Designed in Europe

&hief 'esijner 5od White takes Xs throxjh the Fornerstones of 3hilips’ (Xropean 'esijn philosophy

We neeg tr start Zige :e shrxlg Ee Greapinj Zith Rne IRRT Rn the JRRXNG ȋ For Rod White, that’s the right way to begin conceptualising the look and feel of any new Philips TV. He heads up the team responsible for the complete industrial design process, distilling the trends they sniff out at home design and fashion shows into tropes that they can then apply to the traditional TV template – or use to change that template completely.

Industrial design is of critical importance to Philips: a calling card 1 5 years in the making. %orn in Eindhoven, the brand now draws on the best TV technology from across the world, but its European Design philosophy is stronger than ever.

%ut what exactly does it mean for a design to be Ȇeuropean’" As far as Rod White and his team are concerned, it boils down to four key elementsȑ

1

Ȋ<ou should inherently understand the purpose of the product, and how to use it,ȋ says White. With a TV, this may seem obvious, but for peripherals – remote controls, for example – that’s not always the case. <ou have to get which way is up and which is down, when to flip it over to access additional buttons, which buttons to use to navigate the interface. Easier said than done.

2

A pan-european design heritage demands a certain level of elegance, but as White puts it, Ȋthere shouldn’t be unnecessary decoration. It should be doing a job well, expressing value, but there shouldn’t be details on that design which are unnecessary.ȋ In other words: keep it understated maintain a level of elegance.

3

ȊWE never stop exploring materials,ȋ says White. The stuff you make a product out of isn’t just about looks. ȊIN the 01F we use a polished aluminium perch stand to give the illusion of floating, deliberately in order that the lightness is communicating high-end performance.ȋ

4

Finesse the little things. Ȋwhen you look at the corner detail of a product, you see many parts or materials coming together,ȋ says White. ȊWE focus on getting that combination correct, but to a level that can delight users and have them asking: Ȇhow did they do that"’ȋ

In short, Philips’ design team goes to great lengths to ensure its products look and feel just so. That’s because they know a Philips TV is more than just a technology box: it’s a cherished interior object. Ȋpeople want to show off their car, and they want to show off their television,ȋ says White. Ȋthey want to have friends round to give them a spin. We want a product to deliver that sense of pride.ȋ