Is The Juicy Salif A Good Design?

[@_kieranlewis_]

"Joy is a function" What a great quote, another great vid keep it up

[@Design.Theory]

That's why they pay him the big bucks!

[@nehok]

The Salif is a Highly functional object; you just have to remember that it's function isn't a juicer it's a wedding present!

[@cdronk]

I recently started drinking warm water with lemon juice in the morning. The juicer that I currently have doesn't work very well, so I thought to buy a new one. Suddenly this juicer sprang to mind. I've wanted this juicer since it came out more than 30 years ago. I've always been prone to falling in love with certain objects, and this is right up there. I instantly became very excited about the prospect of owning this juicer and bought it immediately. So now I'll have two juicers that don't work very well, but only one will bring me immense joy.

[@johndaltrocanto]

I love the thing, to me it also looks very organic, like it could suddenly start walking around the house like an alien pet

[@Design.Theory]

I get a similar impression of the object, as well :)

[@ashdoesthings]

I just picked one up in my local thrift store this morning for 3 euros. I love it.

[@elo5193]

Omg, jealous! How has it been serving you?

[@TheMasterpitzy]

Great vid! One of the my fav designs from one of my fav designers. I really agree with what Philippe Starck says about joy being enough function. I've seen too many people get angry at this juicer. The funny thing is, the same people never get angry at the fact there are millions of chair designs. If function was so important, we wouldnt need that many chairs.

[@Design.Theory]

I agree! I think what's interesting about it is that it skirts the fine line between art and design.

[@matthawksworth]

The Juicy Salif represents Design; the love of design; design freedom; it's inspiration to create whatever you want. I have one, never used it, thats what it is to me.

[@georgialister2172]

This video was amazing! Never thought of critiquing design or analysing it in the way you just have. Learnt more in ten minutes then a few years of design 👀

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks for checking out the vid, Georgia. Glad you found it helpful :)

[@parkervarin]

Can you start doing videos where you do a design analysis of something not man-made? You could do a design analysis of a flower, cliff, or anteater or something. It was designed, just by nature's algorithms instead of the ones in our heads and computers.

[@RaafieNL]

Brings a smile on my face every time I look at it.

[@txm100]

Please mention when the product first was introduced earlier and more precisely when. Also I would have liked some info or assumptions how it is actually produced. Great video though!

[@Design.Theory]

Noted! It's cast aluminum, which is then polished. It's built from a 3-part mold.

[@designbykaroline]

Great video though you forgot one of the most important functions: learning how to sketch-render metal for first-year design students ;)

[@Design.Theory]

I wish more students used it for this function! It would make my job easier (I teach sophomores design sketching at CCA).

[@somicotube]

I was lucky enough to attend at a seminary during my years studying design in Milan, Alessi explained us all the story behind this product including all the iterations and complex mold. First protorypes had a spiral instead of the vertical lines for the squeezer. They decided to risk by making this product which they had absolutely no idea if it was going to sell or not… at least this is what I recall because it was back in 2000 😅

[@shmookins]

I love it! I love everything about it. I love style over substance because for one reason it shows there is no necessity which means we are not struggling. It's like having a tan or a green lawn. Completely pointless but it shows your life is okay; you can waste your time on literally pointless things (growing and cutting useless grass or laying in the sun for hours). A juicer that doesn't juice properly? Yeah, because I don't 'need' to juice. If somebody owns that juicer, they are doing okay in life and that is a good thing. :)

[@Design.Theory]

Yup. A total luxury item.

[@elizabethwuehrmann3519]

To me this mentality only makes sense if you have been very poor.

[@elo5193]

I love this explanation and have to agree 💯.

[@LinusBoman]

Nicely done, John - really enjoying these analysis videos! Please keep it up - while in the kitchen, a potential suggestion for a future video - I'd love to see a compare and contrast between two different approaches to the same function. The Francis Francis X1 espresso machine vs the Rancilio Silvia espresso machine would be a great case study for example. I'm sure the same would go for other kitchen gadgets or domestic items. Thank you again for making great, accessible design content! ;)

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks, will do! I think a comparison video might be a good idea.

[@GrayFur]

I think the words that would better describe why we want this object are mere exposure and self identification. I'm glad to have learned about mere exposure effect from your video on iconic designs. We tend to fall in love with objects we encounter often. There's no other object that's discussed more often in ID community than this juicer, so it certainly plays a huge role. For me buying this juicer would probably be less about aesthetics and more about identifying myself as a person with good taste who appreciates the icons of industrial design and is part of ID community. Thank you for the video!

