... from a semi-professional aesthete and critic:
Markbass is an Italian company, and most of its products are made there. When designing products, the Italian 'way' is form first. WAY first. Then, they sit back and consider it for a bit. This is why Italian cars and motorcycles are so beautiful, why Italian fashion is so unique (and often paces trends for years to come), and why Italian architects are renowned for form innovation, right up there with the Dutch and Japanese.
Then, they focus on the major engineering. When driven and inspired, Italian designers and engineers are actually quite good at this. Example: Ferrari. Another: Ducati. Yet another: Vespa. Still another: Pirelli.
Then, they solve ancillary engineering issues to make a product work. This, the Italians are not as good at. Example: the build quality of mass-produced Italian cars. Another: the electrical and non-critical systems of most every Italian vehicular and electronic product. Still another: the resilience of Italian textiles.
Finally, they determine schemes of appearance - one major category of those being color. Understand that Italians want themselves and their products to be noticed. RIGHT away. Yellow Ferraris, green Lamborghinis and Moto Guzzis, orange Lancias, sky blue Fiats ... OK, the Italian version of red works.
But look at a lot of Italian fashion: the colors are hideous. I was in Genoa and La Spezia last spring and did a little clothes shopping ... good lord, it's bad. I bought nothing.
I see Markbass' color scheme as prototypically Italian. That the cases are all anodized heavy-gauge aluminum is VERY Italian. The unique digital engineering inside is quintessentially Italian to me. The butt-ugly rack ears? Italian. The orange? So Italian I crave pasta with fresh pesto and an Illy espresso every time I look at it for more than a second or two.
Don't like it? Too bad. That's the Italian way. Chances are it's going to work pretty darn well, though. And Markbass products do.
Markbass is an Italian company, and most of its products are made there. When designing products, the Italian 'way' is form first. WAY first. Then, they sit back and consider it for a bit. This is why Italian cars and motorcycles are so beautiful, why Italian fashion is so unique (and often paces trends for years to come), and why Italian architects are renowned for form innovation, right up there with the Dutch and Japanese.
Then, they focus on the major engineering. When driven and inspired, Italian designers and engineers are actually quite good at this. Example: Ferrari. Another: Ducati. Yet another: Vespa. Still another: Pirelli.
Then, they solve ancillary engineering issues to make a product work. This, the Italians are not as good at. Example: the build quality of mass-produced Italian cars. Another: the electrical and non-critical systems of most every Italian vehicular and electronic product. Still another: the resilience of Italian textiles.
Finally, they determine schemes of appearance - one major category of those being color. Understand that Italians want themselves and their products to be noticed. RIGHT away. Yellow Ferraris, green Lamborghinis and Moto Guzzis, orange Lancias, sky blue Fiats ... OK, the Italian version of red works.
But look at a lot of Italian fashion: the colors are hideous. I was in Genoa and La Spezia last spring and did a little clothes shopping ... good lord, it's bad. I bought nothing.I see Markbass' color scheme as prototypically Italian. That the cases are all anodized heavy-gauge aluminum is VERY Italian. The unique digital engineering inside is quintessentially Italian to me. The butt-ugly rack ears? Italian. The orange? So Italian I crave pasta with fresh pesto and an Illy espresso every time I look at it for more than a second or two.
Don't like it? Too bad. That's the Italian way. Chances are it's going to work pretty darn well, though. And Markbass products do.
