Dwell magazine’s three-part video series called “The Full Spectrum” recently concluded with a view inside our West Michigan facilities. The program also features an interview with creative consultant Susan Lyons about color and its role in our designs.
Lyons and senior editor Aaron Britt discuss our range of color choices and the influences on them, including an early belief that materials should speak for themselves.
The Better World by Design conference recently brought together more than 1,000 future designers, engineers, architects, and artists to share how design and the design process can contribute to building a better world.
Sponsored by Herman Miller and organized by students from Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, the event included a wide spectrum of topics. However, “the power of many” emerged as the major theme.
One speaker even stated that her job is not to design things, but to build “containers for collaboration.” She suggested that greater collaboration between people, disciplines, industries, organizations, and companies will be needed to help build a better world.
The “containers for collaboration” theme continued into one evening’s event at The Box Office. The Box Office is an office structure built from 32 shipping containers. It also “contains” several Herman Miller products.
There also were interactive sessions, including a one-hour design challenge presented by Core77 and a design lab demonstration of new bio-based materials.
I was impressed by the level of speakers and participation from those connected to a variety of interests, companies, and professions. This event helps me believe we are making strides toward building that better world.
Read what others thought about the conference on Twitter: hashtag #bxd10.
As Herman Miller’s digital agency of record, Hello Design is responsible for shaping and overseeing the company’s digital strategy and executing digital touch points—from its website to its social media channels.
Established in 1999 by CEO/Creative Director David Lai and Creative Director Hiro Niwa, the award-winning company has been a minority-owned business for several years. But it wasn’t until they began working with Herman Miller that they learned about the benefits of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification.
Once Herman Miller employees explained to them why supplier diversity was important to the company, Hello was motivated to begin the certification process.
Lai and Niwa admit that the application process is rigorous. The certification requires thorough documentation to prove a company meets all of the criteria. In fact, one of the partners had to get U.S. citizenship.
Shortly after receiving MBE certification, Lai and Niwa began to experience the benefits that come with it. They contacted existing clients who directed them to their supplier diversity teams—a move that could help Hello gain additional business.
Cerentha Harris, editor of our sister blog Lifework, reports on the upcoming celebration for the famous film created by Charles and Ray Eames.
Herman Miller has a long and rich history with designers Charles and Ray Eames. Back in 1977, the Eameses created a short film called “Powers of Ten.” As the Eames Office reminds us, “It still has the capacity to expand the way we think and view our world.”
Coming up is a particularly important anniversary of the film: October 10, 2010. This year, part of the celebration will include the online streaming of “Powers of Ten.” There also will be an exhibition at the Eames Office in Santa Monica, California, that explores the idea of scale that is so central to the film.
Herman Miller’s role in ArtPrize continued on Saturday, October 2, by sponsoring a guest lecture by world renowned artist, architect, and dedicated environmentalist Maya Lin.
She captivated an audience of more than 200 people at the Grand Rapids Art Museum with a presentation called “Projects and Processes,” which focused on the past 10 years of her work and her latest endeavor called What is Missing?.
What is Missing? is a memorial commissioned by The California Academy of Sciences. A large bronze “listening cone” lined with reclaimed wood, it’s designed to function as the first component of a multi-site, multimedia artwork dedicated to raising awareness about endangered species and habitats.
Lin also created the What is Missing? Foundation to help people understand how they can make a difference for the planet and how to balance their needs to conserve our natural resources.
Utilizing its sponsored space at ArtPrize called The Hub, the company brought its guests together to raise awareness for supplier diversity, help increase engagement among corporations in West Michigan, and provide networking opportunities for diverse suppliers with corporate decision makers.
According to Kim Coffman, Herman Miller’s Supplier Diversity manager, “The event collectively gave us an opportunity to celebrate supplier diversity and look ahead to the future.”
“Overall, supplier diversity is an important part of growing business and building a stronger community,” she adds.
Since 1990, Herman Miller has maintained a focus on supplier diversity and recently added it to its list of strategic business initiatives.
