Post 5: What designer do you admire?

Kelly Johnson – Architect of the Air

Featured: Kelly Johnson with his first project, the one that earned him his position as an aeronautical engineer. -Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Logo -Lockheed Martin Clarence “Kelly” Johnson is a legend in the aerospace community as a prolific designer and team leader. Founder of the illustrious “Skunk Works,” Kelley worked at Lockheed from 1933 to 1975…

Wes Anderson

[1] The French Dispatch (2021)   Born in Houston, Texas on May 1st, 1969, Wes Anderson has since made a name for himself as one of the most visually creative and thought provoking directors of our time. His style is defined by one word in particular: Symmetry. This serves as both a visual aid that…

Admired Designer: Calvin Klein

The designer I chose to discuss is Calvin Klein. I have been interested in the design of Calvin Klein clothes since I was a kid and always enjoyed how clean and timeless the fashon was. The style always gave me the vibe of James Bond played by Daniel Craig in the mid to late 2000’s…

Blog Post 5: What designer do you admire?

Two designers I admire are Eldy S. Vasquez and Katie Vega. Together, they developed a breadboard made out of mycelium. This project is the first I have heard of using a biomaterial for electronics applications. As more attention is brought to the global electronic waste issue, the need for sustainable alternatives increases. A majority of…

Designer I admire – Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was a Catalan architect who is widely considered one of the most important figures in the history of modern architecture. Born in Reus, a small town in Catalonia, Gaudí developed an early interest in architecture and went on to study at the Barcelona Higher School of Architecture. He soon began to develop…

Calvin Klein

                   Calvin Klein is a well-known designer and company that has been around since the 1960s. The brand is famous for its minimalist design aesthetic and high-quality materials. Calvin Klein’s clothing and accessories are often characterized by their clean lines, neutral colors, and classy look. Many people…

Admired Designer: John Moses Browning

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As someone with an interest in military history, specifically of the 20th century, one designer I admire is John Moses Browning. Browning is responsible for some of the most major advancements of military firearms in the early 20th century. With 128 firearms patents during his life from 1855 to passing away at his work bench…

Charles and Ray Eames: Designers I Admire

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Biography Charles and Ray Eames are far and wide the most influential power couple the design space has ever seen.  “Since uniting in 1940, these partners in life and work have been internationally recognized at the forefront of the design, architecture, filmmaking, and furniture communities.” [1] Charles and Ray Eames were both what one might…

Designer Louise Fili

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For my inspiring designer, I’ve chosen Louise Fili. Fili is a graphic designer, born in New Jersy in 1951 her work is heavily influenced by art deco and retro-futurism. She was ecuated and practiced in New York but her designs draw on Italian and Dutch styles and motifs.         Being a graphic…

Designer I Admire – Virgil Abloh

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The designer that I admire is Virgil Abloh. He made “history as the first African American to take the helm at industry giant Louis Vuitton.” Virgil has an understanding of design and creativity that goes well beyond his fashion.  Virgil started off as an architect. He got a civil engineering degree at the University of…

Designer: Yves Saint Laurent

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A designer I admire or at least, always found interesting especially when it comes to clothing designers is Yves Saint Laurent. Truth be told, I didn’t know much about the brand or his place in fashion at first, years ago, when I first heard of this designer I initially had my interest piqued because I…

Blog Post 5: Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent was a French fashion designer who rose to prominence in the 1960s to 1970s. He was a pioneer in many ways, from his innovative designs, to his attitude towards women’s fashion, and his influence on the fashion industry that can still be felt today. Born in Oran, Algeria in 1936, Saint Laurent…

Marc Newsom – Designer I Admire

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Mark Newsom, a multi-disciplinary designer, is a designer who I greatly admire. Much of his furniture design appeals to me in its minimalistic design, often utilizing smooth, flowing lines and natural shapes. Furthermore, his color palette is interesting to me. Most of the time, he seems to focus on metallic elements of design. However, Newsom…

