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Let’s Talk About Sex: Up Close and Personal with D.C.

Shhh! Sex is a taboo topic in most countries including the land of Kamasutra! However this no-holds-bar interview with designer D.C. from LELO, gives us an insight into the daily life of a designer who like-it-or-not has to deal with sex and pleasure on a daily basis! His current hit is the Tiani, a premium pleasure toy that is flying off the shelves; ensuring their proud new owners a very naughty Christmas!

YD: If you were not designing pleasure toys you would be…..

DC: … a Furniture Designer. For me it’s about form following function, cutting out the unnecessary details to make a valued and stylish addition to people’s lives.

YD: What makes the Tiani so special and what do you consider is its biggest USP?

DC: I’m really pleased how Tiani ended up and of course it’s one of the world’s first motion-controlled sex toys – there are only 3 and they all come from LELO. This means couples can create vibration patterns with movements of a wireless remote, something no other company offers. This is probably the biggest USP, but also the fact women can wear it during intercourse to bring extra pleasure to both partners… that is what has made it so commercially viable. Combining striking design with high technology for such an intimate purpose… that for me makes Tiani stand out as a design object – but then I would say that, wouldn’t I?

YD: People always shy away from talking about vibrators openly, as a designer does this lack of openness hamper your designing process?

DC: My friends and colleagues are all very open on this topic and willing to share opinions and experiences. Perhaps my views on the matter are skewed, seeing how most of my time is spent among people who are either other designers or those who live and breathe sex toys. When it comes to the designs and their purpose, nothing is taboo anymore, and nor should it be.

YD: There was a time when sex toys were considered crass; this is no longer true. Do you think the consumer perception of sexual pleasure has tipped towards sophistication over these years?

DC: Absolutely; sophisticated design is certainly driving the luxury sex toy industry at the moment. I personally think that it’s partly due to people’s perception of themselves and increasing knowledge about products of this kind. That said, you’ll see some pretty funky stuff out there – some of just for the sake of being so, but that I think is one of our proud points at LELO; that nothing is arbitrary. Every curve, texture, every button placement – it all serves a distinct purpose.

YD: Do colors play an important role in designing pleasure toys?

DC: Color goes into forming your first impression of anything. I think the more pertinent importance of color with LELO toys however is that we’re a luxury brand, and luxury means quality as well as aesthetics. They are hugely important and give our customers a choice of what product they desire the most.

YD: What kind of materials work best while designing pleasure toys?

DC: That would be silicone. The silicone that we use to make our Pleasure Objects is the highest grade offered by any manufacturer; it’s easy to clean and non-porous, so no bacteria can stay on the surface that can’t be washed away. From the aesthetic viewpoint, silicone works on sex toys because it looks fantastic – LELO adds an additional coating to give it this distinct matte finish which is ridiculously smooth as well. It can also be molded into any shape while the color really pop and stand out.

YD: What was the biggest challenge you faced while designing the Tiani?

DC: To be honest it was finding the exact shape that makes it pleasurable and comfortable for both partners when worn during lovemaking, while maintaining the same design language as the rest of the Insignia line. Also to come up with a design that fits all the technical components (motor, battery, antennae, microprocessor) while keeping noise levels low… it was a challenge, but with our team we got there in the end.

YD: Which is more exciting, designing for men or for the ladies?

DC: As a man, I think designing for ladies is more exciting. Making a woman’s Pleasure Object and getting rave reviews is a very satisfying thing, and the feeling never gets old.

YD: What or who inspires you the most?

DC: There are many things across many industries – more than you would think – but I guess if you asked me what inspires me strictly in terms of designing Pleasure Objects, it would be women. More precisely, the question of what they want; what drives me is not the quest for the one LELO to cover every preference – such a toy does not currently and will never exist. But rather that there is a LELO for every preference, and I’m just searching for that next design.

YD: Our standard YD question to all the designers we interview: which is your favorite color and why?

DC: Black. There are so many possibilities with black, because everything matches with it, and that opens up a lot of avenues with the look of anything you’re about to create. More generally however, I like black because to me, it’s mystical.

BIO: After spending 5 years cutting his teeth designing mobile handsets, D.C. was appointed Lead Product Designer at LELO, world leader in intimate objects. For the past 3 years, D.C. has been applying his singular eye for usability and ergonomics to some of the most popular vibrators on the market today, starting with the LELO SIRI Pleasure Object in 2010, and most recently, the SenseMotion Insignia range of remote-controlled, motion-sensitive couples’ massagers that have broke industry sales records upon hitting the market in October 2011.