Philippe Starck remains one of the most famous proponents of forward thinking product design in the world, and in the new BBC 2 programme Design For Life he offers 12 British designers the chance to work with him. A 6 month placement is up for grabs in his new design school in Paris.

Starck claims Britain’s product design industry needs an injection of vigour in this series, which is sure to inspire others to enter the industry – not to mention give one of these lucky designers a huge career boost. Arguably though, it has little to do with luck. These designers are called upon to squeeze out even more creative juices than Starck’s famous lemon squeezer did back in the day.

True, it’s another reality TV show, but it gives a fascinating insight into the design process – so familiar to many of our clients. It demonstrates the importance of fresh thinking and going beyond the obvious ideas, so that something genuinely unique, exciting – and above all functional is created.