Giovanni Battista Caproni

Giovanni Battista Caproni was an Italian airplane designer who played a significant role in the development of aviation during the first half of the 20th century. Caproni was born on July 3, 1886, in Arco, a small town located in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire (now Italy). At the age of 13, Caproni built his first glider,…

Designer Who I Admire: Jason Wu

Born on September 27, 1982, Jason Wu(吳季剛)is a Taiwanese-Canadian artist and fashion designer. He designed the dresses which Michelle Obama wore during the first and the second inauguration of American President Barack Obama. (Photo source: https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Michelle-Obama-Best-Dresses-40919304) (Photo source: https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/photo-gallery/21361172/image/29580654/Michelle-Obama-chose-designer-Jason-Wu-again-president) (Photo from Jason Wu’s wiki page:  https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%B3%E5%AD%A3%E5%89%9B) He was born in Yunlin, Taiwan (TBH, not a…

Jacob Alexander, A Designer I Admire

A designer that I greatly admire is Jacob Alexander from the Input Club. He is most well known for aesthetic innovations outside of the visual realm in the world of mechanical keyboards and input devices. The creation of the Halo, and Hako line of keyboard switches was one of the first examples of intentionally designed…

Designer I Admire – Alister Mackenzie

Alister Mackenzie was an English doctor that whose legacy is cemented into golf course design which took place during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Being a doctor during this time period Alister served as a physician for the British Army during the First World War as well as the Boer War. During this time…

Christian Von Koenigsegg : Designer Admiration

Christian von Koenigsegg is one of the most renowned automotive designers in the world. His passion for engineering and innovation has led to the creation of some of the most exotic and beautiful hypercars on the planet. As a car enthusiast, especially when I was younger, my eyes were drawn to these pieces of machinery…

Admired Designer – Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry is a Canadian American architect and designer born February 28, 1929 in Toronto Canada. Frank Gehry designs architecture that free form sculptures that goes against typical architectural design. He is famous for designing buildings such as the Vitra Furniture Museum and Factory in Germany, the American Center in Paris, and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao…

Clarence “Kelly” Johnson

Clarence “Kelly” Johnson was the chief designer of the SR-71 Blackbird, one of the most iconic aircraft ever designed. Johnson was a legendary figure in the aviation world, known for his genius-level intellect and his ability to think outside the box. He was the founder of Lockheed Martin’s famous Skunk Works division, which was responsible…

Storm Thorgerson – Designer Admiration

A designer that I admire is Storm Thorgerson. Storm was an English graphic designer and video director known for his famous designs created for Pink Floyd and other major artists of the time. He was also the co-founder of design studio Hipgnosis. It was here where he created many iconic album covers. Here are some…

Javier Senosiain – A Designer I Admire

In the design world there is a constant influx of influences. Your community, the news, social media, books, this list could go on and on. Sometimes I find that even though this constant stream of input is so seemingly diverse, the ideas that result from it are often lack-luster and seem obvious. It is in…

Poul Kjaerholm

Poul Kjaerholm is a Danish furniture designer who lived through the mid century design movement. He began as a cabinetmaker’s apprentice and was educated at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts. Operating post WWII and post Bauhaus freed Kjaerholm to use steel as a noble material. Before the Bauhaus, steel was not considered an…

Roxy Lo- A Designer I Admire

One designer that I admire is Roxy Lo, the principal designer at Ibis Bicycles. She started out working for Pottery Barn before getting hired at Ibis bikes in 2005, where she became a fourth partner for the company. Lo was instrumental in designing Ibis’ first carbon fiber full suspension bike, the Mojo. I really admire…

Graphic Design Mogul Massimo Vignelli

A designer I admire is Massimo Vignelli. He was an Italian graphic designer and architect, known for his minimalistic and timeless designs. The thesis behind all his work is that he wanted to design things that would last for a long time and stay strong designs rather than following the latest trends or fads. He…

