Richard Sapper's Bright Ideas

Richard Sappers Bright Ideas
His Halley LED lamp is the latest design innovation in a long career crowded with them. In a Q&A, he sheds light on the creative process.

In his new book, The Ten Faces of Innovation, Tom Kelley devotes one chapter to the cross-pollinator -- the person who borrows a clever solution or material from one industry and applies it to another.

The escalator, for instance, was originally conceived as a Coney Island amusement-park ride. Reinforced concrete was created by a gardener aiming for stronger flower pots.

Richard Sapper is perhaps the supreme example of the cross-pollinator. Again and again, the German designer has created innovative products by mining the knowledge of far-flung disciplines.

You may never have heard of Sapper.

Unlike Michael Graves or Philippe Starck, his name doesn't precede him.

But you would more than likely recognize his work, whether it's the Tizio desk lamp, the Melodic kettle for Alessi, the Minitime kitchen timer, the iconic ThinkPad, or any of the countless IBM (IBM ) computers produced since he became Big Blue's design consultant in 1981.

Born in Munich in 1932, Sapper has a portfolio few designers can rival. After a wide-ranging education '- he studied philosophy, graphic design, engineering, and economics' he joined the design department at Mercedes-Benz (DCX ).