[@Design.Theory]

Great observation, thank you for your input. I think that status or simply being "part of the club" is most definitely an aspect of this design.

[@itsnothisfaulthecantread]

It's a near exact copy of the interstellar spaceship that brought the light of Zartha to Earth in MIB 2. They show it in the movie a couple times. Interesting!

[@Design.Theory]

I never knew this until I posted this video. Kind of funny :)

[@asmodijan]

@@Design.Theory Its actually the other way around, the spaceship is a copy of the juicy salif and a nod to exactly the retrofuturistic and "alien" quality of the design. MIB 2 is from 2002, so it's safe to say Starck didn't copy the design off of the movie ;)

[@javierhualde739]

Personally, owning such an item would not bring me any joy. I prefer the enjoyment from using a device that is simple and easy to use, gets the job done and looks nice. I see beauty in good tools that are made to do the task easy, intuitive and enjoyable. I’m a big fan of the Braun Citromatic MPZ 2. Intuitive and effortless use, easy to clean, and robustly built that will last years. And it looks nice (at least to me).

[@mcbrite]

4:40 Wow, you just put into words, something that was just a feeling to me before that! Now I understand why the spikey arms are the weird part to me!

[@my_dear_friend_]

Starck's design will remain out in the open in a trophy kitchen for people to look at and talk about, and the functional $3 plastic lemon squeezer that actually separates the seeds and pulp from the juice can be found in the kitchen drawer with other tools. This object represents form and not much function. It's an attractive sculpture that might be used for squeezing lemons if you have absolutely no access to one that works. Acknowledging this is not missing the point, it is pointing out that all products are designed for specific target groups and some people simply prioritize status over utility. If Alessi could not sell it, they would not make it.

[@heyitsjitu1443]

Wow I never thought about this. Thanks

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks for watching :)

[@mehulagarwal9455]

Erotic is one of the words that came to my mind. The long slender legs and many other elements...

[@gtv6chuck]

Mine sits on my kitchen window ledge, along with a Karim Rashid corkscrew that I can't figure out how to use and an Alessi Richard Sapped cheese grater. The grater works well but I hardly ever grate cheese, so it is used as much as the Salif.

[@Design.Theory]

Interesting insights, for sure. Here's a related question I have (there isn't really a right or wrong answer - just a a thought)...considering the fact that for 99.9% of their lives, our products lay dormant, should we focus more on how they are stored or displayed, rather than purely how they function?

[@martyboi]

@@Design.Theory I think sir it brings novelty if the thing is not stored properly in a shelf, that it's placement is in the area where it's supposed to be used, because I think you are witnessing art everyday, because if you put in a shelf you realize that these products are like prize possession that needs to be taken care of, having it placed in outside the shelf reminds you of your CHOICE to buy the product which is also sometimes a reflection of someone's personality....

[@sweetfruit7769]

*MEN IN BLACK 2* had a villain spaceship that had this exact design in the first scene (jokingly)

[@Design.Theory]

Wow. That is a spot-on reference. Thanks for bringing that up!

[@sweetfruit7769]

@@Design.Theory Found it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKa0hmpsh6ukha8 This is the homage they used for the film. Perfect „alien spaceship“

[@Design.Theory]

@@sweetfruit7769 It's so perfect. Is there any confirmation anywhere that they did in fact reference the juicy salif? It definitely looks like it was a direct reference.

[@sweetfruit7769]

@@Design.Theory 🤷‍♂️

[@batuustunkal2195]

hey i love ur vids. In this year im going to study industrial design in germany so do you have any recommendations for a first year industrial design student. you can perhaps make a video about it or answer down below. thanks

[@Design.Theory]

Hey Batu, I do have one video that's about thiings that industrial design graduates need to know. It still is just as relevant as you enter your schooling. Check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqeyhGuhlp6Fabc

[@batuustunkal2195]

@@Design.Theory thank you 😊👋👋

[@Dovahkiin53]

Looks great I want 14 of them

[@Happy_Shopper]

Damn that juicer got me feelin some type of way

[@justink5585]

Great video! I'm curious what you think about the Philippe Starck ''Smoki Christiani'' Corkscrew.

[@Design.Theory]

I just checked it out. It's fine, I suppose. Not as recognizable or unique as the juicy salif...although to be fair, not much is.

