Reading: Welcome to Walk the Plank by Tine Nygaard & THomas Dickson
WALK THE PLANK was a collaboration between Danish furniture and Danish cabinetmakers in 1999. 20 pairs of designers were given a plank of wood with the task of creating a piece of furniture. Hoping to combine the skill set of each designer, the pieces were then auctioned off and the money used to establish a fund to which future designers could apply for grants to develop new prototypes. Although much of the article didn't focus on the 1999 collaboration, it did explain how this unique event fit into the historical context of Danish design.
One of the main goals of WALK THE PLANK was to increase communication across design fields. It also aimed to break the mold of young designers trained in a sometimes too academic setting. Lastly, the project tried to spark imagination between the designer and manufacturer to create new designs, when the relationship is usually mute.
The article further highlighted the issues with manufacturer/designer relations. Today we've begun to witness a flux of manufacturing companies that have begun to act as design filters. New designers will show manufacturers their latest creations, only to have the them select the pieces they feel will become the next hot sellers. This process is limiting in several areas. First, it prevents designers from thinking too far outside the box. It trains them to stay within certain parameters so that they can get their pay day. And secondly, it limits any concept models from reaching the public sphere. In the auto industries and fashion arena, its the avant grade styles and concept cars that gauge what the consumer is ready to handle. When manufacturers sit above designers playing design God, the creations we see on Earth are not representative of our designers' true genius.
car and shoe concepts
CAR [http://cache.jalopnik.com/cars/assets/resources/2007/10/Honda_PUYO_Concept_Car.jpg]
SHOE [http://www.shoeperwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/alexander-mcqueen-shoes.jpg]
This idea of catering to mass production was an unfortunate trend that WALK THE PLANK was trying to avoid and in some cases, counter.
As the manufacturer has gained more influence over designs, their demands on the designer have been raised. No longer are designers able to create an accurate representation of themselves in their work, they are forced to concede to the consumer. In today's age we want, cheap, functional, affordable, aesthetically pleasing, forward thinking and eco friendly designs... but is that even possible? Trying to include all these components into a product or piece of furniture is plainly stated: unrealistic. However, these are the precise molds manufacturers are demanding be filled.
So we've seen the bad, but is there any good in this manufacturing model? The answer is yes.
When the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen began changing under the direction of Kaare Klint and later B. Mogensen we saw a shift back towards client oriented design. This new middle ground between the custom furniture of the past and ultra-manufactured pieces that had begun to dominate the market came as a breath of fresh air. However the support of what became known as the Association of Danish Cooperatives' furniture division (FDB) ended before it's time had come. Today, the Swedish furniture giant, IKEA, follows similar principals of the FDB.
a set of IKEA furniture
[http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/painting-fixing-repair/roundup-paintable-wood-ikea-furniture-047775]
The reading went on to highlight the rise of industrial design in today's world, but never gave much conclusion to the WALK THE PLANK experiment. From the tone of the article it seemed successful. I wonder what has become of the money raised and how it has impacted the design scene in Copenhagen? I believe the concept should be brought back every few years to once again ignite a new generation of designers. Who knows, maybe someday it could spawn another Panton, Juhl or Jacobsen.
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