design

Design Debut: Meet Savor

Design Debut introduces young companies to the world of housewares at the Show. Savor began when two professional women who met at their children’s school joked around about how they were exhausted from trying to juggle a newborn, family and a job. They created a company when they discovered the need for a product that fit their family lifestyle. Karla and Jennifer, tell us…

Design Debut: Meet Thing Thing

Design Debut brings the very latest new products to the Show. These entrepreneurs come from the dynamic start up culture and often establish their companies with Kickstarter support. Others are successful artists entering the home goods market. Thing Thing, a manufacturing studio in Detroit established by four designers in 2012, works intuitively with materials and methods…

Design Debut: Meet Doug Foreman and the biēm Butter Sprayer

Design Debut brings the very latest new products to the Show. These entrepreneurs come from the dynamic start up culture and often establish their companies with Kickstarter support. For example, the biēm Butter Sprayer, which transforms a real stick of butter to a spray in seconds, launched on March 1st. This new hand-held device gives users a much more efficient way to use…

Discovering Design: Meet Larch Wood Enterprises Inc.

Tucked in the forest of scenic Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, a small crew of skilled artisans respectfully cut and finish locally sourced Canadian larch wood lumber. With a combined 100 years+ of woodworking experience, the talented crew at Larch Wood Enterprises manages the humming saws and presses to fashion distinctive “end grain” cutting boards, each a one-of-a-kind…

Discovering Design: Meet Corkcicle

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator A cork on top of an icicle? In 2011, inventor Ben Hewitt and entrepreneurs Eric Miller and Stephen Bruner created Corkcicle, an icicle inserted into a wine bottle to chill the contents from the inside. Simple in design, yet high in functionality, this market-disrupting idea changed adult beverage drink cooling. The original…

Discovering Design 2016: Meet French Bull

French Bull debuted in 2002 with a line of tableware acclaimed for its mastery of pattern and color. Today, the company’s celebratory style and LIVE VIVID™ message can be found across a wide range of categories including kitchen appliances, home decor, and fashion accessories. French Bull’s distinctive designs in melamine dinnerware and accessories such as kitchen textiles…

Discovering Design: Eva Solo

For more than 100 years, the Danish company Eva Solo, founded in 1913, has believed that Good Design is Everything. Known for its distinctive functional and stylish products for kitchen, bath, home and garden, each Eva Solo product begins with an idea for an item that enhances life at home. Such good design results in beautiful products that are a joy to use and to own. Now…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Udo Jansen, GfK Retail and Technology|GmbH

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator GfK, founded in 1934 in Germany, is one of the largest global marketing research companies. With more than 13,000 employees in countries on every continent, GfK identifies and develops strategic opportunities; collects and analyzes large data sets and offers business solutions in many areas from consumer experiences to supply chain…

Informing Innovation: An Interview with Stephen Reily, Vibrant Nation

By Vicki Matranga Design Programs Coordinator Stephen Reily was a male marketer in his early 40s who was surprised to learn that his global consumer packaged goods clients were ignoring some of their most profitable customers: women 45+. After asking women how they interacted in a marketplace that ignored them, he built Vibrant Nation as an online platform for them to support…