[@right2armbears685]

Great explanation. I enjoyed the video!

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks for checking it out :)

[@martimafonso9300]

do you know how this product is manufactured? I'm doing a research on it for my university

[@Design.Theory]

i believe it's die-cast. 3-part mold.

[@Zarkonem]

I literally just clicked on this video just to find out what the heck this thing even is. Stayed for the discussion around it.

[@KarimElHayawan]

Calling the Juicy Salif a meme isn't quite right, I feel. I think it's closer to a troll.

[@adarshganesh]

Do you guys think the price point of the product played a role in it’s popularity or acceptance?

[@Design.Theory]

Probably. I'm not exactly sure how, though. I'm also not sure how much it cost when it was first launched.

[@k2raf]

Can you please do Flos Arco lamp ? :)

[@Design.Theory]

I'll see what I can do :)

[@k2raf]

@@Design.Theory thank you ;-)

[@AdityaDev3]

Well explained

[@Design.Theory]

Thanks for checking it out, Aditya :)

[@ReoAard]

When life gives you seedless lemons

[@PATRK55]

Looks a lot like the little spaceship in Men in Black 1

[@Design.Theory]

I thought so too lol

[@alpacamale2909]

it seems easier to wash than others tho

[@philismenko]

I like the design because I don't know about you, but I don't juice stuff often, and if I were I don't really need it to be done on a large scale, so why not get something that looks good instead of sitting in a drawer unused

[@philismenko]

I am also just a sucker for retrofuturistic stuff so

[@Ghadente]

CUE brought me here

[@Account-kv3jc]

Juicy salif... Juicy falis.. Juicy phallus.

[@jake-rg3fd]

I blame this attitude for most of society's ills. Who cares if it functions, so long as it's pretty?

[@salhyy9962]

This is the first time i heard of this thing, why would anyone buy this aside frome being a prop for a despicable me movie ? No worries , i'll forget about this soon enough

[@Design.Theory]

That's pretty much the only reason why they'd buy it. It's kind of amazing that it's still a best selling product and a very famous design in spite of the fact that functions only marginally well.

[@VGInterviews]

This is my single most hated design object in the world Ever since I was studying industrial design in college I always hated how for some reason Starck and this specific item were the 1st choice pretty much everyone came up when asked to reference a relevant design object/industrial designer, this isn't a product, a product has a purpose, a process in which it fulfills that purpose to the best of its (and the designer's) ability, which in this scenario it was totally sidelined, and no, "creating conversation" is not the purpose of a product (unless you are making a phone) if your goal is just to create an emotional response then what you made is an art piece, not an industrial design product I think that mindset is a very common issue among new designers, everyone wants to create the next attachment product that people will love and will revolutionize their lives, but only care about doing it through form totally ignoring function, ergonomics, accessibility and in some cases, basic common sense. I seriously think idolizing items like this is a detriment to design as a whole, imagine if this happened in any other discipline like a civil engineer made a highway layout that looked cool when seen from a helicopter but had the worst traffic flow and a bunch of accidents due to badly planned lane merges, or an architect that made a house with paperthin structure, terrible air flow and bad materials for the chosen location's weather, but it projected a cool shadow at sunrise....would experts in those fields would really treat those projects and the peak of their respective areas? Seriously, screw this thing

[@RepublicanAtheist]

I think we’ve allowed function over form to dictate design in too many elements of our lives already. Minimalist, industrial design has been all the rage for quite some time. I miss the ornate for ornate sake. I think that’s why it’s so relevant. When I look at most kitchen appliances like espresso makers, toasters, can openers they are all quite utilitarian and boring compared to their vintage counterparts. Not everything has to be engineered to utilize the least plastic and metal per unit, sometimes it’s nice to design something for the sake of designing something pretty and usable. You are looking at this product more than you are using it, so it’s function as “being pretty” is more relevant than “collecting juice” which serves as a secondary function when you think about how this item will be displayed and how often the person actually juices fruit.

[@VGInterviews]

@@RepublicanAtheist but Vintage appliances never ignored function, there are so many items that have stood the test of time and that's why grandma still uses her 1960's coffee grinder rather than a new one because it was made with longevity in mind (that's why we have all those "restoring a 1950's blender" videos where they just had to remove some rust and clean it and the item works just fine) , compared to today's where you have the capsule coffee makers where they take up a bunch of unneeded space, and are not intuitive on top of producing a ton of waste but "hey look the machine is donut shaped"

[@Design.Theory]

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