Imagination

Description

Imagination was founded by Gary Withers in 1976, and now has 400 staff, based in London, Hong Kong and New York, who practice a number of disciplines, from architecture to acoustics, lighting, graphics, multimedia and the Internet. Imagination is well known for designing structures that create a particular world - a unique environment in which the visitor/user can experience and become aware of a new product or brand. A truly interdisciplinary company, it has pioneered the way many designers are working today - architects, for instance, are interested in the way that graphics, multimedia or film can work in a 3-D environment; and graphic designers are developing ideas using the animated image. And, despite the fact that Imagination is often involved in high-profile, big-budget events, their design projects remain sophisticated and highly orchestrated. Imagination's work includes the proposal for Millennium Central (1995), the original concept for the millennium exhibition, which included architecture, graphic design and film; a corporate identity launch for British Telecom (1991), which included graphics, architecture and lighting; a car launch event for Ford (1983) as well as the Geneva and Detroit Motor Shows for Ford (1993 and 1999) which incorporated architecture/structural design, graphics, interiors, lighting and film; the Dinosaur Gallery at the Natural History Museum, London (1989), a permanent exhibition that includes architecture, multimedia, film and animatronics and the interior design of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The leading principle in the work of Imagination is to communicate a message: selling, branding, persuading, encouraging, presenting a point of view. This monograph features more than 25 projects organized into chapters reflecting these themes. An introduction by design guru Stephen Bayley examines the evolution of Imagination over the last two decades, and interviews with people who have been connected with the company over the years are also included in the book, adding extra perspectives on the practice. Interviews are with Lorenzo Apicella (architect and Pentagram partner, and employee of Imagination in the 1980s); Sean Perkins (graphic designer, founder of North and employee of Imagination in the 1990s); Mike Davies (architect and partner in the Richard Rogers Partnership, and collaborator); J. Mays (automotive designer, VP Design, Ford, and client); Ian Liddle (designer with engineers Buro Happold). An extensive interview with Gary Withers adds a further personal insight into the history and ethos of the practice.

Stephen Bayley was a founder of London's Design Museum and now works as a freelance writer and design consultant.