All
Windows Into Their World
ReadAn exhibition featuring objects selected from the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity. Three distinct explorations—plywood, aluminum and graphics—reveal curious minds unafraid to ask questions, explore and consider possibilities not yet in our vocabulary.
Photography by Nicholas Calcott.
Expand project.
200 Hudson Street
ReadDesigntex’s new corporate headquarters is located at the boundary of Soho and Tribeca on the ninth floor of a typical 1920’s industrial building that once housed printers and binders. Standard Issue worked closely with Designtex to create an office that fosters a culture of creative collaboration while also providing spaces that have visual and acoustic privacy for focused individual work or small meetings. The 10,000 square foot space combines communal spaces, open cubicles, and private spaces and showcases examples of Designtex collaborations, innovations and products.
Photography by Dean Kaufmann.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadLatham is North America’s leading manufacturer of in-ground pools, with a new brand that positions them as the purveyors of the “Backyard Lifestyle.”
Expand project.
In-situ Imagery
ReadLatham is the world’s leading manufacturer of in-ground pools. When we needed to showcase their swimming pools in a variety of locations across the United States, we turned to computer-generated imagery in lieu of photography. To build these, we created narratives for each location, then designed the homes, backyards and landscapes to match the stories—down to each tile, leaf, blade of grass, and the wet footprints of the “homeowners” who just stepped out of camera.
Realizations by Recent Spaces.
Expand project.
Reimagining The Brooklyn Bridge
ReadThe Brooklyn Bridge is a symbol of the city and a landmark destination for visitors from around the globe. Our proposal celebrates the bridge by enhancing its functionality—as a conduit over the East River—and transforming it into a fully realized cultural experience.
Expand project.
The Bauhaus Project
ReadThis exhibition in Designtex’s Chicago showroom celebrates the unsung women weavers of the Bauhaus on the occasion of its centennial. Oversized black and white documentary photographs line the showroom, capturing the culture of the school. An array of freestanding walls display Designtex’s new collections of textiles and wallcovering developed in collaboration with the Gunta Stölzl and Anni Albers estates.
Location photography by Christopher Barrett.
Expand project.
Hardwood Launch
ReadTo support Shaw Contract’s launch of engineered hardwood flooring we created a photographic point-of-view and adapted sampling to fit within existing systems and formats. This imagery was used for sampling, marketing and public relations.
Photography by Gentl and Hyers.
Expand project.
Furniture Collection
ReadProviding maximum functionality with a minimum of materials, Stille is a contemporary collection of shelving and occasional tables that we designed using the Abstracta System, a modular set of components developed by the Danish industrialist Poul Cadovius in the 1960s. Available now.
Photography by Alpha Smoot.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadStille shelving and occasional tables provide maximum functionality with a minimum of materials. Available here.
Expand project.
The Bauhaus Project
Read2019 was the 50th anniversary of the Bauhaus. To celebrate, Designtex launched The Bauhaus Project, a series of initiatives celebrating the women weavers of the Bauhaus and culminating with the introduction of two collections of upholstery and wallcovering, Designtex + Gunta Stölz and Designtex + Anni Albers.
Expand project.
5X5
ReadThis new Designtex showroom is as an exhibition space, a learning space and an open resource center. Inaugurating the new design is an exhibition titled Designtex 5x5, a Crypton Collection, and the launch of Celliant® with its science explained and hands on demonstrations of various products.
Location photography by Christopher Barrett. Illustrations by Gino Bud Hoiting.
Expand project.
Chord Table
ReadChord is a collection of tables celebrating materiality and form. Each of the three tables offers options for personalization with surprising juxtapositions of materials, colors and shapes.
Expand project.
Drawing the Surface of Dance
ReadAnnie-B Parson is an American choreographer, dancer, and director. Using her drawings as a starting point, this monograph explores the dynamic relationship between ideas, objects, movement and space as they combine to tell stories.
Expand project.
