26 March 2014
“My juicer is not meant to squeeze lemons; it is meant to start conversations.” In saying this, Philippe Starck was pointing to something that has always been an aspect of the world of design, but of which the French designer has become the champion: objects have emotional functions as well as practical ones. It is no coincidence that the Juicy Salif citrus squeezer (1990) was chosen by Donald Norman to exemplify his theory of emotional design: a thought-provoking web of reflections on how we perceive objects in our daily lives. Discovering, among other things, that something that might be considered a flop at a functional level can acquire significance from other perspectives: symbolic, philosophical, cultural. All elements of design that affect our behavior as much, if not more, than mere function. Its organic form has often reminded people of a spider, although the real source of inspiration seems to have been a squid served to its creator on vacation. Whatever the animal of reference, many have spoken of “kitchen sculpture.” For the need for the beautiful and unusual is as essential to our wellbeing as a juice filled with vitamins. Manufacturer: Alessi.
