We were delighted to see Core77 friend François Chambard of UM Project at the opening of WantedDesign 2012, but were even more delighted to see the debut of his Craft System collection. In our NY Design Week studio visit previews, we got a line on the new collection at UM Project HQ in Brooklyn when Chambard mentioned that he'd be debuting a piece at ICFF with three market-ready variations. For Wanted he planned to "take this same piece and doing a series of totally unexpected, whimsical, playful and serious versions."
The Craft System, "takes a system approach to craft, blurring the line between the mass-produced and the handmade." A single Corian base serves as a foundation for an LED Grid or small incandescent light bulbs—an oversized dial on the face of the base invites users to "dial-in" to the fun and interact with the light. Varying tops and bottoms combine to create an infinite number of playful lighting options.
Two variations of the Atum Lamp
We love Chambard's approach to the market—the Craft System highlights the strengths of an independent designer that can turn their limited and specialized production capabilities, "into an advantage by enabling the manufacturing of market-ready series and one-off pieces at the same time." This philosophy of "serious play" opened the door to the wonderfully whimsical Theremin, Greenhouse and robot shapes.
Core77 had an opportunity to chat with François about his unique project to get some insight into Sci-Fi inspirations, the development of his "silver bullet" base and his plan to add a new piece to the Craft System each month.
Core77: Where did the inspiration come from for the Craft System Project?
François Chambard: As a member of the New York design community, it is important to show some work during Design Week. But somehow I have always struggled with the dual format ICFF vs. off-site shows. One is too corporate and business-driven. The other ones are too artsy. I am neither a business person nor an artist, but I am somewhere in the middle, immersed in the marketplace with a point-of-view and a story to share. I was looking for a format to show what UM Project does—a combination of unique, one-of-a-kind projects and production work sold at retail—in a novel and engaging way. Like so much of our other work, mixing cues from industry and craft was the obvious answer and Craft System does it quite literally. A central part speaks the language of industry: standardized, repeated, manufactured. Attachments speak the language of craft: unique, unexpected, handmade. The formula was established, providing the key to multiple variations. Hence the name, Craft System.
This year provided a unique opportunity to show new work in a different way during New York Design Week. We knew that Wanted Design would make a great comeback for its second year. Very early, we decided to use it to our advantage by sharing a story and a process at Wanted Design, while still being visible at ICFF, showcasing products for the trade. Craft System was our message. Wanted Design provided us the medium and it has worked just wonderfully.
From a formal point-of-view, inspirations for Craft System comes from the imaginary and the real worlds with designs inspired by comics and appliances, toys and tools, sci-fi movies and science labs. Design-wise, Craft System mixes multiple influences including Memphis through the stacking of simple geometric shapes, and mid-century modern design, especially Jean Prouvé, through the mix of the tech-y and the beautifully functional.