Food and Retail Cart Program
ReadThe High Line, in New York City, is a mile-long public space where visitors can meander, explore, and relax, enjoying a unique perspective of the city. Built on a historic elevated railway line, the park is a popular destination for both residents and tourists. With thousands of visitors enjoying the High Line each day, the need arose to deliver a consistent experience for food and retail partners in the park. We were among a select list of participants invited to propose a design for a program of branded mobile kiosks stationed throughout the park.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadMemo Furniture designs and manufactures furnishings for public spaces in commercial interiors.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadMill Collective is a biannual exhibition of design and craft located inside Plant Seven in High Point, North Carolina.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadPlant Seven is a new center for culture and innovation housed in a 100,000 square foot historic building in High Point, North Carolina. This redevelopment project will continue to roll out in phases over the next few years.
Expand project.
Span 2018
ReadSPAN is an annual conference hosted by Google to explore the ways in which design and technology influence our everyday lives. SPAN 2018 took place in a 125 year old, brick and timber warehouse in the maritime district of Helsinki. We designed a flexible system of totems and signage that could be adapted to the wide variety of spaces within the 35,000 square foot building. Infill panels featured information and graphics that supported a variety of activities and informed the attendees.
Expand project.
This is not a chair. Ceci n’est pas une chaise.
ReadThe exhibition featured the work of forty renowned artists, architects and designers from around the world, each of whom questions the notion of functionality and aesthetics as defining characteristics of the object we think of as a chair. In addition to designing the exhibition, we curated it.
Location photography by Keith Isaacs.
Expand project.
This is not a chair. Ceci n'est pas une chaise.
ReadThe exhibition featured the work of forty renowned artists, architects and designers from around the world, each of whom questions the notion of functionality and aesthetics as defining characteristics of the object we think of as a chair. In addition to designing the exhibition, we curated it.
Expand project.
This is not a Chair. Ceci n'est pas une chaise.
ReadWe designed this catalog to accompany the exhibition "This is not a Chair. Ceci n'est pas une chaise.” held in North Carolina. Each of the 41 artists' work is featured, together with curatorial and artist statements.
Expand project.
NYC Showroom
ReadThe Designtex showroom is located on the eighteenth floor of the D&D building in New York City. Flooded with light, the space offers the ideal environment to view textiles and wall coverings. Textile displays line the walls, enabling easy viewing of entire product offerings. A third wall features a custom-designed wall covering display.
Location photography by Blaine Davis.
Expand project.
Fabric Display
ReadWe designed a custom fabric display for Designtex’s showroom in New York City. Large fabric drops are suspended on either side of a pivoting arm for easy browsing. Hidden behind each drop is an extendable arm which holds a cascading selection of smaller, removable samples in alternative colors.
Photo by Blaine Davis.
Expand project.
The Forest and the Trees
ReadThe Forest and the Trees is a multifaceted installation in Designtex's Chicago showroom celebrating the company’s products. The centerpiece features over 100 textiles suspended from front to back of the main gallery. In the middle of the space is an island display of cushions in a continual state of flux as visitors handle and rearrange them. New cloaking technology, film products and cleanable finishes are demonstrated in dedicated spaces around the showroom.
Location photography by Blaine Davis
Expand project.
Gowanus Open Studios 2017
ReadStandard Issue Presents is an ongoing project that showcases the work of friends and colleagues. As a sponsor of Arts Gowanus, a non-profit organization supporting artists in our community, we participated in their annual open studios weekend by hosting a performance titled “(You Make Me Feel Like)” by colleague—and artist— Lina McGinn. We designed a stage, opened our garage door, and the four-minute piece was continuously performed for passersby for two days.
Expand project.
Making Places
ReadThe 2017 3form showroom is a journey into the power of materials to define and shape our experience. It featured three materials for three immersive experiences, from elemental rusted steel, to atmospheric color to the absence of sound.
Location photography by Blaine Davis
Expand project.
Product Sampling
ReadFlos, founded by Sergio Gandini in 1962 in Italy, is the global leader in the design of decorative and architectural lighting. Flos lights by designers such as the Castiglioni brothers, Starck, Morrison, Urquiola, the Bouroullecs, Anastassiades, and van Duysen, have become icons. Their architectural lighting can be found in commercial and residential buildings throughout the world. The packaging program for architectural lighting samples was designed as a modular system of cartons and foam that adapt to over a dozen different and complex components. The corrugated cartons, printed to resemble Carrara marble are a “practical and economic” nod to his famous Arco lamp from 1962.
