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John Conrad’s career in home furnishings has spanned nearly five decades. From furniture rep to executive director of the International Society of Furniture Designers to design podcast host, he’s worn many hats and still has his finger on the pulse. In conversation with DNN Editor in Chief Courtney Porter, John Conrad discusses what’s changed and stayed the same in the industry, what it’s going to take to make the industry attractive to young talent, and what keeps him excited about the industry.
Gunawan defines herself as a progressive architect. When people hear the term progressive architect they get intimidated. In her experience, people assume it means something technical and lofty, but she stands by the term. It means always improving, turning failures into opportunities. In practice that means building upon what already exists. This is the philosophy behind the name of her architecture design and build firm, The Only Way is Up.
Some of these podcasts are focused specifically on design and the business of design; others are farther afield, tackling related topics like creativity, success, productivity and happiness. (Because what’s the point of success and productivity if we’re not happy doing what we do?)
Not just another design competition. The San Francisco Design Week Awards is an international design competition seeking to encourage thought leadership by supporting designers whose works can contribute towards a positive future for society. SFDW is the premier gathering of the world’s most active design community. Entries for the prestigious SFDW Awards are judged by a jury composed of leading Bay Area design professionals; those selected are showcased and have a permanent presence on the SFDW Awards website. For more than 17 years SFDW has provided design professionals with the opportunity to grow their networks, enhance their visibility, find investors for future products that are shaping the future and build their careers. They welcome applicants from across the entire range of design industries.
In addition to her many collections with Fairfield, KAS, Crystorama, A&B and Paragon, Libby Langdon also runs a robust design firm and uses her clients as R+D. The process of designing for and with her design clients informs the products she designs.
Richard Yasmine’s furniture and decor collections need their own wing at the MoMA. To delve…
The CEO, principal and creative director of Savvy Interiors in San Diego, hadn’t worked on a space that met guidelines emanating from the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, she did what she always does when faced with a new challenge: She read everything she could, reached out to medical experts, consulted with design colleagues who’d worked on such spaces and, of course, talked to the teen and his parents about his unique situation.
Modern as an aesthetic and as a lifestyle is trending up. Hooker Furniture wanted to get in on that movement. Coinciding with the opening of their new showroom at High Point, they premiered their new, modern, M Furniture collection, under the creative direction of design maven Becky Weber, alongside VP of product development Ansley Brown and principal designer Charlie Zagaroli.
“Before we talk about how we’re going to change the future with green buildings, we…
I’m looking for designers that really want to make this part of their giving-back philanthropy. It’s a commitment, and you need to have a good support system because you can’t (do these projects) in isolation. You need a support system of colleagues and resources you can tap,” she says. “I really love collaborating with local designers here in San Diego that have businesses similar to mine — that we get to work together on these volunteer projects, toward a common goal.”