MARCEL WANDERS
Rufus Knight: You’ve said that “nothing ages faster than the new” and that your designs “build off old metaphors”; this increases their longevity because they already feel somewhat familiar. Is this becoming easier or harder as we live more design-conscious lives?
Marcel Wanders (MW): In general, creating designs that feel familiar is getting harder as there are so many new mediums for us to design within. To me, something can be considered design if it creates meaningful connections with people. It must resonate with humanity and introduce people to something unique and surprising. We are living in a faster world where instant gratification has made people seek the next new thing sooner. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have longevity with older metaphors as things age even more quickly.
Your hotels are always credited with having a
