What do you listen to while you work?
Recently, I have realized I work best with music that is nearly instrumental but with a slight peppering of vocals which do not take center stage.

I like that it doesn’t demand my attention, which is ideal for concentration. Also it follows the approach to my own work. Most of my work is wrapped around a subtle narrative which is sort of abstract, and I liken that to vocals which are abstract but still add to the song.

How do you listen?
I use Spotify on my iMac while I work. I have music playing from the moment I start to the moment I finish. It’s very integral to the work.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
I like Pitchfork and Stereogum. There is a lot I don’t like about those sites, but they are good for finding new music. Soundcloud is really awesome, and I use Spotify all the time.

Does music influence your work?
Majorly. I couldn’t over-exaggerate this if I tried. Three or four years ago I started to dig a littler deeper into my personal work.

Music is probably the art form that moves me the most. I started keeping track of music that I deeply responded to, and I created a little playlist that I call “Soundtrack to My Work.” Then I would try to approach creating visual work that felt the same way as this music. All of my NOD project and most all of my personal work in the past three years has been made this way.

A lot of this music is vocally abstract and sort of whimsical with a twist of melancholy, and I think you can see that in the work.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
I have been doing a lot of music-focused editorial illustration for the fashion company Aritzia. They have introduced me to some fantastic new music lately. I look through my favorite new bands related artists on Spotify too. I would say that if my peers on Twitter bring up a band a few times, I’ll usually go check it out.

If your work was a song or a musician, what or who would it be?
If my work was a song, I would want it to be this little one minute piano piece called “Row” that Jon Brion made for the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It’s so beautiful. I can listen to it on repeat. I think it feels exactly like the work I try to create, sad but hopeful, childlike but sophisticated.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is sitting in an Eames Lounge Chair oiled santos palisander veneer and black MCL leather. This playlist is for nighttime, hence the dark-colored chair. Preferably listened to in a warm climate, windows down, alone, leaning back, relaxed, and lost in the music.

Andy’s Playlist:
1. Row, Jon Brion
2. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, Ryuichi Sakamoto
3. Rain Smell, Baths
4. Garden 1, Teen Daze
5. Undo, The 1975
6. The Great Estates, Freelance Whales
7. Cleam, Mister Lies
8. Want U 2 Know, Different Sleep
9. Accordian, Madvillain
10. Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst, Kendrick Lamar

Photos: Andy J. Miller

What do you listen to while you work?
Any music that helps make Nora a nice space to spend time. New stuff, old stuff, we really like to mix it up. Sometimes it depends on the weather or the time of day, but it’s never just mellow and it’s never just upbeat.

How do you listen?
On a portable speaker system that we can tuck out of eye shot in the store.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Honestly, it’s impossible to pick out just one or two!

Does music influence your work?
Music plays a role early in our creative process because we play music while we think about what we want to the store to be, and later on because we use music to help create the Nora environment. It’s kind of a chicken-and-egg thing — did this song inspire ideas that go into Nora? Or did what Nora is inspire us to pick this song? We haven’t really figured it out yet.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Boy, all over the place. We are lucky enough to get Canadian radio here so CBC Radio 2 is always great, as are the music shows on our own public radio station WDET (which broadcasts just across the street!). Michele, our store manager, gets a lot of music ideas through her husband Christian, and he’s a fan of eMusic. A lot of our music is recommended by friends.

Do you have Herman Miller pieces in your studio, home or office?
All four of us on the Nora team have Herman Miller pieces we love in our homes. We really have a deep appreciation for Michigan’s modern design heritage and Herman Miller is a huge part of that. We love that Herman Miller continues to operate here in Michigan honoring the classics and innovating with new products.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist is the Eames Soft Pad Lounge Chair with tilt swivel in Divina Melange #220, a warm light grey. With ottoman, of course. It seems a little sacrilegious to do something other than leather but that Divina Melange fabric is, well, divine. It’s perfect for our mix because it’s so comfortable, and it lets you dream during the mellow parts and dance in your seat when it’s upbeat.

