tom dixon extremism

“Given the current state of consumption, new stuff must have a superior reason for existing. Not only that, but the way we make and sell it must be refined. Extremism is a celebration of the intense and purposeful; a reflection on the things that leave the most impact.” …..  Tom Dixon

Extremism the book was launched by Tom Dixon at the 2011 Salone di Mobile in Milan and has received excellent reviews at Design Shows in both New York and London. In a battle against compromise and the bland, the book explores the positive impact Extremist thinking can have on design.

In this slim but visually packed book, British design star Tom Dixon reduces his all-embracing career to a single philosophy: design is improved by radicalization.

The theme arrives early on in the book and appears in a dialogue with journalist and editor Laura Houseley about what Dixon means by “extremism.” – He means augmenting some aspect of a product beyond its usual limits, whether sustainability, fabrication, durability or distribution.

Divided into 7 image-led chapters, the book covers a range of interpretations from Extreme Weight and Extreme Technology to Extreme Simplicity and Extreme Craft

While Extremism has its eccentric flourishes (the E in “extreme,” for instance, is capitalized throughout), its real value lies in Tom’s call to all designers “to go Extreme – or go Home.”

“Paper works as the perfect platform to discuss and debate strong themes such as Craft, Colour, Function, Luminosity, Simplicity and Technology.”