Last month, our team had the opportunity to attend WantedDesign in Manhattan and Brooklyn. A teeming hub of budding designers, WantedDesign was definitely a buzzing event for the design industry.
We got the chance to speak with numerous upcoming designers, as well as a couple of established designers in the field. While each individual designer had their own story and product, it was the drive of the student designer that particularly intrigued us.
The bold contrast between apprentice and expert was a beautiful thing to explore. Distinguished professionals of the industry side-by-side with students fresh out of university came together to celebrate a passion that they all have in common: the passion to create and design.
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READ MOREThe Role Of The Student
After getting to know a handful of the designers over the weekend, we were left asking ourselves: what drives a designer to design? In order to further delve into the subject, we had to explore and learn the things they’d like to see change in the industry, and how they can be the pivotal change today.
Students are here to be the fresh minds of tomorrow– learning the ins and outs of the design industry, and constantly seeking innovative ways to do different and be different.
Incorporating Tradition With Functionality
A common vexation that we gathered from these student creators is the lack of functionality inherent of modern design. To get a grasp on this issue, we spoke with Sisi Hong from the Pratt Institute. Not only did she mention the lack of functionality in contemporary furniture, but she also acknowledged the problem of designers veering away from tradition.
Sisi kicking back in her timeless piece: LEAN
Sisi created ‘lean chair’, a modern take on traditional Chinese furniture. Lean incorporates past traditions while also tying in functionality and beautiful design. The wide backing allows any user to use the surface as a table, or even just as an armrest.
Our communications specialist, Jessica Ayre, feeling out the quirky comfort of Lean.
It’s an ergonomically considerate piece that represents a solution to a few of the problems faced by designers. It’s these sorts of things that fuel the fire from inside to solve the flaws in the design.
Although we aren’t product designers, our team at Bizop is always enthusiastic to dive into the passionate minds of the clients that we serve from the AEC & Design industry. Our team happily takes the opportunity to learn more about our clients in a heartbeat, as their passion fuels our own. We hold these experiences high in value, and take everything as a learning opportunity to better understand the industry we serve.