Product Design 1

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Michael Graves

• Product Design 1
• Carly Thomson
• August 29th, 2004

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A Designer is Born

• Michael Graves was born in Indianapolis in 1934.
• As a child he loved to draw, but when he told his
  mother wanted to be an artist, she told him
  Unless youre as good as Picasso, youll
  starve.
• She suggested engineering or architecture as
  careers because they involve drawing.
• Graves chose architecture.
• He received his architectural training at the
  University of Cincinnati and Harvard University.1

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Michael Graves Associates

• Michael Graves founded his practice in Princeton,
  New Jersey in 1964
• He has over 100 employees in offices in Princeton
  and New York City.
• His firm practices architecture, interior design,
  product design, and graphic design.

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Firms Accomplishments

• The Humana Building, a corporate headquarters
  tower in Louisville, Kentucky
• Cited by TIME Magazine as one of the 10 best
  buildings of the decade (1980s).

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Firms Accomplishments

• Headquarters of the World Bank Groups
  International Finance Corporation on Pennsylvania
  Avenue at Washington Circle in Washington, D.C.

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Firms Accomplishments

• Walt Disney World Hotels Shops and Restaurants

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Philosophy on Architecture

• As an architect, I find myself interested in the
  artifacts of daily life and how they are related
  to the architecture that surrounds them. Because
  I see architecture and design as part of an
  aesthetic continuum, I dont distinguish among
  making a building, a piece of furniture, or a
  teakettle, aside from obvious differences of size
  and function. What is important in creating all
  these things is to develop a sense of
  domesticity, which enriches design at any scale.
  For me, its a matter of caring whats around
  you, in your place of work, your home, where you
  shop anywhere you spend your life.

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A jack of all trades...

• In addition to being a very successful architect,
  Graves dubbed himself a general practitioner of
  his works. In addition to the architectural
  aspects of his projects, he would also design the
  interiors for the majority of projects and a wide
  range of furnishings.

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Beyond the Architecture

• Michael Graves has designed anything from
  furniture, lighting fixtures, jewelry and
  dinnerware for companies such as
• Michael Graves products group, Graves Design,
  has designed over 1000 consumer products.

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Philosophy on Art

• Its when art comes down from the wall that
  things really get interesting. My goal is to do
  more than just find art in the everyday. It is
  to take works of art and put them to work for you
  and your home and turn your house into a work
  of art itself.

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• As early as January 1980 Michael Graves said that
  from then on he would be spending at least half
  his time on design.
• Between the eighties and nineties he showed an
  incredible ability to tune in to the tastes of
  even the average public.

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• Graves highly personal and easy to recognize
  formal style blends influences from the European
  tradition, Art Deco, American pop, and flashes
  of pre-Columbian culture.

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Right on

• Michael Graves was brought into a widespread
  public view after a partnership began with Target
  Corp. in 1998.
• He was initially enlisted to design visually
  appealing exterior scaffolding for the Washington
  Monument restoration.

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Right on

• In April of 1998 he presented his first product
  ideas to Target.
• In January, 1999, Target introduces the Michael
  Graves Design Line featuring 200 items of home
  decorative products and kitchenware.

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Right on

• 2003 is the five year anniversary of their
  partnership. Together they share the belief that
  people instinctively appreciate great design, and
  that it should be affordable and accessible to
  all.

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Societal Effects

• Over the past few years, I see increasing value
  being placed on the ability to customize homes
  around lifestyle choices. I expect the future to
  bring new and exciting well-designed systems and
  designs for entire houses as well as for rooms,
  furnishings and artifacts based on how one wants
  to live.

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And the winner is

• Michael Graves and Michael Graves Associates
  have received over 160 awards and citations.
  These include
• 15 Progressive Architecture awards
• 10 American Institute of Architects (AIA)
  National Honor Awards
• 60 AIA design awards and career achievement
  awards

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A little credit please

• Michael Graves Design, http//target.com/michaelgr
  aves/index.jhtml, August 28, 2004.
• Michael Graves Associates, http//www.michaelgra
  ves.com/, August 28, 2004.
• Princeton Patron Magazine, http//www.princetonol.
  com/patron/mgraves.html, August 27, 2004.
• Michael Graves, http//www.alessi.ch, August 29,
  2004.