Nora Modern’s Playlist:
1. Sooner or Later, Slumber Party
2. La Belle et le Bad Boy, MC Solaar
3. Beat Control, Tilly & the Wall
4. Losing You, Solange
5. The Late Great Cassiopia, The Essex Green
6. Song for Zula, Phosphorescent
7. Like a Motorway, St. Etienne
8. Autobahn, KraftWerk
9. The Black Keys Work, Erlend Oye,
10. Tombé Pour la France, Étienne Daho
11. Redemption Song, Moodswings with Tanita Tikarim

Photos: Michele Unverzagt

What do you listen to while you work?
It really ranges based on the type of work I’m doing and what phase of the project I’m working on. If it’s something that requires more thought, like preparing a lecture for the class I teach or working through a concept, I find lyrics distracting, so I listen to something that can fall to the background like Yann Tiersen or Stereolab.

If I’m in the production mode of a project I need something more upbeat to keep me going, Of Montreal, The Go! Team, and New Order all get the job done.

How do you listen?
My office has an open floor plan which requires the use of headphones. I just purchased a second pair of Sony MDR-7506’s after my first gave out after 10 years of dedicated and reliable service.

At home I have several speaker hook-ups throughout my apartment and I plug my iPod Touch in directly.

Another thing I’ve noticed about how I listen is that I tend to get stuck on a song and listen to it on repeat at least 10 times a day. Two recent examples of that have been New Order’s “Age of Consent” and Edward Sharpe’s “Home.”

My office is above the Fillmore Theater in Detroit, which tangentially influences my work. Occasionally I listen to the rumbles of bands warming up downstairs. I love watching the vast range of people waiting in line for the doors to open. This week it’s kids and parents to see “Sesame on Broadway”; last week it was Marilyn Manson fans.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Pandora.

Does music influence your work?
Yes! I often get caught up in the lyrics to songs. A few years ago I incorporated The Pixies and David Bowie lyrics into a series of valentines I printed and mailed to friends (photo below).

This past summer I was asked to create wedding invites for two friends who are avid music lovers. We ended up going with a gig poster format and had them screen printed at a local shop (above).

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Most of my music recommendations come from friends. There was a point in my life where I was better at following music, but lately, that time has been spent prepping for class and reading about design. Lucky for me my friends have good taste.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
This is a tough question! I would say lcd soundsystem. James Murphy’s music is upbeat, but the themes he explores are serious at times. His music is influenced by the great artists that came before him, but he’s able to build off of that to create something new.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The Eames Molded Plastic Armchair with Rocker Base in Aqua Sky. It’s the perfect spot to relax after a day of work — you can rock back and forth to the beat with a glass of Belgian beer in hand and a cat on your lap.

Colleen’s Playlist:
1. Care of Cell 44, The Zombies
2. Age of Consent, New Order
3. Cut Your Hair, Pavement
4. The Party’s Crashing Us, Of Montreal
5. Holland 1945, Neutral Milk Hotel
6. All My Friends, lcd soundsystem
7. Small Stakes, Spoon
8. Home, Edward Sharpe
9. 7/4 (Shoreline), Broken Social Scene
10. Amsterdam, Peter Bjorn and John
11. Center of Gravity, Yo La Tengo

Photos: Colleen Hill

Painting (over couch) by Stephanie Buer.

If you will be in the Midwest before the end of January, don’t miss the brothers’ exhibit “Bivouac” at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The exhibit is open now and continues through January 20, 2013.

1. Piani Light - With its tray-like base and hovering parallel light source, the Piani creates both a unique illumination as well as a modestly lit stage for desktop and night table. Injection-molded body, available in black, green, red and white. Find one at Flos.

2. Magis Steelwood Table + Chair - Initially seeking to create an alternative to plastic seating and to reduce complex assembly, the Steelwood group has a broad appeal. Inviting in shape and texture, but strong and durable in design, Steelwood Tables and Chairs will offer style and comfort for years to come. Find both the table and chairs at Herman Miller.

3. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec by Anniina Koivu - The first career and design chronicle of Ronan and Erwan, Anniina Koivu’s book features 10 themed chapters examining the various aspects of their design as well as an illustrated catalogue, interviews with collaborators, and more. Get your copy from Barnes & Noble.

4. Ovale Table Set, Alessi & Ronan Bouroullec - Blissfully spare and modern, the Ovale series re-imagines stoneware and stainless-steel tableware, drawing minimal from the origins of the traditional. Simply eye-catching whether for special or everyday use. Choose your setting at A+R.

