An Inspirational Product Design: The 2012 Olympic Torch
Image from dezeen.com
Having grown up and lived in London the majority of my life (until my move to Chicago), I am ecstatic that the Olympic ceremonies will be held in my home city this year. The Olympic Park isn’t too far from where I grew up so I have an extra vested interest in these games.
The Olympic Torch is one of the most powerful Olympic symbols, and, being an industrial designer, I always find it fascinating to see the design each Olympic year. The torch represents the spirit of the Olympics and connects everyone with the values of the Games. This year, the torch is especially interesting because of the attention paid to symbolic references of numbers, dimensions, materials, and color selections.
The torch features 8,000 small cut-out circles, representing the 8,000 people who will carry the Olympic flame on its journey. It is a very elegant, simple design that uses very little material. The torch designers, east Londoners Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, created the triangular shape to, among other things, represent the three Olympic values of respect, excellence, and friendship; as well as the three words that make up the Olympic motto—faster, higher, stronger. It would be an honor to design something of this caliber. To read more about the torch and see a short video on the design, click here.
Image from dezeen.com
Written By: Mickey McCann, Industrial Designer
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