Design Moonshine
Getting a furniture or décor design from imagination to the wholesale floor is a complex, hands-on journey. Product designer Austin James unpacks the realities of designing for retail success—from concept and prototyping to freight, factories, warehouses, and showroom floors—revealing why some designs thrive, some fail, and why not every beautiful idea is meant for mass production.
The piece explores the realities of life as a working artist and designer, emphasizing the necessity of selling in order to keep creating. It traces the author’s journey from early career decisions to navigating brand loyalty, evolving product lines, and the importance of “wow” moments at major markets. The article highlights how passion, risk-taking and commercial awareness shape long-term success in the design industry.
Austin Allen James outlines five essential principles for product designers, emphasizing vision, variety, personal style, and the balance between function and taste. His advice is a practical guide for creating cohesive, memorable product lines in today’s evolving market.
In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, this thought-provoking editorial explores the irreplaceable soul of human creativity. Drawing inspiration from poet Gerard Manley Hopkins and the personal journey of an artisan, it celebrates the deeply human impulse to create—and why AI, no matter how advanced, can never replicate the heart behind handmade beauty.
This installment of Design Moonshine suggests that ‘messy” is an early part of the process for many artists. Messy allows us to reset from the last work of art. Messy is forgiving. Messy is accepting. Messy leads the way to “happy accidents.” Such a revelation can then be consolidated and fit into the future process.
Add a flash of the unexpected. In this poetic new piece from the Design Moonshine column, a designer-professor explores how a single surprising object—or omission—can jolt a room to life and give visual rhythm to the everyday.
One of the jobs designers are tasked with is finding or even creating that special item that a client wants to pass down to the next generation. If a designer does not include “special” in their work, they will not have a career in design.
Not all heirlooms are antiques, and not all design is about aesthetics alone. Furniture designer Austin Allen James’ latest installation of Design Moonshine explores the sentimental beauty of everyday objects and encourages designers to embrace emotional history in the spaces they create.
As AI rapidly evolves, its impact on creativity and industry cannot be ignored. This article dives into the inevitable AI revolution, sharing insights from a designer and professor on how to adapt and thrive in a world where AI is shaping the future.
I have titled this set of three articles “One Thousand Butterflies” for two reasons. One…