We’ve all been awakened by a Philips alarm clock, watched a Philips television, or turned off a Philips light bulb at the end of the day. Heck, my writing teacher has a Senseo coffee maker in her office, made by Philips. Philips makes everything from irons to ultrasounds. They have over 125,000 employees worldwide who focus on making our lives easier through innovative technology and ambient experience design.
Steve McGrew, Creative Director, and Shelley Diefenbach, Senior Design Manager with the Internet group, both from Philips Design, recently spoke at PC. During seminar they discussed Philips’s design process, the focus being on brand harmonization – making sure all aspects of the design are cohesive and compelling—compelling enough that Philips won 17 iF design awards in 6 different categories last year.
One of the most interesting things they talked to us about was the company’s shift from making products to creating experience, which was illustrated in a short film on their new Ambient Experience project. Philips has designed a system that personalizes patients’ experiences during MRI testing, allowing patients to choose the lighting, visuals, and music that make them feel most relaxed. The idea here is to give patients a better sense of control during an often-frightening procedure, and it’s just another exciting example of how design can improve our lives.
Steve’s advice for PC students summed up the presentation: “Learn how to solve problems in innovative ways. Art is personal expression to the world, but design is solving someone else’s problem.” Shelley put it a different way: “Learn how to ground your design. You’re solving a problem that somebody else has; your design should focus on their needs as opposed to your personal gratification.”
“Cool for the sake of cool ain’t cool,” Steve added, and the pragmatic Shelley concurred, “It’s certainly not profitable.”
Portfolio Center students share a strong desire to communicate ideas, the willingness to let go of preconceived notions, and the compulsion to learn new ways of thinking. These qualities are fostered by the school’s constant stream of industry bigwigs, who bring their varied and colorful perspectives from all over the country. These creatives, who are always generous with their time and energy, tend to hang out with students, conducting informal workshops and continuing the day’s discussions over dinner. Often, what results are provocative interviews—written, shot, and designed by PC students.
