Tom Dixon Interview
It's impossible to be bored as a designer
British designer Tom Dixon designed for Cappellini and Habitat, among others, before setting up his own design studio in 2002. He is celebrated internationally for his original, sometimes radical and always cool lamps and furniture. His designs are exhibited in the world’s most important museums. The 65-year-old talks about his work, his love of chaos and his great-grandmother’s desk.
Interview by Bianca Lang
"I love the chaos"
Congratulations, you have just been named Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Is such an honorable distinction at all fitting for a designer like you, who once wanted to be a rock star and whose designs are widely regarded as visionary?
That’s a very old-fashioned honor indeed – but no matter, because the more established you become, the easier it is to rebel! A little rebellion never hurts
You have been designing furniture and lighting in particular since the 1980s. How do you stay relevant in the design world over four decades – timeless and modern at the same time?
Fortunately, innovations in interiors take longer than in other creative industries, only architecture is even slower. I like that, because I don’t want to follow every trend. I also try to broaden my perspective. I look at materials, technology, manufacturing, human behavior, art and spaces – but not at design itself. Designers should observe the world, not live in a bubble. And when it comes to creating, I rely on the chaos theory: I first make a big mess, stir up a lot of dust and then see if I can recognize patterns that crystallize. That’s the art. The fun. My passion
That obviously requires patience! You have just launched the outdoor metal chair “Groove”, which took you ten years to develop. What was going on there?
Yes, it was an odyssey during which I experienced and learned a lot. I always wanted to make a metal chair for outdoors and initially thought that I could have it made on demand using high-tech machines. We made 300 of them, but the chair was too angular and uncomfortable. If you don’t hit the bull’s eye, as in this case, you just keep trying and learn a lot about
the capabilities and strengths of metal. And at the end of the journey is a comfortable chair. We’ll see if the effort was worth it.
Does the world still need new things in times of overproduction?
Of course, the production or consumption of new things is currently difficult to justify – sustainability and the circular economy are much more pressing issues today than they used to be. However, it is certainly possible to ensure that a product has as little impact on the environment as possible, that it is made to a high standard and is durable in terms of style and workmanship. Then it also has a justification. I believe in sustainability through quality. If I see an object in an antique store that I designed 15 years ago, then that also proves its relevance.
"Design is a way to improve life!"
You once said that design is there to make life easier and to be friendly: to the people you work with, to your customers and to the planet. But the world is becoming more and more complex and so are the challenges for you as a designer. Do you ever get tired of your job?
No, it’s impossible to be bored as a designer. That’s why I enjoy my job so much. The beauty of design is that you are always faced with new challenges because the world never stands still. Design is a way to improve life. The right lighting can optimize any room, new technologies such as LED simplify life, are cheaper and more sustainable. There are also so many other things I would like to design: electronics, toys, houses, entire cities.
From sex toys to cars, you have already designed quite a few things. However, your iconic products include lights in particular. One of them, the “Beat” model, has often been copied. Are such cheap versions also proof of the relevance of your own creations?
In this case, we have our imitators to thank for the real relevance. We took inspiration from them by making a cheaper version of our own product, a higher quality copy of the copy. This is how the hand-hammered brass “Beat” lamp became the raw aluminum “Unbeaten” model, a tribute to our copyists with new aesthetics and functionality. This original is unbeatable.
How are you set up yourself?
A bit boring, eclectic – with as few of my own pieces as possible. I don’t need much, I even lived in my studio for eight years, that was enough for me. My favorite piece of furniture is my great-grandmother’s desk because it’s the perfect size for a laptop and has lots of hidden drawers. She bought it herself in an antique store. It comes from Paris in the 1780s, so it’s easily eight generations old.