5. Pico Tiles - Eschewing the slick, shiny trends of contemporary tiling, Pico focuses on the substance and material’s innate characteristics and textures. With a matte finish, gentle colors, and a subtle, organic relief, the tiles lend a nuanced accent to spaces both public and private. Choose from monochromatic and two-tone color combinations. Learn more at Mutina.

6. Matiazzi Osso Chair - The environmental pedigree of the Osso Chair is almost as impressive as its material-focused design. The beauty of the chair’s locally harvested wood is intensified by sophisticated sculpture, polish, and construction techniques. Choose from six colored finishes as well as natural ash, maple, and oak. Choose yours at Herman Miller.

Photos linked within the text.

What do you listen to while you work?
Actually we listen to all different kinds of music — classical, jazz, electronic — nearly everything except hip-hop and rap. At the moment we really like electro-swing.

How do you listen?
Usually just with our laptop.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Not really. Mainly we listen to our iTunes. Or we search for playlists on YouTube for classical music and other stuff we do not have on our computers, such as Phos Toni – Swing That Vinyl Vol 4.

Does music influence your work?
No, we do not think that it influences our work, since we do not listen to music when we have to concentrate or think a lot. We mainly listen to music when we do manual work, experiments, or graphics on the computer. For brainstorming, research, and discussions, we need silence.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Usually we find music via friends, or when we listen to the radio.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
We highly appreciate Björk, because she tries out a lot of different things and does a lot of research for her music. She has a broad field of interests which she puts into her work. This is what we try as well.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The lime green Eames Molded Plastic Armchair with Rocker Base, because it is nice to be able to move to music a little bit.

mischer’traxler’s Playlist:
1. Coin-Operated Boy, The Dresden Dolls
2. Hunter, Björk
3. Elephant Gun, Beirut
4. Candy Shop, Fatima Spar Und Die Freedom Fries
5. El Choclo, Violentango
6. The Logical Song, Supertramp
7. Die vier Jahreszeiten (The Four Seasons, Antonio Vivaldi), recomposed by Max Richter
8. Mad World, Gary Jules with Michael Andrews
9. Little Swing, Emmanuel Bravo
10. Am Fenster (Special Version), City

Photos: Martin Robitsch, Eva Engelbert, mischer’traxler

In this week’s “Why Design” series from Herman Miller, Don Chadwick discusses the camera and how it’s helped guide his eye, allowing him to see things differently. Chadwick’s unique view of the world has allowed him to redefine it with design.

His Aeron Chair is the perfect example. It introduced a completely new kind of task seating, eschewing traditional upholstery for form-fitting Pellicle suspension, which cools and focuses while offering unmatched ergonomic comfort and support.

Lifework draws inspiration from Chadwick’s words and work in this week’s Six Ways to Photography and Design.

1. Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home Camera Bag - With immense capacity, this tough-as-nails carry-all-things camera bag is water resistant, has a customizable interior, and is easy on the body. Newbie or pro, you can move your gear into a new $6M home. Get it at Crumpler.

2. Impossible Instant Lab - Bridging the gap between trend-setting and cherished nostalgia is the Impossible Instant Lab for iPhone. Simply attach your iPhone and turn digital images into Polaroid-esque reality. Back this project on Kickstarter.

3. Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer - Here’s another way to turn pixels tangible. The GL10 connects to your mobile phone via Bluetooth and prints your photos, no ribbons, or cartridges required. Print up to 35 3×4 full-color photos in a single charge. Available from Polaroid.

4. Flipbac Angle Viewfinder - This clever camera accessory helps you capture that tricky angle and avoid body-contortion. Just attach the Flipbac mirrored viewfinder to your digital camera and shoot from a host of striking new angles. Check it out at Flipbac.

5. iPhone Stutter Grip - Get a handle on mobile phone photo and videography literally, with iPhone Stutter Grip. Stutter Grip adds handle and shutter/video button right where you remember it, giving your iPhone that more familiar, SLR feel. Find one at Photojojo.

