Martin Darbyshire
Martin Darbyshire founded tangerine in 1989 and under his stewardship it has developed into a global strategic design consultancy that creates award-winning solutions for internationally recognized brands such as LG, Samsung, Hyundai, Toyota, Nikon, Huawei, Virgin Australia and Cepsa. Before founding tangerine, he worked for Moggridge Associates and then in San Francisco at ID TWO (now IDEO).
A design leader on the international stage, Martin Darbyshire combines his work for tangerine with a worldwide programme of keynote speeches and activities promoting the importance of design. He has served as UKT&I Ambassador for the UK Creative Industries and two terms as a board member of the World Design Organization (formerly Icsid). He was also formerly a visiting professor at Central Saint Martins. Martin Darbyshire is a trustee of the UK Design Council and a juror at the Red Dot Award and Contemporary Good Design. Moreover, the UK Creative Industries Council recognised his global export success awarding him the CIC International Award 2016.
Red Dot in an interview with Martin Darbyshire
Red Dot: How do you proceed when evaluating products?
Martin Darbyshire: It’s always a balance of physically experiencing something on the day and comparing it to one’s present experience of comparable things. Listening to the points of view across the judges to reach a unified viewpoint is also an important step.
With what can a designer surprise you?
Achieving something really new and meaningful in a crowded market.
Where do you expect the design industry to be ten years from now?
Better understood and more appreciated.
Which three qualities do you value in a customer?
Open-mindedness. Objectivity. Curiosity.
