For Megan L. Schnitker, owner and founder of Lakota Made LLC in Mankato, Minnesota, plants have a purpose. It is a purpose that can take on many forms, serving as food and medicine, teacher and healer, and to her, it is one that has also evolved organically over the years through Lakota Made to serve as a powerful vehicle in…
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Social design
To Diego Olivero, an award-winning multidisciplinary designer whose portfolio transcends object, landscape, and installation in a rich study of people, place, and process, design can serve as a powerful catalyst. It is expansive and dynamic in its role as a vehicle of social change and impact, and a platform for sustainability and innovation. It can be deeply personal and steeped…
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The Future of Work
As one of North America’s most significant gatherings of commercial interior design experts, NeoCon has long driven conversations about healthy workspaces and their ideal ergonomic finish. As such, it is fitting that at the upcoming relaunch of the convention’s physical programming in October, conversations about the “future of work” will be central in discussions and events. Through its virtual programming…
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Empathy in industry
A reusable epinephrine auto-injector; a minimalist household composter; an eco-friendly and contemporary ceramic and glass toaster: there’s no lack of innovation within University of Cincinnati alum Mary Friedl’s expanding portfolio. The industrial designer graduated from the university’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning last May 2020 and promptly won a competition for designing an eco-friendly toaster as a part…
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Herman Miller’s next chapter
Once a warehouse district home to Chicago’s meatpacking operations, Fulton Market’s current neighborhood has become defined by its tech, entertainment, and burgeoning restaurant scene within the approximately 74-acre expanse in the Chicago’s West Loop. As of March 2021, one new tenant of the district is experiencing a modern transformation of its own. Last month, Herman Miller Group announced a new…
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NeoConnect
Since 1969, NeoCon has punctuated each June with its eagerly awaited, three-day showcase of all things cutting-edge design in the commercial interiors industry. International design enthusiasts and design firms—specializing in everything from workplace textiles to ergonomic tech gadgets—converge in Chicago for three days of robust educational programming, informative and engaging keynote presentations from industry leaders, and the latest innovations and…
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Green design
A modular partition and trellis made from regenerated resin; a Puerto Rico-based, non-profit organization repairing hurricane-affected communities with solar power; and an entire city district in Dubai designed by the Chicago-based firm of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture LLP: these are all projects from 20 different nations unified by the new GREEN GOOD DESIGN awards. GREEN GOOD DESIGN awards…
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Infusion showrooms
For plumbing products distributor ETNA Supply Company, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, brainstorming and selecting the various plumbing fixtures needed for residential or commercial design projects are anything but dull. Faucets one can talk to, in-wall water filtration, instant hot or cold sparkling water—these are just some of the abilities of products offered by Infusion by ETNA for designers, contractors,…
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Focal Point
From bettering focus in the workplace and classroom to quieting libraries and helping hospital patients sleep, acoustic controls play an important part in the experience of a built environment. Architecturally, measures to distribute natural resources like light and sound are as relevant as ever, as many markets address a growing need for ergonomic and holistic design solutions focused on emotional,…
