Replies

1. 
   user-148830 | Aug 12, 2007 01:19am | #1

   Chaim,
   Joe IKEA is a pretty powerful guy. Separating your work from his will take effort, a vow of poverty, and design skills. Some people think that design cannot be taught. I disagree. I think, and our Mastery Classes at the Studio where I teach, seem to show how you can introduce design concepts to everyone. Now what they do with these is up to the individual. And a lot of groundwork, both good and bad, has been laid for everyone. If you grew up with plastic covers over your furniture like I did you know what I mean. You bring your own ideas to this design table in other words. But from this starting point you can learn an amazing number of ways of looking at the design world and you can then decide how you want to design your own work.

   So, remember grasshopper that to be good at design means you must steal from the best.

   Someone once said that bad designers copy while good designers steal. Open your eyes first. You live in a designed world. Everything including the plants and trees around you have been designed by someone. It might be Ma Nature or any of several gods depending upon your point of view or Nike or General Motors but someone somewhere has had a hand in how things look. Sunflower seedhead whorls didn’t just happen by accident. Neither did Gerrit Reitveld’s Red and
   Blue Chair. Design is at work in all these things. Start looking and deciding what you like and don’t like and most importantly, why. Because once you start to understand what you like and dislike you will start to develop a vocabulary. And a vocabulary of design will allow you to create things just like a vocabulary of words allows you to speak. You are born with neither lexicon. Start learning by observing first.

   As for my own designs, and this is the shortened version of a very long discussion, I design my work to meet several needs. First I need an idea. Some kind of starting point be it a slice of zucchini, a Mackintosh chair, or a tapestry. Something needs to kindle my imagination. Next what is the function of the piece, what will it do? Then what is its intent? A very different question. What is the goal of the piece? Grandiose shouting like Rococco or simple restraint like
   Shaker? How will the structure affect the design? 16d nails or ½ blind dovetails? Bent laminations or bricklaid curves? What is the texture or delineation of the piece? Is it carved, inlaid, painted, hardwared? There are many ways of building a simple table, but ask these
   questions to yourself as you go and certain repeated elements will start to emerge.

   As for wood choice, it depends on so many factors. Price, grain and color, durability, workability, toxicity. If I had my druthers I’d work in mahogany all day long, but I can’t. So I like cherry and walnut, sometimes oak, sometimes alder. It all depends on the design.

   These are big questions you ask. Fun ones too. Come out to Portland to the Studio sometime for a class if you really want to get into these topics. They are a fascination to me but people have written big books on design. You want cheap go to Ikea. You want good you have to study. Good luck to you. Gary

1. 
   chaim | Aug 12, 2007 11:02pm | #2

   Gary I can't thank you enough for your reply It has definitely given me some perspective and a good starting point.

    Thanks again and if I'm ever in the neighborhood I'll definitely be dropping by for a class or two!

   Thank you,

   Chaim"paitience little grasshopper" when you can take the chisel from my hand you can then leave the school!