Why Design?

Philippe Starck's talk at TED2007 is not what you might expect from the designer of the sleek Louis Ghost chair and the luxe Hotel Mondrian. Rather than play a slideshow of chrome and polycarbonate objets, he just talks, for 17 minutes, about why he works, how he sees the world, and how he wishes humanity to evolve. It's a passionate, funny talk about being fully engaged with life; as Starck puts it: "Nobody is obliged to be a genius, but everybody is obliged to participate."