Blog Post 5: Gianna Versace

I admire Gianna Versace for using his own creativity to bring together materials, patterns, and designs to create stunning clothes that were not seen as necessarily fashionable at the time. At the time he began designing, the world considered fashion was minimalistic. I admire Versace staying true to his style and redefining the fashion industry…

Adrian Newey

As an engineer with weaker artistic abilities, I admire designers who design and create things that are both functional and beautiful, but functional first and foremost. Because of this, I greatly admire Adrian Newey. Adrian Newey is a legendary Formula 1 car designer and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 car designer. Adrian Newey…

Štefan Leonard Kostelničak

Štefan Leonard Kostelničak was a Slovak artist from the first half of the twentieth century. He traveled all around the Czechoslovak Republic (Modern day Czechia, Slovakia, and part of Ukraine) studying folk ornamentation. He created much of his own ornamentation work, both on paper and ceramics, and published several booklets about ornamentation as well. Some…

Admired Designer: Jay Nelson

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As the son of a general contractor, I grew up around woodworking, backyard projects, and the mentality that you can create anything if you set your mind to it. Early on, I became interested in making furniture and later became enthralled with automotive projects. Thus, the work of artist Jay Nelson caught my eye at…

Admired Designer – Jeremy Fish

Jeremy Fish is an illustrator that I learned of due to his work with 303 Boards, a local skate shop in Boulder. Born in 1974, he has been commercially active as an artist since 2007, when he created a series of 40 pieces called “Seasons of Change” representing the four seasons.        …

What Designer Do you Admire?

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One designer that has always stood out to me is Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd was an American architect, designer, and educator in the early 1900s. He is known for designing over 1000 structures and his focus on organic architecture later in his career. Organic architecture is the combination of man-made structures with natural features…

Admired Designer – Jony Ive

Jony Ive is a designer I’ve long been a fan of, given his unique position of influence in both hardware and software design. When designing a new laptop or phone, he focuses not only on the physical design but also the user interface. As a student in both mechanical engineering and computer science, I particularly…

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche

“A product that is coherent in form requires no embellishment. It is enhanced by the purity of its form.” – Ferdinand Alexander Porsche [1] Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, aka “Butzi”, was the son of Ferry Porsche and the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of Porsche AG. While his father and grandfather were both engineers, Butzi…

Mathis Cosson

There are many designers whom I admire spanning from Renaissance era, golden 90s when industrilisation and space age bloomed to that of current entrepreneurial times. Albeit, the most recent designer which caught my attention is Mathis Cosson. I always have my sight on deep tech innovations which are already or soon gonna impact the way…

Frank Gehry – Architecture Counterculture

Frank Gehry is an award winning architect who has been redefining the norm of architecture. Gehry was born in Toronto, Canada and graduated from the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture in 1954. Despite his prevalence in the more recent years, Gehry didn’t break from the traditional styles and designs of architecture for many…

James Dyson

James Dyson is a British born industrial designer who is famous for his revolutionary appliances. His first notable invention was the ballbarrow which he designed in 1970 while studying at the Royal College of Art in England and was featured in the BBC’s Tomorrow’s World tv program . The invention was a modified wheelbarrow with…

Designer I Admire: Cody Borst

Cody Borst is not a very well-known name outside of the immersive entertainment industry (think escape rooms, Meow Wolf, etc.). However, he has been incredibly involved in the designing and building of many escape rooms in the Denver area, as well as Meow Wolf Denver. I currently work as an engineer at Rabbit Hole Recreation…

What Designer Do You Admire? – Kenichiro Ashida

Honestly, I don’t think about who designs a lot of what we see today; cars, buildings, phones, etc.; and I think it’s because there aren’t too many unique designs nowadays. But every now and then, there is a design or two that stands out to me. Another “but”, but there is one company that does…