Photography by Blaine Davis.
Expand project.
250 Colors. One System.
Read3form’s 2016 NeoCon showroom in Chicago was an immersive transformation of the new color system. Large disks of color resins were suspended, slowly revolving. The resulting effect was magical, continuously changing with new color combinations and juxtapositions. The showroom won Best of Competition honors and Best Showroom Less Than 4,000 Square Feet.
Location photography by Christopher Barrett
Expand project.
Color Portfolio
ReadThe Color Portfolio organizes a system of 250 transparent colors, presenting them in curated folios that permit easy viewing, comparison and specification. Part of a comprehensive sampling and marketing program, it was brought to life in an immersive, award-winning exhibit in Chicago showroom experience.
Expand project.
Congress Square
ReadCongress Square Park in Portland’s Arts District is an underutilized resource at the intersection of several streets, a handful of cultural attractions, restaurants, shops, galleries, and other local businesses. Congress Square is our response to a competition inviting proposals that reimagine the park as a vital and living urban space.
Expand project.
Oppositions: Forms & Fabrics
ReadOppositions: Forms & Fabrics is an invitation to consider upholstery’s transformative power. We assembled an eclectic collection of furnishings ranging from 1850 through 2014, and—in collaboration with Designtex—each piece was reupholstered with a new textile. These were presented in vignettes staged on thick felt covering the floor and walls, offering the viewer a respite with an invitation to sit and relax.
Location photography by Christopher Barrett
Expand project.
This is who we are
ReadThis is who we are is a publication created as a visual celebration of Designtex history, their creative spirit, their collaborative process, and the innovative materials they design.
Expand project.
Marketing Photography
ReadMarketing for Wilsonart is both cross-platform and cross-market. A three-pronged program with imagery includes both the physical and the spiritual—installations of the products, details focused on product attributes, and intimate, emotional photography. This imagery is deployed across product displays, merchandising, brochures, catalogs, the website, public relations, trade shows, and advertising.
Expand project.
Product Literature
ReadWilsonart is the largest American manufacturer of engineered surfaces. Their product range includes laminates, solid surfacing and quartz, and is sold to architects, designers and homeowners. A program of printed literature for retail merchandising displays. Brochures were designed to be compatible with sampling and feature a combination of inspirational, installation and life-size product photography.
Expand project.
Logotype
Read3form is a leading manufacturer of architectural decorative resin and glass products, acoustic solutions, and markerboards. The 2017 3form showroom is a journey into the power of materials to define and shape our experience. It featured three materials for three immersive experiences, from elemental rusted steel, to atmospheric color to the absence of sound.
Expand project.
Light Frozen
ReadWe designed an installation for Designtex that presented artist Phillip Lowe's acrylic sculptures. The invitation featured images of the artist at work.
Expand project.
Made to Measure Microsite
ReadDesigntex’s Made to Measure program enables a client to create custom wallcoverings through an innovative user interface developed with gaming technologists. The design and development of the website coincided with the development of the products featured on the site, as well as a manufacturing process to enable on-demand production. Visit the Designtex Made to Measure microsite.
Expand project.
Made to Measure Program
ReadMade to Measure by Designtex introduces a new paradigm for the creation, specification and production of commercial wallcovering by using cutting-edge digital technologies to achieve new levels of customization. Our role is to identify artists, illustrators and photographers with whom we can work to select and recreate imagery suitable to the proprietary production process.
Expand project.
Textile Sampling
ReadDesigntex designs and manufactures over 7,000 materials. This wide variety of materials called for a flexible solution that could adapt to the characteristics of each material. In addition, selling to a global marketplace required adapting to a variety of languages, preferences and customs.
Expand project.
Website
ReadDesigntex designs and manufactures over 7,000 materials, and their website is the primary means of learning about them. It was designed to enable rapid product search based on a wide variety of industry criteria, to facilitate sample ordering, and to showcase design and manufacturing capabilities. Visit the Designtex website.
