Miguel Milá takes part in a school workshop

Last Wednesday, designer Miguel Milá took part in the school workshop From idea to object: making a model with senior highschool students that made a model of the TMM lamp.
 
Milà's gave insights to the design process of the light, how it was conditioned by its historical context what his objectives are when he designs an object. He invited the students to reflect on design when he said: “good design is that which can not be improved” and the idea to be “inspired by simplicity”.
 
He shared an anecdote about one of the most emblematic lamps: the piece of rubber that functions to hold the height of the tulip is an o-ring joint, a rubber ring that is normally used in motors or in machines to seal fluids. The need to create a light that was low budget, the lack of industries and his handymanship led to this original solution to a difficult problem. The variable that provokes the deterioration of the joints is the light itself!  Despite this troubling situation he came up with a simple solution: when you purchased that light, it came with two joints.  As well, this type of joint is inexpensive to replace. Today this problem has been solved with a new type of rubber that is light resistant. 
 
At the end of the workshop the teachers presented us with a surprise. They gave us a collection of clips from films in which the lamps of Miguel Milá are featured: All About My Mother and The Skin I Live In by  Pedro Almodóvar and Tattoo by Bigas Luna. The films included the appearance of TMM lamp, the ASA lamp and the Cesta lamp, all three by Miguel Milá, who was pleasantly surprised to discover the use of his lamps used as props in these films.
 
This workshop is one of the many educational activities offered by the DHUB. For more information consult the School Activities page.