Neil Poulton
Encyclopedia
Neil Poulton is a Scottish
product designer, based in Paris
, France. He specializes in the design of 'deceptively simple-looking mass-produced objects' and has won numerous international design awards.
Poulton is best known for his designs in the fields of technology and lighting design and is often associated with manufacturers LaCie
, Artemide
, Megalit and Atelier Sedap.
In 2007 the Centre Georges Pompidou
museum in Paris acquired six Poulton-designed objects for its Permanent Contemporary Collection.
In 2008, Time
magazine included Poulton in 'The Design 100 - The people and ideas behind today's most influential design'.
Neil Poulton has lived and worked in Paris since 1991.
in Edinburgh
in 1985 and was awarded the SIAD Chartered Society of Designers
Student Product Designer Of The Year. In 1988 he gained a Masters degree in design at the Domus Academy
in Milan
, Italy, under Italian architect Andrea Branzi
and designer Alberto Meda
. Poulton’s tutors included Italian architect Ettore Sottsass
, German industrial designer Richard Sapper
, Isao Hosoe and Anna Castelli Ferrieri.
Neil Poulton first came to public view in 1989 as the creator of the 'Ageing Pens'. Also known as the 'Penna Mutante' (The Mutant Pen), these pens were made from a living, wearing plastic, which 'ages as layers of colour wear away through use'. The Ageing Pens were exhibited in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
, Centre Georges Pompidou
in Paris and The Axis Gallery in Tokyo.
Poulton worked briefly for French
designer
Philippe Starck
in Paris from 1991 through 1992.
in London, the Domus Academy in Milan and the University of Western Australia
in Perth, Australia. He is an active, if occasional, jury member of the ENSCI school (Les Ateliers) in Paris.
s, five German "IF" International Forum Design
prizes, three French “Janus de l’industrie” awards, two "Recommendation Premio Compasso d'Oro
" and the "Best of The Best" Red Dot Design Award
s in 1994 and 2007.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
product designer, based in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France. He specializes in the design of 'deceptively simple-looking mass-produced objects' and has won numerous international design awards.
Poulton is best known for his designs in the fields of technology and lighting design and is often associated with manufacturers LaCie
LaCie
LaCie is a computer hardware company specializing in external hard drives, RAID arrays, optical drives, Flash Drives, and computer monitors. The company markets several lines of hard drives with a capacity of up to many terabytes of data, with a choice of interfaces...
, Artemide
Artemide
ArtemideArtemis , in the religions of ancient Greece is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. She was one of the most revered gods of Olympus and its origin dates back to ancient times. [1] In Roman times she was associated with Diana, while the Etruscans with the name...
, Megalit and Atelier Sedap.
In 2007 the Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
museum in Paris acquired six Poulton-designed objects for its Permanent Contemporary Collection.
In 2008, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine included Poulton in 'The Design 100 - The people and ideas behind today's most influential design'.
Neil Poulton has lived and worked in Paris since 1991.
Early career
Poulton gained a BSc degree in Industrial Design (technology) at Napier UniversityNapier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
in 1985 and was awarded the SIAD Chartered Society of Designers
Chartered Society of Designers
The Chartered Society of Designers , headquartered in London, England, is the professional body for designers. It is the world's only Royal chartered body of professional designers...
Student Product Designer Of The Year. In 1988 he gained a Masters degree in design at the Domus Academy
Domus Academy, Postgraduate School of Design
Domus Academy is an international postgraduate school of design based in Milan, Italy. Domus Academy offers master courses and advanced short courses in the field of design, fashion, architecture, interior design and management. It was founded in 1982 as the first institutionalized school in Milan...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy, under Italian architect Andrea Branzi
Andrea Branzi
Andrea Branzi is an Italian architect and designer.-Biography:Branzi was born in Florence, where he also graduated in architecture. Currently he lives and works in Milan, Italy....
and designer Alberto Meda
Alberto Meda
Alberto Meda is an engineer focusing on design, born in Lenno, in the Italian province of Como in 1945. He graduated with a laurea in Mechanical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 1969...
. Poulton’s tutors included Italian architect Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass was an Italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. His body of designs included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting and office machine design.-Early career:...
, German industrial designer Richard Sapper
Richard Sapper
Richard Sapper, born 1932 in Munich, is a German industrial designer based in Milan, Italy. He is considered one of the most iconic designers of his generation, his products typically featuring a combination of technical innovation, simplicity of form and an element of wit and surprise...
, Isao Hosoe and Anna Castelli Ferrieri.
Neil Poulton first came to public view in 1989 as the creator of the 'Ageing Pens'. Also known as the 'Penna Mutante' (The Mutant Pen), these pens were made from a living, wearing plastic, which 'ages as layers of colour wear away through use'. The Ageing Pens were exhibited in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in Paris and The Axis Gallery in Tokyo.
Poulton worked briefly for French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck
Philippe Patrick Starck is a French product designer and probably the best known designer in the New Design style...
in Paris from 1991 through 1992.
Academia
Poulton has been a guest speaker and visiting professor at schools including Central Saint Martins College of Art and DesignCentral Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
in London, the Domus Academy in Milan and the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
in Perth, Australia. He is an active, if occasional, jury member of the ENSCI school (Les Ateliers) in Paris.