Favorite Artistic Designer – Hayao Miyazaki

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Like many kids, when I was growing up I was exposed to many cartoons. There was a movie that was not quite cartoons that I watched and I really enjoyed. That movie was called Spirited Away. My family was very into these films and as a result we watched almost every movie made from this…

Steve Jobs as a Designer

Steve Jobs was an extremely successful entrepreneur, inventor, and the co-founder of Apple and NeXT. While he is extremely well-known for his work on the Macintosh systems as an engineer and salesman, and his collaboration with Steve Wozniak, he can also be seen within another light; as a designer. Jobs’ whole design process revolved around…

Cliffe Tan and Feng Shui

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One of my favorite designers is arguably not an artist in most contexts of the word. His name is Cliffe Tan, and he practices Feng shui, and promotes his work mainly through TikTok where people will request that he rearrange a room in the most energy efficient way. Typically, submissions are of oddly shaped spaces…

Virgil Abloh – A Designer I Admire

Virgil Abloh was an American designer, architect, and artist. He is most famously known for his fashion design endeavors in his fashion brand Off-White, and his role as the creative director of Louis Vuitton. He was born in Illinois in 1980. He studied Civil Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Architecture at the Illinois…

Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright Portrait Frank Lloyd Wright was a renowned American architect, interior designer, and educator who was one of the most influential figures in the field of architecture. His work has left an unforgettable mark on the design world, as his innovative ideas continue to influence architects and designers today. As someone fascinated by…

The Monsters of Guillermo Del Toro

One designer whose work has recently struck me is Guillermo Del Toro. Del Toro is a Mexican filmmaker whose work is heavily inspired and influenced by a “dark fairytale” aesthetic. While he may not immediately jump to mind when thinking of influential or inspirational designers, I think that he more than meets the mark. Beginning…

Designer I Admire: Tyler The Creator

I chose Tyler The Creator for my blog post because it was the first designer to pop into my mind. Love him or hate him, he’s made huge contributions to music, fashion, and pop culture as a whole. I will even say that he has created his own aesthetic and style that can be easily…

Georg Luger, an admirable design

Georg Luger was, later in his career, a consulting designer for a German firearms and munitions company in the late 1800’s. While his design work is limited to a single project, the parabellum pistol, commonly referred to as the Luger, this project’s success was quite remarkable. After receiving criticisms of one of the company’s pistols…

What designer do you admire – IKEA

I’m pretty enamored with IKEA. They make a pretty mean couch, but I get excited about their presentation, project versatility, and collaborations with other high-profile designers that I admire. The more I learn about their design process, the more my admiration grows. To read my blog post, click here!

Designer I admire – Hidetaka Miyazaki

The designer I admire is Hidetaka Miyazaki who is the creative director of the Darksouls videogame series. He is a Japanese creative director working for FromSoftware and has inspired a whole new genre of video games. He focuses on making hard difficulty games that do not rely on a heavy dialogue focus to tell you…

James Dyson

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James Dyson is a British designer, amongst other things. He studied furniture and interior design and then moved into engineering at the Royal College of Art, eventually switching into industrial design. He is famous for his vacuum cleaners, where he took a cyclonic separation approach so that it wouldn’t lose suction as the vacuum cleaner…

Hiroki Nakamura and His Brand That was Built to Last

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My favorite designer is Hiroki Nakamura, the founder of Japanese clothing brand Visvim. Visvim focuses on handmade sustainable high quality products that are made to withstand the test of time and become better with age. Visvim makes clothing in the Japanese Americana style, which combines American western wear, traditional Japanese denim, and  vintage sporting goods.…

Post 5: Antoni Gaudi

A designer who I’ve admired for a long time is the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi was born in 1852 to a family of boilermakers. This awarded him with a good sense of space as he worked in his family’s workshop growing up. Around 1870, Gaudi left to Barcelona to pursue his studies in architecture.…