From electronics to chairs, the range of James Irvine

Few designers have moved between industries as easily as James Irvine. He learned product design where it was hardest: eight years consulting for the Olivetti studio in Milan under De Lucchi and Sottsass, a year inside the Toshiba Design Centre in Tokyo in 1987, later work for Canon — electronics, machines, precision. Born in London in 1958 and a Royal College of Art graduate, he then carried that engineering discipline into furniture and objects for Cappellini, Magis, Thonet, Alias and B&B Italia, leading the industrial design group at Sottsass Associati from 1993 to 1997.

The same discipline reached Arper in the Juno chair — his client, and a brand La Mercanti plans into Indian offices: seating chosen the way engineers choose components.