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Editor's
note:
Michael Graves is internationally renowned for his
postmodern architectural works, one of which is UC's Engineering Research
Center. A different circle of fans celebrates his collection of aesthetically
pleasing household objects, many of them designed especially for Target,
a chain of upscale discount stores. An eclectic mix, his collection includes
china, weather vanes, Irish woolen blankets, tuxedo studs, patio furniture
and teapots. His peers don't always approve.
Don't listen
to critics. When I first began to experiment with creating
objects for the home, I didn't know it was considered "lowbrow"
for an architect to do that. It just seemed a natural extension of my
interest in the textures, colors and shapes of the visual world.
Design is
design. Whether at a large scale -- cities, campuses
or groups of buildings -- versus the simplest objects for the interior
or even for the kitchen, all of these things are within the province of
the architect or the designer.
Set your own standards.
Even though I've taken a lot of heat for this image, I like to think of
my practice as a shopping bag overflowing with all kinds of creative goods.
I think of myself as a "general practitioner" of design, rather
than a specialist.
Make them
feel at home. What appeals to
me is the domestic life of buildings, of a room, and what I can do to
make it "human." Even when the space is more formal -- an office
or board room -- I like to domesticize it and create psychological comfort.
Be affordable.
Good design doesn't have to be expensive, you know. It has nothing to
do with economic class. If I were designing for Cartier or Tiffany, I
would expend the same energy as I do when I'm designing for Target.
Be prepared to succeed.
Consumers now have more than a thousand choices in the Graves line of
whimsical, well-designed household items, but the original bird-spout
teapot for Alessi is still one of my favorites. More than 2 million have
been sold since 1985.
Graves, professor of architecture at Princeton
University and president of the successful architectural firm that bears
his name, has won national and international acclaim for his designs.
The UC grad was honored by President Clinton in 1999 with a National Medal
of Arts and in 2001 received the American Institute of Architects' highest
honor, the gold medal, for his significant body of work.
Links:
View Michael Graves' business Web site.
See a sampling of his Target home design products under "home furnishings."
Watch Graves discuss his introduction to design, the design process and collaboration.
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