Expand project.
Guggenheim Helsinki
ReadWe were invited to participate in the Guggenheim Foundation’s Helsinki Museum competition. Our solution would be built on an industrial stretch of waterfront in downtown Helsinki, extending an adjacent city park over the roadside and onto a gently sloping rooftop, and offering visitors a vista from which to view the harbor and city. As prescribed by the Foundation, the museum would include several galleries and multi-functional spaces.
Expand project.
The Art of Window Dressing
ReadHunter Douglas is the world’s leader in window coverings. The Art of Window Dressing is an annual publication designed to showcase their products using fully-realized environments and revealing details.
Expand project.
An Uncommon Vision, Tokyo
ReadThis was the third installation of an exhibition celebrating the life and work of Herman Miller’s mid-century creative director Alexander Girard. This iteration took place in the street level showroom of Herman Miller’s offices in the downtown section of Japan’s capital. Unique to this installation, a suite of iconic Herman Miller products were upholstered in designs by Girard, demonstrating their vitality decades after they were introduced.
Location photography by Daici Ano.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA brand of adhesives owned by Wilsonart and used in manufacturing components for the automotive industry.
Expand project.
Made to Measure, Volume 1
ReadMade to Measure by Designtex introduces a new paradigm for the creation, specification and production of commercial wallcovering by using cutting-edge digital technologies to achieve new levels of customization. Their initial collection featured several series by a diverse range of innovative artists. We developed a publication profiling each artist and their work to support the launch of the program.
Expand project.
Slipmat Table
ReadOriginally created for the Designtex showroom in Chicago, Slipmat is a family of side tables that adapts to different environments with an open, customizable design, and is available in a wide variety of materials and finishes that dress it up or down.
Photography by Blaine Davis.
Expand project.
Standard Table
ReadThe Standard Table is our very minimal and highly pragmatic response to needing a coffee table. The top and base separate for easy transportation.
Expand project.
DIFFA Dining by Design
ReadA small scale space created for the annual Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS fundraiser Dining by Design. The space employs a wallcovering design from Designtex’s Made to Measure program that adapted a Charley Harper mosaic.
Location photography by Jeff Anzulewicz.
Expand project.
Material Village
ReadFive symbolic houses, large enough to enter and explore, create a literal village. Each features a different material type suspended or draped within its framework, while collectively they form a lush material hamlet.
Location photography by Jeff Anzulewicz.
Expand project.
An Uncommon Vision, NY
ReadAn exhibition and retail space located in the heart of New York’s Meatpacking District on West 14th Street, arranged to coincide with the 2014 edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. This was the second of three exhibitions that began in Chicago in 2012.
Location photography by Nicholas Calcott and Jeff Anzulewicz
Expand project.
The Living Office
ReadAn installation designed to introduce the conceptual framework of Herman Miller’s “Living Office”, coinciding with the annual Salone del Mobile fair in Milan. Suspended translucent textile panels feature life-sized imagery from illustrator Daniel Carlsten, combining and layering to create a living montage and immersive architectural experience.
Expand project.
Color Wheel
ReadThe inaugural installation in the new showroom for Designtex featured a collection of over 200 textiles displayed as a chromatic monolith.The display enabled close examination and touch, revealing the intricacies of the textile constructions.
Location photography by Christopher Barrett and Jeff Anzulewicz
Expand project.
Color Wheel Collection
ReadThe inaugural installation in the new showroom for Designtex featured a collection of over 200 textiles displayed as a chromatic monolith. To accompany the installation and introduce the new products, we designed a small book featuring the same chromatic sequence.
Expand project.
Work Table
ReadWe designed a large ash wood work table to support the day-to-day activities in Designtex’s Chicago showroom. A generous Corian work surface provides ample room to work with textiles, while aluminum trays are used to store memos and other office materials. One end of the table was left open to accommodate large rolls of fabric, binders and other bulky items.
Location photography by Jeff Anzulewicz.
Expand project.
