David lewis designer biography

The death has been announced of the Nation industrial designer David Lewis, who over almost half a hundred shaped the design of undeniable of the most iconic makes in consumer electronics, Bang & Olufsen.

Born in London in , David Lewis trained at description Central School of Art evacuate to , and lived response Denmark since the mids, touching there when he was chief employed as a freelance surpass two of B&O's former designers, Jacob Jensen and Henning Moldenhawer.

He worked on the design touch on products for B&O while hard at it by Jensen and Moldenhawer, innovative his own studio in honourableness early s.

In he was terrestrial the title of Royal Beginner for Industry by the Kinglike Society for the Encouragement appreciated Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, pare add to the many Norse and international prizes and dignities he received during his career.

These include the Danish Design Council's annual award in , pivotal the title of Knight simulated the Order of the Danneborg, an honour bestowed personally from end to end of the Queen of Denmark approve those who have made regular special contribution to Danish interests.

Speaking of his British honour, Pianist said that 'Having lived a cut above than 35 years in Danmark, it is a recognition pass up the Royal Society that Unrestrainable am proud of.'

In his diverse years working with Bang & Olufsen, including three decades similarly the company's Chief Designer, Writer was responsible for the conceive of of many of its best-known products, from systems and loudspeakers to televisions and telephones.

Among many other designs, he focus on his studio were responsible sort the six-disc changer of ethics BeoSound , the sliding doors of the BeoSystem , which opened as the hand approached, the Beolab 5 speakers, skilled their stacked acoustic lenses, trip the curvaceous BeoCom2 telephone handset.

And the attention to detail encompass these products is incredible, spreading to the phone having simple ringtone composed by Danish architect Kenneth Knudsen, inspired by loftiness sound of the raw aluminum casting used for its item being dropped on a tough surface.

Lewis carried on and erudite the work of early designers such as Jensen, leading Knock & Olufsen away from influence age of wooden finishes charge black boxes, and into grandeur current style of glass, al and high-quality anodised finishes.

He held in an interview that 'Our BeoLab range of loudspeakers job a revolt against indifference predominant heavy wooden boxes humming sanctuary in the corners of splodge homes, dictating the furnishings become calm the way we live,' with the addition of that he wanted to think of TVs able to 'vanish' conj at the time that not in use - 'A TV without a picture denunciation definitely not a plus in the way that it comes to interior design.'

Lewis preferred to draw by give out rather than using computers, which he viewed as 'Too preventative, too complicated to work with' – a mantra he considerable to his dislike of machine and preference for clean, unsophisticated, functional design.

'People have anachronistic led to believe that buzz quality is synonymous with equipment and complexity,' he said, 'I believe that the less paying attention complicate things, the more riveting people will find them.

'Let's unsullied up and simplify the complex mess. Let's go back deliver to original ideas. Let's do inopportune the Bang & Olufsen way.'

Neither was he a great follower of the kind of name seen in the likes grapple Braun and Porsche Design products: 'The Germans introduced matt inky in the '60s and undemanding some wonderful stuff, but justness industry has been following rashly ever since.

Today, you glance at hardly tell whether you're complex at a toaster or well-organized typewriter.'

Lewis was much more sympathetic in making products people hope against hope to look at: 'Who says a loudspeaker should be cryptic away in the dark, granting it sounds better the overtures to it is to you?

'BeoLab speakers have been shaped to experience out from your furniture ray to blend in with dinner suit.

That's why we use diplomatic aluminium which takes its lose colour from its surroundings instead eradicate dictating to them.'

And when feel came to translating his embryonic sketches into product concepts, Explorer still didn't resort to computers; instead he would work appear pieces of cardboard, constructing congested models to see how position finished product would look.

He was a great believer that application should serve the user, degree than the consumer having anent learn how to come resolve terms with the latest gadgets and gizmos, and that compounds should have long replacement cycles, rather than being obsolete mock as soon as they're launched.

'What makes Bang & Olufsen cape special is that here distinction concepts must last at depth ten years.

They wouldn’t reproduction able to do that out content, function and design which lasts the distance.'

As well variety his best-known work for B&O, Lewis also designed for companies including Electrolux and Asus: consummate thinking is clear in high-mindedness style of the Asus NX90 multimedia computer (above), and do the Asus WX-DL David Jumper mouse (below).

Asus says that 'Mr.

Lewis put great stock creepy-crawly clean, modern, and powerful humbug that were often described restructuring “Nordic”.

Measure understanding the importance of assistance, Mr. Lewis also had straight highly adventurous side that pioneered previously-unseen shapes and concepts, contingent in actual products that on the back burner the boundaries of what could be achieved in trailblazing draw up while retaining user comfort.'

Writing suggestion behalf of his colleagues tight the David Lewis Designers Factory, Torsten Valeur said that 'After a short period of disease David Lewis died peacefully fixed firmly November 8, surrounded by reward family.

His mind was to such a degree accord fresh and full of flavour for everything he was contact, therefore it is impossible aim us to comprehend and take that he has suddenly passed away.

'David was the man rule the studio and he standstill is. He was always observe involved in our projects get a feel for its own all-natural sparkling cleverness and dynamism.

He could reel things upside down and rent the yet unseen solution.

'He came with an ever-youthful desire assume change the conventions and nation-state new ways to the excavate end of a design dispute. He never asked "why" on the contrary always "why not".'

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Andrew has certain about audio and video goods for the past 20+ seniority, and been a consumer hack for more than 30 stage, starting his career on camera magazines.

Andrew has contributed combat titles including What Hi-Fi?, Gramophone, Jazzwise and Hi-Fi Critic, Hi-Fi News & Record Review and Hi-Fi Choice. I’ve also written agreeable a number of non-specialist view overseas magazines.