by Julia Bluth, 05/04/2012
Naoto Fukasawa was born in 1956 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and studied art and 3D design at Tama Art University in Tokyo. After graduating in 1980, he first worked as a designer at Seiko-Epson and from 1989 to 1996 at ID-two in San Francisco. He then returned to Tokyo, where he established the Japanese branch of IDEO, an international design and innovation consultancy. In 2003 he finally opened his own office, Naoto Fukasawa Design, and in the same year founded plusminuszero, a brand for minimalist household appliances and utilitarian objects. His functional designs often play with a second level and a déja vu effect - like the CD player reminiscent of a fan that he designed for the cult label Muji. Since 2001, he has been a consultant for the Japanese brand, whose "anonymous design" hides many big names. He himself describes his design philosophy as "without thought" and attaches importance to the instinctive quality that lies in everyday objects. Naoto Fukasawa has long been one of the most important protagonists of contemporary design and has already received countless design awards.
We met Naoto Fukasawa for the presentation of his new luminaire for the Swiss manufacturer Belux and talked to him about emotional light, intelligent living and designers who make people happy.
Mr. Fukasawa, your new luminaire Verto is designed for the workplace. How does your approach differ when you consider light as pure pleasure?
The most important thing is not to confuse lighting design with lighting. Lighting is more of a scientific matter. For the Verto office luminaire, we had a very clear brief and precise requirements, which of course implies a functional and somewhat less emotional approach to light. When we design the emotional side of light, it is important to focus on the light rather than the lighting.
How much is the rapid development of energy-efficient light sources and the focus on environmental sustainability changing the design process? Is creativity sometimes even limited by the new possibilities?
LEDs allow us to reduce the actual light source to such an extent that we have more freedom in the design of the luminaire. On the other hand, there is too much enthusiasm for the function of LEDs. Many are primarily interested in energy efficiency and sustainability, losing sight of the emotional component of light. This tends to make the designer's job more difficult. However, people are evolving along with technology, and soon we will be living primarily with the benefits of LEDs. As the size of light sources continues to shrink, we may soon no longer need light fixtures; light will then become a component of home technology, merging with the wall. In Japan, where houses are being torn down and rebuilt much faster than in Europe, this development could be particularly rapid.
Does this mean to you that light will soon no longer be thought of in connection with an object?
The object will remain, but its form will change. Nowadays, the classic lampshade no longer conforms to the principle of "form follows function." So the question is who will find the right answer to the new technical developments. The project with Belux can be seen as an answer to this question
Belux is known to be a European manufacturer. Would Verto look different if you had designed the luminaire for the Japanese market?
I think there is a worldwide movement toward ecological systems like LED. The lifestyle is certainly a bit different in Japan, but the products not so much. In Europe, there is a stronger focus on lighting than in Japan. I have been influenced by both cultures and have incorporated my personal experiences into the design.
What is your personal favorite light to work with?
It depends on the situation, but I use more ceiling light in my studio - because of its layout. I see light itself more as sculpture . And of course I also use the Koi luminaire that I designed for Belux. Also the lamp Glo-Ball by Jasper Morrison. He is a very good friend of mine, but that is not the reason. His light is simply one of the best. The light of Verto is more of a functional LED light, unlike that of Glo-Ball. Nevertheless, I think we have also found a good emotional solution with Verto. I hope Verto becomes as significant a product as Glo-Ball.
And which light do you prefer for home use? Designed by you or another designer.
I hope I can design the right one for myself! And it would be just like my new design. Because it's the industrial or technical object that often looks like a sculpture in a home context. If you choose an office luminaire for the living area, then it can create a whole new effect, because functional light seems more radical and cool. I'm convinced that a luminaire like Verto is as suitable for the living area as it is for the working area.
You've designed a lot of luminaires - what's the particular challenge of working with light?
Funnily enough, designers or architects always want to design exactly two objects: Chair and luminaire. I don't know why. Maybe because both are so hard to design, and everyone likes to find the right answer. Anyway, that's why I always like to design luminaires - as well as chairs. But designers have to be careful: once they make a mistake in designing a chair or a light, they don't get a second chance. So you have to find the right partners who share the same design philosophy.
You already said that light could soon merge with home automation. Do you think smart housing will be the housing of the future?
The focus of smart housing is energy production and efficiency, not the purchase of electronic devices. Purely functional objects, such as heating or air conditioning, will merge with the walls of the house. But then you still need a light fixture!
If so many objects disappear, or rather merge with the walls, do you still need a designer?
Yes, because someone has to control everything: Temperature, air, light, all the information. the comforts. And you need a chair. Chair and light fixture. Since there are many ways to design control, designers need to be involved in the process of finding solutions. We designers love to design a physical object, but if there is no function in the design, then it is not much more than garbage. That's why no one buys bulky TVs anymore. Anyway. someone has to design the interaction. And someone has to explain to people how to live a happy life. The designer! (laughs)
Thank you very much for the interview.
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