Designers

Marc Newson

Marc Newson’s work encompasses furniture, interior design, and product design. His clients include Cappellini, EADS Astrium, Ford, Goto, Magis, Nike, Quantas, and Smeg. He was named Designer of the Year at the Salone del Mobile, Milan, in 1992, and Creator of the Year at the Salon du Meuble, Paris, in 1993. Other awards include I.D. magazine’s Top 50 Designers Award (received in 1998); the Red Dot Design Award (1999); the George Nelson Award, Interiors magazine (1999); the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award (2001); the Australian Design Award (2003); and the Good Design Award, Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (2004). More recently, Newson was included in Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people (2005), and was named Designer of the Year at Design Miami/Basel (2006). In 2007, he was awarded the LEAF International Interior Design Award for the Qantas First Lounge, Sydney International Airport.

Year Born:

1963

Current Location:

United Kingdom

Country of Birth:

Australia

What do you hope people take away from your design?:

Ultimately that they see a consistency throughout my work; that in some way it is completely recognisable and identifiable. Of course I also want my work to be relevant long into the future as well. It is incredibly important to me that my work stands the test of time.

What are you looking at right now that most influences your work?:

I am inspired by new technologies, processes and materials, and undoubtedly the aeronautics industry is behind the technological development of design – in terms of materials, software and engineering. Mostly these days I am influenced by a kind of anger – an anger that I feel when things are so badly designed or just plain ugly – and I can’t wait to get the chance to improve them.

If you weren't an artist, what would you be? Why?:

Definitely a craftsman of some kind …maybe a carpenter?

* Designer biographies provided by Merrell Publishers, London and New York.