Tag: Industrial design

Designer Desire: Jacob Jensen

Various product designs by Jacob Jensen

Jacob Jensen (1926-2015) was a Danish industrial designer (the first in the country to have graduated in the subject).

He had a long-term relationship designing audio equipment for Bang & Olufsen for over a quarter of a century. Included in his output of almost 250 different designs is the record player Beogram 4000, portable radio Beolit 400, sound systems BeoMaster 500 and BeoMaster 1900 and the company’s first headphones, the U70.

He designed a range of products for other companies; from furniture to watches, telephones to kettles. He even created the popular Margrethe melamine bowls for Rosti (named after Queen Margrethe of Denmark). Our favourites though, are his little wooden figures – Vikings, Eskimos and… aliens! They can retail for hundreds of pounds!

In my view, constructing a fountain pen, writing a poem, producing a play or designing a locomotive, all demand the same components, the same ingredients: perspective, creativity, new ideas, understanding and first and foremost, the ability to rework, almost infinitely, over and over. That ‘over and over’ is for me the cruellest torture.
The only way I can work is to make 30-40 models before I find the right one. The question is, when do you find the right one? My method is, when I have reached a point where I think, ‘O.K., that’s it, there it is’, I put the model on a table in the living room, illuminate it, and otherwise spend the evening as usual, and go to bed. The next morning I go in and look at it, knowing with 100 percent certainty that I have 6-7 seconds to see and decide whether it’s right or wrong. If I look at it longer, I automatically compensate. ‘Oh, it’s not too high,’ and, ‘It’s not so bad.’ There are only those 6-7 seconds; then I make some notes as to what’s wrong. Finished. After breakfast, I make the changes. That’s the only way I know. Jacob Jensen

Portrait of Jacob Jensencredit

Additional image credits:

Artnet | MOMA | Pamona

Designer Desire: Margaret Calvert

Montage of Margaret Calvert designs | H is for Home

Even if you’re not that much of a fan or know that much about graphic design, Margaret Calvert will surely have had an influence on your life.

Calvert (b. 1936), with her former teacher at Chelsea College of Art, Jock Kinneir designed the signage for the burgeoning motorway system. Ironically, at the time, neither Calvert nor Kinneir could drive.

As well as the signage for the nation’s road and rail, Calvert & Kinneir designed the accompanying typefaces. Motorway was first used in 1958 on the M6 Preston bypass (now part of the M6). It’s also been adopted on the road networks of Ireland and Portugal. Rail Alphabet, designed in 1965, was first used at London’s Liverpool Street Station. It would later be adopted by the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales for its signs. It continues to be the dominant typeface used on signs in older hospitals. It’s also been adopted by British Airports Authority and by Danish railway company, DSB.

Calvert re-imagined her ‘Man at Work’ sign as a ‘Woman at Work’ artwork (compare the top pair of road signs). She also updated her ‘Children Crossing’ sign in 2016 (the girl was based on a childhood photo of herself); can you spot the differences?

She was responsible for designing the Tyne and Wear Metro typeface in 1977. It was later updated and evolved to be used, in 1992, as 3D external signage for Royal College of Art.

In her own words:

We never decided, ‘Oh, let’s brand the United Kingdom’… but as with London black cabs and red buses… You thought of everything from the standpoint of: ‘What if I am at the wheel, doing speeds of over 70mph?’

I like the idea of designing for the larger public… Design is a service. The term graphic design didn’t exist then. They called it commercial art. It’s not designing from a fashion point of view, it’s purely logic, function and aesthetics. And you can’t get simpler.

Portrait of Margaret Calvertcredit

Additional image credits:

It’s Nice That

Say hello to Edgar!

Win an Edgar side table from pib and H is for Home

Hi folks, how’s your summer been so far? For this month’s competition, we’ve teamed up with our old friends pib once again to offer one of our readers an Edgar side table.

Edgar side table empty

The table has got quite an industrial feel when it comes to materials and styling. It takes the form of a wooden drawer or tray-like top, with splayed, yellow metal hairpin legs.

Close up of the knob on the side table

It’s a very versatile piece of furniture. It makes a perfect bedside or sofa end table. There’s plenty of space for a book, reading glasses, drink, lamp and so on. It could also make a good little crafting table filled with pens, paints, sewing accessories and the like. Or perhaps use it in the garden alongside your deckchair.

Pib's Edgar table being used as a bedside table

We’ve been using it beside our bed where it holds a book, reading lamp, glass of water and jug of fresh flowers. How you use it is completely up to you if you win the giveaway!

white jug of flowers, brown bedside lamp and glass of water on the bedside table

To be in with a chance of winning this lovely table, tell us in the comments section below what items you keep within reach at your bedside.

Win an Edgar side table from pib

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pib industrial look stool

pib industrial look stool with Penguin books and brass candle holder

The lovely folks at PIB have just sent us this fabulous Shoemaker stool to test drive.

pib industrial look stool with brass candle holder

We really like the vintage industrial look of the piece. It has a functional and quite sculptural matt black steel base, combined with a padded, aged tan real leather seat. Helpfully, it comes ready assembled and is built to last – feeling strong and sturdy.

pib industrial look stool beside a farmhouse kitchen table

It’s very flexible in terms of potential uses. First and foremost, it makes a great stool for sitting on. It’s padded with high density foam, so it’s very comfortable. We’re thinking kitchen/breakfast bar, rustic dining table, work desk or bench.

And, whilst the seat is indeed comfortable enough to sit on, it’s also rigid enough to allow further uses along the lines of a small side table beside a chair or at the end of a sofa. The perfect resting place for a book, cuppa, lamp or candle.

pib industrial look stool with Penguin books and brass candle holder

We love its style & versatility. It works well as part of a matching set or stand alone industrial look stool – and is priced at £90 which we think is very reasonable too. It certainly gets our nod of approval.

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