Max Longin (above) on his “floating” bed
When we first received the floating bed at our SI office, we thought it came with the designer. After all, you’d make the same mistake if you had found Max in the box.
Needless to say, we tried our best to seperate him from the bed, but he wouldn’t budge. So we cut a deal – We’d give him a interview if he left.
We did, He left – with the bed. He claimed he didn’t say he was going to leave it behind.
In the end, All we had left was the transcript:
SI: What inspiration led you to this design?
Max: There were two different incidences leading to the concept of it, first rather a feeling and then some uncoupling of the usual form:
The first was a simple experience. I often sat in the middle of a marvelous suspended bridge* and always enjoyed the smooth movements of the bridge finding its center and somehow thereby mine. I guess in this comfortable perception 9 of 10 people do have visions like : this should be my bed !
That wish kept me quite a while on the search of a construction as playful as the feeling. But the upcoming forces in the suspension system led inevitably to ugly dimensions as long as I stayed captured in orthogonal thoughts, that left the legs at the corner. This is rather the mathematical thing with the bed – not that I can compute well as I read these days, but
that mathematicans like to ask about the necessity of assumptions.
And the suprising form of float is the lack of legs there, where you suppose them to be, isn´t it ?
SI: I understand you are a Mathematican. How did you switch to being a designer?
Max: I dont think that my launch pad was my math diploma, but that nest-building is rather in the genes of all of us. Perhaps my decision to change my profession was supported by the feeling that my beloved mathematics changed to a crooked business, where most interest was on publishing something no matter what instead of finding out something exciting.
SI: What fascinates you about objects?
Max: the fascination with making objects came with the feedback of them. I dont think of peoples feedback but the feedback of the things themselves: Different from mathematics here I could touch my ideas. Design is more concrete and, Adnan, you will understand me, maths have no sensory impact!
The Box before Max popped out with the bed
SI: What have you learned from your experience with your first product?
Max: What I learned while building the bed? Hmm, first thing to learn is that different from the web it aches when you hit a thumb ! Second, I constructed this bed from a very technical point of view, and did not focus on creating something erotic or thrilling. And what I learned was that some things you do better when you dont go for them.
it was wonderful to know that their are people in the world who studied in a field but are still to explore more and more … i am quit inspired by the attitude and feelings
thank you
Comment by shweta gupta — 1/4/2005 @ 11:26 am