Index
01 March 2010
Meet the man designing the future
Syd Mead’s view of a future Qatar.
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American visual futurist Syd Mead, a key player in futurist design in the film, gaming and automotive worlds, is speaking at RMIT University later this month.
Mr Mead’s work is often seen and appreciated without viewers realising they are looking at his ground-breaking designs.
He has worked on futuristic vehicle, landscape and interiors design on movies including Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner, TRON, 2010, Short Circuit, Aliens, Time Cop, Johnny Mnemonic, and Mission Impossible 3.
He is the first guest in this year’s seminar series, An Audience with…, which is hosted by RMIT Alumni Relations.
Event organiser Ian Wong, lecturer in Industrial Design with the School of Architecture and Design, said Mr Mead’s work was internationally renowned, but “less well known is his impact on the practice of industrial design in Victoria”.
“Syd had a direct influence, having worked with Australian designers at (global design agency) Philips CIDC in Eindhoven.
“Many Melbourne-based designers travelled to The Netherlands as part of an exchange program from Philip’s Clayton studio,” Mr Wong said.
The desk of these visiting Australians happened to be next to Mr Mead’s, “so they all observed his technique, methods and creativity first-hand”, Mr Wong said.
Mr Mead began his design career at the Ford Motor Company’s Advanced Styling Studio and went on to work for Philips on architectural renderings for big-name clients such as Intercontinental Hotels and 3D International, and on computer animation and graphics.
RMIT alumni Robert Pataki, Barry Crone and Ross Whitehead were among the designers to work beside Mr Mead in Eindhoven.
“Robert Pataki was fortunate to occupy the workstation next to Syd as he worked on a concept for the first Philips LaserDisc player,” Mr Wong said.
“Robert said peering over the four-foot partition to watch him work ‘was like magic’.”
Mr Mead’s many publications showcasing his expertise are used by RMIT lecturers today to inspire students.
An Audience with Syd Mead is at the RMIT Storey Hall Auditorium on Tuesday, 23 March, at 6pm.
Registrations to attend this event are essential and close on Thursday, 18 March.
