Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead: part 2.

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Today on BBtv, part 2 of Boing Boing Gadgets editor Joel Johnson's interview with his hero, futurist and artist Syd Mead, on the evolution of conceptual design.

In this installment, we go inside Syd's studio in Pasadena, CA, and learn more about the creative process behind his work for movies, television, and automobile design -- both Hot Wheels and life-sized -- and how Syd feels about design in the video game industry.

Mead is a former designer for Ford Motor Company and US Steel. His designs have appeared in many movies, including Aliens, Tron, and Blade Runner.

Previously on Boing Boing tv:

Joel Johnson interviews Syd Mead: part 1.

[#1 posted by dan winckler , July 16, 2008 7:38 AM]

"Convoluted compound mirror" -- yes. :D

Great interview! Are you no longer crediting the music you used? I liked the tracks in this episode.

[#2 posted by Santos , July 16, 2008 8:15 AM]

Where is part one?

Syd is a wonderful person.

[#3 posted by Xeni Jardin , July 16, 2008 9:39 AM]

@#1, ok, update! the music is the audio equivalent of stock footage, we buy a license from this company and use selections from their library to fill out our episodes. It's nice stuff!

@#2, I am a maroon. I will add that to the post right now. We love Syd too. Episode #3 is coming up soon.

[#4 posted by zuzu , July 16, 2008 1:01 PM]

the music is the audio equivalent of stock footage, we buy a license from this company and use selections from their library to fill out our episodes. It's nice stuff!

Ah, I'd been under the impression that the music was being reused from CC sources.

I could listen to Syd Mead talk all day about the intersection of art and business as design. I'd like to hear him expand on that bit at the end about cars perceived as a commodity; I thought good design and effective implementation of innovation was how companies such as Apple stay ahead of commodity discount pricing in computer hardware (e.g. Dell). Or perhaps what he was lamenting with the atrophied exposure to art young people receive, so only a marginal number of people are willing to pay the premium for that good design. (e.g. compare the numbers of Apple customers to Dell customers.)

Also, I'm interested in playing Mass Effect just as soon as it's available DRM-free on OSX.

[#5 posted by You , July 16, 2008 1:12 PM]

Thanks for these. Syd's work has always been an inspiration to me. It's great to actually get to see a little of what he's like in person.

[#6 posted by Xeni Jardin , July 16, 2008 11:25 PM]

@zuzu, re: the music clip credit issue: sometimes we do, and we did more often in the show's earlier days. But if we do not credit, it's because it's licensed music from a stock provider.

@ all -- I'm so glad you dug this episode!

[#7 posted by roguecnidarian , July 17, 2008 12:43 PM]

Xeni,

Thanks so much for this interview. Please, please do more excellent interviews like this.

I love the remarks about auto design that Mead makes in the last 30 seconds of the interview. The idea that there are no well-designed future-cars now-days because people don't understand design and cars are a commodity. I hope thoughts like that shock people into doing something about it.

[#8 posted by boxbox , July 18, 2008 8:40 AM]

There's a gatefold album cover discussed in the clip, but the artist was not mentioned. Anyone have an idea who it is?

[#9 posted by things , July 18, 2008 3:42 PM]

Would also like to know the artist from the gatefold album. Great episode, goes too quickly though! I feel like syd needs to do a TED talk. That would be stellar.

[#10 posted by Anonymous , July 21, 2008 7:52 PM]

Joel Johnson is a babe.

[#11 posted by Antinous , July 21, 2008 8:25 PM]

Joel,

Is that you as a sock puppet?

[#12 posted by Joel Johnson , July 23, 2008 9:04 AM]

@Antinous: A lady never tells.