesn't skimp on plasticky details -- how often do you get to read a New York Times Sunday Magazine story that mention parting lines, vacuum forming, and rotational molding -- within the first few graphs? Another highlight: a list of Newson's least-favorite industrial designs. Is that opportunity I hear knocking? I'm at the Plastics News Executive Forum today, and this morning's session featured several speakers who talked about the value of collaborating with industrial designers. More on that later .. for now, check out the Times feature on megastar designer Newson.