As Philippe Starck gleefully clads himself in the guru's mantle, questions concerning the teaching of design and the place of the designer in the evolving relations with production become ever more acute. At the same time, there is a noticeable tendency amongst young designers to replace products by services. In this context, it would seem worthwhile to take a closer look at Philippe Starck's teaching, along with the revamped concept of the workshop by examining the subsequent development of some of the master's former assistants.