Reality TV and Philippe Starck both drive me nuts. Or at least the ego-driven pointless schmaltzy pseudo-design that he creates drives me nuts. So, I was expecting to be driven into a rage by ‘Design for Life’ - a reality TV show featuring Phillipe Starck.

But I enjoyed it. Damn. And … I like Philippe Starck. There i said it. Doubledamn! I liked how he put a bunch of star-struck and terrified design newbies at ease by goofing around with a red nose, explaining how he felt: “I’m so nervous”, and crucially, taking the pressure off by saying it wasn’t about design  “its about unleashing creativity”.

I like that he was trying to get the group to think of the ideas behind a product, by setting the first task in the hypermarche. (These shows are essentially a sequence of tasks. Jason and the argonauts would have made brilliant reality TV). I guess that’s to be expected from someone who’s got such a grip on  brand.

And, apparently, he’s eco: “There are too many pointless products being made these days”. He should know as he’s made a good deal of them. I guess everyone is allowed an epiphany. Looking forward to seeing how the series pans out.