Decoding Marc Newson’s design language
You must be wondering — Who is Marc Newson? If you are a designer, you must keep reading this article to know about the most influential product designer of our time. Furthermore, we are going to decode some of his breakthrough furniture pieces to understand his design style and language closely.
A Brief Introduction
Marc Newson is an iconic industrial designer, who designs timeless products across several industries like aircraft interiors, fashion, footwear, glassware, perfume bottles, household goods, furniture and interior spaces. He has also collaborated with some big names in the market like Nike, Louis Vuitton, Smeg and Apple, to name a few.
Born in Sydney in 1963, Marc travelled across boundaries at an early age and experienced various cultures around the world, which allowed him to express and experiment freely with his design inspirations.
In TEDxSydney, he mentioned that his work is highly inspired by the contemporary culture of the youth of Australia. It’s fresh, clean and youthful in appeal.
Iconic Piece — Lockheed Lounge
This timeless piece of furniture by Marc is one of his early creations, which actually marked his name in the history of design. Made with aluminium and fibreglass, this Lounge chair is an amalgamation of Modernism and Retro forms. It has a seamless exterior with a biomorphic curvy design that allows the eye to move in visual continuity.
Elements of Design —
1. Form: Organic (3D object with measurable units)
2. Texture: Shiny (tangible property of the surface that can be felt or seen)
Principles of Design —
1. Movement (guiding the user’s eye to a predestined path in a composition)
2. Balance (visual equilibrium)
3. Rhythm (varying distances between several frequencies)
Embryo Chair
Newson’s work is highly inspired by nature and biomorphism. This piece of furniture embodies the essence of early human life with the curves representing the human embryo. It is colourful, sensual and defines simplicity at its best.
Elements of Design —
1. Colour: bright and sensuous colours
2. Form: Organic
3. Texture: Matte
Principles of Design —
1. Movement
2. Balance
Marc Newson’s design language, decoded!
Elements — Smooth lines, lack of crisp angles, curious shapes, organic forms, highly tactile textures, translucency and bright citrus colours.
Principles — Visual continuity, rhythm, movement and balance
Sensibility — Modernism, retro and futuristic
Inspiration — Biomorphic designs (Nature-inspired)
What are Biomorphic designs?
Designs that are inspired by the natural life of a living organism, often defined with curved, aesthetic edges reflecting simple biological elements.
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