Comfort in Motion
ReadAn installation to launch a redesigned office chair, coinciding with the annual Salone del Mobile in Milan. The front third of the showroom was transformed into a science lab and workshop, with the walls transformed into a larger-than-life blackboard filled with illustrations by Brian Rea. His remarkable art featured the research, design and engineering that led to the creation of the chair.
Expand project.
Surfaces Sampling
ReadWilsonart is the largest American manufacturer of engineered surfaces. Their product range includes laminates, solid surfacing and quartz, and is sold to architects, designers and homeowners. We developed a comprehensive program which established a cohesive and consistent presence for the brand—for all of their products and in all of their markets.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadThe industry leader in the design and manufacturing of applied materials for the built environment.
Expand project.
An Uncommon Vision, Chicago
ReadThe first installation of a traveling exhibition celebrating the ideas and work of multi-talented Alexander Girard, Herman Miller’s creative director for twenty years. The exhibition includes over 100 artifacts curated from the Herman Miller archives and private collectors to showcase Girard’s lifework.
Location photography by Christopher Barrett
Expand project.
Alexander Girard Textile Re-editions
ReadWhen Herman Miller re-issued several Alexander Girard textile designs, we created a brochure consistent with the materials sampling program to announce—and celebrate—the collection.
Expand project.
The Art and Science of Seating
ReadA free-standing exhibition illustrating the many innovations in the design and development of Herman Miller seating. The modular pedestals used to demonstrate the chairs’ features have been installed inside various Herman Miller showrooms around the world.
Expand project.
Paper Sampling
ReadMohawk is the oldest and largest privately-held paper company in the United States. When a product consolidation reduced 5,000 items to fewer than 2,000, we developed a new sampling system designed to be more efficient, focused and streamlined.
Expand project.
Product Literature
ReadGKD Metal Fabrics is an 80-year-old German company that produces woven stainless steel meshes for use on building facades and interiors. Because the product was new to North America it was important to demonstrate how it has been successfully incorporated into the design of buildings. Printed literature, richly illustrated with photography, was developed to accompany presentations and sampling.
Expand project.
Marketing Program
ReadMoroso is an Italian company designing and manufacturing contemporary furniture. For their North American launch, we developed a multi-year program of regularly mailing cards to potential specifiers. Each card features the distinctive M logo, memorably die-cut through the image on the face.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadThe Amsterdam Writing Workshops help writers—from novice to expert—develop their craft.
Expand project.
Website
ReadThe Amsterdam Writing Workshops help writers—from novice to expert—develop their craft. The website allows a small management team to easily announce courses and events, and promote the organization. Visit the Amsterdam Writing Workshops website.
Expand project.
Design Studio
ReadHunter Douglas, the global leader in window coverings, entered the market for soft window coverings with the Hunter Douglas Design Studio. Sampling for the program adopted select aspects of textile sampling, while also reflecting innovation and sophistication.
Expand project.
Material Sampling
ReadHerman Miller produces furniture for the office and home that is offered in hundreds of combinations of materials, some of which are unique to a particular product. We developed a sampling program that enables the customer to quickly and easily understand all available options.
Expand project.
Materials Microsite
ReadThe conceptualization and design of the Herman Miller Materials website was done simultaneously with our development of a materials sampling program. The website was designed to reflect the design process of gathering, comparing, judging, eliminating, scrutinizing, and, finally, selecting a palette of materials for furnishings.
Expand project.
Website
ReadGKD Metal Fabrics is an 80-year-old German company that produces woven stainless steel meshes for use on building facades and interiors. Because the product was new to North America it was important to demonstrate how it has been successfully incorporated into the design of buildings. Printed literature, richly illustrated with photography, was developed to accompany presentations and sampling.
Expand project.
Metal Mesh Sampling
ReadGKD Metal Fabrics is an 80-year-old German company that produces woven stainless steel meshes for use on building facades and interiors. We developed a sampling program to accommodate their broad range of products.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA company manufacturing a wide variety of art supplies for students and professionals.
Expand project.
A4 Gallery
ReadAn in-house gallery of a major real estate development firm in Tokyo, dedicated to featuring contemporary architecture and design.
