What is the State of American Design?
iF Design USA hosted a panel in partnership with COOL HUNTING in Los Angeles. The expert speakers Ti Chang (CRAVE), Ravi GuneWardena (Escher GuneWardena Architecture), Gregg Buchbinder (Emeco) and Lisa Gralnek (iF Design USA) talked about the present and future of US Design.
The venue on 12 September in Venice was perfect for the occasion: Emeco House on the beach - an airy, modern space that was once a neglected sewing shop from the 1940s. The panel was moderated by COOL HUNTING’s Executive Creative Director Josh Rubin, panelists included Ti Chang (Co-Founder & Creative Director of CRAVE (a wearables and jewelry brand), Ravi GuneWardena (acclaimed architect & owner of Escher GuneWardena Architecture with his husband Frank), Gregg Buchbinder (owner & Chairman of Emeco), and Lisa Gralnek (iF’s US Managing Director & Global Head of Sustainability).
It was a fascinating discussion with great engagement from the 50 or so senior-level designers from Southern California who were in attendance. Below, our findings from the panel.
Q: Do you feel that the creative design process is different or distinctive in the United States, and how does that influence the product, output, or final work?
Ravi: "The attitude of openness in the US lends itself to more experimentation, more opportunity and a democratisation of design. It's not uniquely American, but it has contributed to an economy of opportunity for people from all walks of life.
Gregg: "The creative process is all about iteration, an idea that ties into Frank Gehry's metaphor of ping pong - collaborating and going back and forth so that both parties work together to perfect the work. It takes time; the design process doesn't happen overnight.
Ti: "In America, we're very good at being inventive and marketing, but we put out a lot of stuff that's not of quality. The process is not necessarily a rigorous one; design needs to be more rigorously evaluated because sometimes the output is good and sometimes it is not. There's a potential shift going on today where designers and inventors are trying to make fewer and finer things."
Q: Is it possible to pinpoint America’s influence on global design? What about global influences on American design?
Lisa: “One example is Apple. Another is Ford (and the assembly line). I’ll just leave it at that.”
Ravi: “One of the biggest exports of American design is its culture, and whether it's in design, film, or fashion, the world is looking at what happens in America for so many of these fields. At the same time, I don't think that - given the speed of communication and global sharing of ideas - anything can remain isolated by country.”
Gregg: “Working with colleagues in other countries and seeing their focus on sustainability and taking care of the planet has inspired us [at Emeco] for sure.”
Ti: “All over the world, from Holland to Japan, we see craftsmanship that has true emotion behind it - and after decades of trying to make things cheaper and more accessible at big box stores here, we’re seeing a nostalgia for things that are more meaningful and can create a sense of connection.”
Q: How will AI influence design going forward?
Ti: “AI can generate millions of ideas but can’t tell the user which concept to pursue. That comes down to the designer because it’s a personal choice that must resonate with them. I hope things get more emotional and more personal to the designer, to the creators, because those are the things worth making. Art is not just about the execution, but about the emotion and the conviction. AI will highlight what makes things more human and how we connect with our own designs.”
Ravi: “Will AI develop a ‘human consciousness’ that allows it to add the emotion that Ti mentioned? We’ll always yearn for that human element that sets things apart, whether in design, music, or any art form.”
Gregg: “To add on to that notion of the irreplaceable human aspect of design, we once tried to create an arm on a chair for Ettore Sottsass that he had designed. It took so much effort and creativity to get it to work, and when we finally did it, it was part of a design so tailored that only humans could have engineered it. I remember my daughter seeing the chair, and she looked at it, said, ‘It looks like a hug.’ This is the beauty of design—something that AI is clearly not yet ready to emulate.”
About COOL HUNTING: An award-winning independent publication that uncovers the latest intersections of design, culture and technology. Helmed by Co-Founders and life partners, Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten, COOL HUNTING offers a constant source of travel, design, and lifestyle inspiration.
About Emeco: An American-made furniture brand, the company began using salvaged aluminum to make chairs for the US Navy in 1944. Today, Emeco uses recycled materials including metals, woods, and plastics to build sustainable products meant to endure and collaborates with world-renowned designers to create and manufacture iconic designs.