Awards
Poulton's designs have won numerous awards, including seven French "Etoile de l’Observeur du Design” prizes, ten German Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design award
The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
s, five German "IF" International Forum Design
International Forum Design
iF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
prizes, three French “Janus de l’industrie” awards, two "Recommendation Premio Compasso d'Oro
Compasso d'Oro
Compasso d'Oro is the name of an Industrial Design award originated in Italy in 1954 by the La Rinascente company from an original idea of Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli. From 1964 it has been hosted exclusively by Associazione per il Disegno Industriale . It is the first and most recognized award...
" and the "Best of The Best" Red Dot Design Award
Red dot design award
The Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
s in 1994 and 2007.
- 2011 “Menzione d’Onore Premio Compasso d’Oro ADI” : ‘Veio’ Table Lamp, designed for Artemide.
- 2010 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner, Germany : 'Sound2 Speakers', designed for LaCieLaCieLaCie is a computer hardware company specializing in external hard drives, RAID arrays, optical drives, Flash Drives, and computer monitors. The company markets several lines of hard drives with a capacity of up to many terabytes of data, with a choice of interfaces...
. - 2009 'G -Mark' Award, Japan : '5big' RAID server.
- 2009 'IF' International Forum DesignInternational Forum DesigniF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
, Germany, Award Winner : '5big' RAID server. - 2009 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner : '5big' RAID server. - 2009 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner : 'Lacinema Rugged'. - 2008 ‘Janus De l’Industrie’ Award, France : 5big' RAID server.
- 2008 “Recommendation Premio Compasso d’Oro” : ‘Talak’ Table Lamp, designed for ArtemideArtemideArtemideArtemis , in the religions of ancient Greece is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. She was one of the most revered gods of Olympus and its origin dates back to ancient times. [1] In Roman times she was associated with Diana, while the Etruscans with the name...
. - 2008 Time Magazine "Design 100" Selection : 'Firewire Speakers'.
- 2008 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner : 'Hard Disk Designed By Neil Poulton'. - 2008 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner : '‘2 Big’ hard drive. - 2008 'IF' International Forum DesignInternational Forum DesigniF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
Award Winner : ‘2 Big’ hard drive. - 2008 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design' Award :'Nessie' lighting system in DuctalDuctalDuctal is a proprietary pre-mixed ultra-high performance concrete whose physical characteristics exceed those of common concrete used in the construction of buildings. It is manufactured by Lafarge and Bouygues. Ductal has high compressive strength and flexural resistance compared to other concretes...
concrete, designed for Atelier Sedap. - 2008 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design' Award :'Firewire Speakers'.
- 2007 ‘Janus De l’Industrie’ Award, France : 'Firewire Speakers'.
- 2007 Etoile De L'observeur Du Design' Award : 'Little Big Disk'.
- 2007 'IF' International Forum DesignInternational Forum DesigniF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
Award Winner : 'Little Big Disk'. - 2007 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design' : 'Rugged' hard drive.
- 2006 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner : 'Rugged' hard drive. - 2006 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
'Best Of The Best' Award Winner : ‘Talak’ table lamp, designed for ArtemideArtemideArtemideArtemis , in the religions of ancient Greece is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. She was one of the most revered gods of Olympus and its origin dates back to ancient times. [1] In Roman times she was associated with Diana, while the Etruscans with the name...
. - 2006 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design' : ‘Talak’ table lamp.
- 2003 APCI 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design' : 'D2' hard drive range.
- 2003 'Augusto Morello 3rd Edition/Intel Design Prize' : 'Talo' lighting system, designed for Artemide.
- 2002 APCI 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design : ‘Talo’ lighting system.
- 2002 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner : ‘Talo’ lighting system. - 2002 APCI 'Etoile De L'observeur Du Design : ‘Talo’ lighting system.
- 2002 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
Winner, Design Zentrum, Germany : ‘Talo’ lighting system. - 2002 'IF' International Forum DesignInternational Forum DesigniF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
Award Winner : 'Talo' lighting system. - 2002 “Recommendation Premio Compasso d’Oro” : 'Talo' lighting system.
- 2000 'Design Plus Lighting + Building' Prize, Germany : 'Surf' lighting system, designed for Artemide.
- 1999 ‘Janus De l’Industrie’ Paris, France : 'Surf' lighting system.
- 1999 'Red Dot Best Of The Best' Winner : 'Surf' lighting system.
- 1999 'IF' International Forum DesignInternational Forum DesigniF International Forum Design GmbH is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Design Hannover e.V....
Award Winner : 'Surf' lighting system. - 1999 'Parcours Design' Prize, Batimat Trade Fair, Paris : 'Surf' lighting system.
- 1999 'Smau Industrial Design Award' :'TX8000 Raid Tower'.
- 1995 'Design Oscar', Paris, France : 'Click!' table lamps for Vianne/Domec.
- 1995 'Mat De Bronze', France : 'Eclipse' & 'Bolide' wall lamps for Atelier Sedap.
- 1994 Red Dot Design AwardRed dot design awardThe Red Dot Design Award is an international product design prize awarded by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. There are prize categories for product design, design agencies, and design concepts. Since 1955, designers and producers can apply for the prizes with the winners...
'Best Of The Best Product Design' Award Winner : 'Coq' disk drive for électronique d2. - 1994 'BBC Design Awards' Nomination : 'Coq', disk drive.
- 1985 SIAD Chartered Society of DesignersChartered Society of DesignersThe Chartered Society of Designers , headquartered in London, England, is the professional body for designers. It is the world's only Royal chartered body of professional designers...
Product Designer Of The Year (Student Medal), London, UK.