Expand project.
Singular Forms
ReadA collection of textiles and materials was developed in partnership with New York’s Guggenheim Museum. Their extensive collection of minimalist art inspired both the designs of the materials and their display in a Chicago showroom.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA manufacturer of specialized wallcovering products with superior environmental characteristics.
Expand project.
Paperclip Lamp
ReadAn ode to one of mankind’s most perfect inventions, the Paperclip Lamp echoes the practicality of its namesake while providing a place to hang unused power cord.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA boutique private equity firm with offices outside New York City on the Connecticut shore.
Expand project.
Material Architecture
ReadWe created a dynamic, flowing space that invited exploration and discovery within the confines of a triangular showroom. This was accomplished with suspended panels made of textile and acrylic resin, showcasing the newest product introductions.
Expand project.
Nomad
ReadNomad is an innovative seating solution made with an eye towards economy and sustainability. Folded, it’s less than an inch thick. Open, it will support up to 250 pounds. The recipient of several design awards, including the prestigious Red Dot award, Nomad is currently being manufactured and available here.
Photography by Blaine Davis.
Expand project.
Material Matters
ReadDesigntex’s growing reputation for material innovation and invention was realized in a 2001 showroom design that showcased several dozen experimental textiles wrapped onto symbolic chair frames.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadAn initiative within the AICPA to offer support and advice for young accountants from their more seasoned fellows.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadThis part of the Bernhardt furniture company is headquartered in North Carolina, designing and manufacturing contemporary furniture for home and work.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA non-profit dedicated to conserving this coastal region in Florida, and its diverse fauna and flora.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA chain of roadside motels offering inexpensive lodging along highways across the United States and Canada.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadAn 80-year-old German company that produces woven stainless steel meshes for use on building facades and interiors.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA company in New York City offering digital printing and typographic services owned by Jack, Charles and Harris.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA historically accurate reconstruction of an art deco theater in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA suite of philanthropic programs that provide educational opportunities to those in need.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA joint venture involving IBM, CBS and AOL, that was a pioneering force providing internet services.
Expand project.
Logotype
ReadA manufacturer of high-speed, two-way fiber optic cables for the television broadcast industry.
Expand project.
Akio Nukaga Pop-Up
ReadStandard Issue Presents is an ongoing project to showcase the work of friends and colleagues. For our inaugural presentation, we collaborated with Anzu New York to host a pop-up shop featuring the work of master Japanese potter Akio Nukaga. The front of our office—which benefits from abundant natural light year-round—was converted into a storefront for the occasion. Two tables were created by lashing together wood dowels using the traditional Japanese square knot. Indigo fabric partitions, plants, and our own Paperclip lamps combined to create a calm environment for the pottery to be displayed and, ultimately, sold to a steady stream of visitors.
Expand project.
Advertising Photography
ReadDesigntex is a company whose mission is to create materials for the built environment. We developed an advertising campaign with photographer Dean Kaufman that captures our client’s creative process in honest and authentic imagery of people, products, places and processes.
Expand project.
Marketing Photography
ReadHunter Douglas is the global leader in window coverings. We created a collection of images featuring their new window drapery product, showcasing the wide variety of available options. Working on location with photographer Lucas Allen, we demonstrated the breadth of the product offerings, each image highlighting a specific attribute.
Photography by Lucas Allen.
Expand project.
Living Lights
ReadThis exhibition featured several dozen lamps that were designed and engineered to change in intensity as visitors congregate and pass. More than 30 fixtures, each 25 feet tall, were suspended from a special ceiling structure, very gently swaying with the movement of air.
Expand project.
Advertising Photography
ReadPhotography for Wilsonart, challenges the perception that they are a company making nondescript, commodity products. Intimate settings, dramatic lighting and highly personal styling are used to celebrate the products and demonstrate their fidelity to the materials on which they’re based.
Photography by Gentl and Hyers.
Expand project.
Explore New Surfaces
ReadInvitations to the traveling exhibition of Wilsonart products Explore New Surfaces took the form of posters.The invitation also served as the key to the products featured in the exhibit.
Expand project.
