Herman Miller Video

Check out this video to get a glimpse into the Herman Miller design space!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR-R9r5n5NM

Other Blog Discussion: Herman Miller

One blog that I looked at was Paige's. I really liked the fact that she highlighted some of their most iconic furniture pieces. She also talked about how important sustainability is to the company.
I also looked at Holli's blog post. I think she did a really good job of explaining the history of Herman Miller as well as the influence that Ray and Charles Eames had on the company.

Herman Miller

DJ Depree in Eames
Lounge Chair

Aeron Chair

Michigan Star Furniture was stared in 1906 and had a focus in residential furniture. After quickly making his way to the top of the company, DJ Depree was made president in 1909. The company went up for sale shortly after that and Depree convinced his father-in-law, Herman Miller, to buy it. Depree continued to run the company after changing its name to Herman Miller in honor of his father-in-law.

In 1933 a designer named Gilbert Rohde introduced the idea of modern furniture to the company. Ray and Charles Eames were two very important designers that contributed a lot to Herman Miller. Not only were they furniture designers, they also designed different fabrics. They designed many iconic pieces by using a method of pressing layers of plywood into different molds to create extremely durable furniture. Robert Propst was hired on a a researcher for Herman Miller. He focused strongly on office design and as a result he created the Action Office system in order to increase the productivity in companies and the well-being of employees. Another important contributor to Herman Miller was Bill Stumph. He was the first to look at people's pressure points and question why people were uncomfortable sitting in their office chairs. Due to his research, he designed the Aeron chair which features a mesh seat as well as a mesh back rest.

Art Deco Video

This video gives a brief overview of some of the prominent Art Deco buildings in Chicago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36n94w_6N5c

Other Blog Discussions: Art Deco

The first blog that I reviewed this week was Tiziri's. I really thought that she did a good job explaining the beginning of the Art Deco movement and the history of the era. I think that she made it easy to understand why the time period had such an influence on the movement.
I also looked at Stephanie's blog. She did a great job explaining some of the key features of the design movement and really explained what features were prominent though out Art Deco design. She also included really good example picture.

Art Deco

The Art Deco period took place during the 1920's and was shaped by two main groups, the functionalists and the decorators. The functionalists focused on mass production and considered the social good as well as emphasized the value of engineering and industrialized design. The decorators on the other hand crafted exquisite, labor intensive objects that were aimed for an elite market. Art Deco design as a whole was directly related to the decade and what was going on throughout the world. In the aftermath of World War I, the world was in a time of prosperity and caught up in the "roar" of the Twenties.

In France, where the movement started, there were many figures that were considered the pioneers in the movement. Although Art Deco refers to buildings as well, the movement was focused more on furniture, textiles, jewelry, and lamps. The designers were supported throughout the movement by shop owners who hired them to create window displays. All of the major department stores in Paris during this time were supporters of the Art Deco movement.

Art Deco in the United States began as an appealing design that was often seen throughout store windows and in office building lobbies. It was soon found as an appealing and appropriate way to build skyscrapers. Because of the concern that the skyscrapers would turn the cities dark by blocking the sunlight, buildings were required to step back as they progressed up resulting in the top most floors being no more than 25% of the lot size. Due to this, the distinctive style of Art Deco skyscrapers can be identified by tapering tops finished off with a spire on top. These characteristics can be seen in other aspects of Art Deco design such as the use of metal, the focus on vertical lines, and the love of zig-zag motifs.