John Mauriello's Design Theory, Colani, and me!
Colani: Odd exceptional designer. Me: Odd unexceptional design student!
John Mauriello, Design Theory (YouTube & Instagram) has a great look at the life and designs of eccentric industrial designer/artist/philosopher(?) Luigi Colani (1928–2019).
It documents his career, philosophy, and how some in the 'Industrial Design Complex' 😉 reacted to his work, even discouraging students from viewing it!
Contributors to Wikimedia projects
Lance, Me, Colani & Casper
As a young Product Design student, I was encouraged to pursue a Colani influence for a motor scooter project. I think that was more due to a lack of inspiration in my other proposals, but I remember both the tutor, Lance Rake, and the 'Casper Scooter' project fondly.
He arrived for the third year of my three-year Product Design Diploma. I think I learnt more about design and drawing that year than the previous ten.
I still wonder what he really thought about the school compared to what he'd left in the USA but was glad to find it mentioned in his IDSA profile.
Back then, early mid 80s, Carrington Tech was just two main buildings, a library, and large workshop for trade training. The 'Design School' was literally a collection of pre-fab classrooms dropped in a field next to the, still active, Carrington Psychiatric Hospital (& Asylum) farm!
Later the hospital closed and Unitec took over the buildings, moving the design functions to the former Asylum buildings. I suspect some staff thought that, before the hospital closure, was the appropriate space for us!
Now the hospital area is being redeveloped into the Te Kukūnga Waka (Carrington residential development).
A 'pre-Coloni' scooter concept
Became a Colani inspired concept:
Became Casper:
Quarter scale model photographed next to some low ground cover—in the pre-fab building courtyard—that scaled more as a full height hedge.
