In case you missed it, the New York Times had a nice little interview last week with George Sowden, designer and co-founder of Memphis and now creator of SoftBrew, a pitcher introducing a new way to brew coffee. The interview and the object reveal one of those great moments when a designer's personal obsession results in an innovative solution to a problem. Sowden talks about visiting factories instead of museums as a tourist, and laments the loss of connection between manufacturer and designer. For this reason, with SoftBrew, Sowden closely oversaw production of the coffee maker's two components: a porcelain jug, and a stainless steel filter insert with photo-etched micrsoscopic holes, at porcelain and metal factories in China.
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