6. Gorillapod, Joby - A must-have for any on-the-go shutterbug, the Gorillapod’s flexible, multi-pivoting, gripping tripod legs balance, secure, and steady your camera just about anywhere. With eight different configurations to choose from, there’s a Gorillapod for every kind of photographer. Get a grip on one at Joby.

Photos: Linked within the text.

1. Issey Miyake VUE – Offering a unique view of time’s coming and going, the VUE’s slatted dial only displays the current hour while the others, past and future, fade from view. Available from All Modern.

2. Sabi Folio Pill Traveler – The Vivacity line of medication management products offers a mix of function, aesthetics, and quality where only low quality existed before. Take this normally mundane task to an efficient, stylish new level by choosing yours at Sabi.

3. Ardea Light - A design tribute to the long-necked Ardea herons, this graceful, flexible light allows you to illuminate your space from every angle. Get the distinctive, energy-efficient Ardea at Herman Miller.

4. Peel Universal Remote – This free iPhone and Android app pairs with Peel Fruit hardware, allowing users to choose shows, search, and review their viewing habits. Available at the Apple Store.

5. Up Wristband – An innovation in health and lifestyle management, the Up wristband and app allow you to track sleeping habits, activity levels, even diet. The comfortable wristband sends data to an intuitive, easy-to-use app interface. Find it at Jawbone.

6. SAYL Chair – Inspired by suspension bridges, the SAYL’s striking, frameless back design provides extensive freedom of movement and comfort without sacrificing support. Light but strong, advanced but affordable. Customize yours at Herman Miller.

Photos: Linked within the text.

Growing up in Japan, designer Akira Yoshimura developed a keen tactile sense and early appreciation of distinctive forms and objects. His passion for aesthetics and keen ability to express beauty through the manipulation of dimension laid the foundation for ShyShadow. Formed in 2007, ShyShadow produces an array of products from paper to furniture to home goods, seeking to promote a unique interaction between people and the products they use. Akira shares the unique interaction between himself, his work and his musical tastes in this week’s Playlist.

What do you listen to while you work?
I listen to various genres of music from modern jazz, to house, to 90′s Japanese hip-hop.

How do you listen?
While working on my iMac, I prefer listening to music from my Audio Technica earphones.  I always buy a pair or two when I visit Tokyo and have a good collection next to my workstation.

If I am doing more physical work, such as silk screening tote bags or cutting paper to create prototypes, I really enjoy listening through Harman-Kardon SoundSticks.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
Definitely Pandora, it exposes me to new songs and musicians of similar taste.  I must have bought over 50 songs this year alone!  I recently started listening to NPR Music on late nights.

Does music influence your work?
Yes. Jazz, while working on loose concept sketches (above).

House/Electronica/Hip hop – Staring at the computer, clicking the mouse like a heart beat, trying to create those exact lines I had imagined, or working on presentation boards (below). Sometimes I listen to the same tune over and over again to get momentum.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
My very close friend (who used to live in NYC) is one talented drummer. He has introduced me to countless live music events in NYC from Brooklyn to Harlem. I can recall occasions when we were up till dawn listening to live Jazz in the West Village.  I normally brought my sketch book and did quick doodles.  His knowledge of music has had a profound effect on what I listen to today.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
“Big Country” by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Such an uplifting melody, it resembles my philosophy and approach to design.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
The ideal place to sit and listen to my playlist is from a high-rise apartment, [sitting in] the Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Metal Base (Walnut Veneer Seat) and looking down on the busy streets of a large, crowded city, where cars and trucks go by like flickering neon signs. Once windows are tightly shut, and silence embraces your space, you are ready to hit the first tune.

The form of the chair allows you to sit in many ways.  My music selection crosses over many genres and resembles the versatility this chair possesses. I think of Herman Miller furniture not just as furniture but rather as timeless sculpture pieces. They continue to vividly enhance your lifestyle wherever you live.

Akira’s Playlist:
1. Set Me Free, Kevin Yost
2. Nadia, Nitin Sawhney
3. Dream Machine, Mark Farina
4. Ad Lib on Nippon, Duke Ellington & His Famous Orchestra
5. I Say a Little Prayer, Rahsaan Roland Kirk
6. Red River Revel, Brian Blade Fellowship
7. Mind Ecology, Shakti (with John McLaughlin)
8. Red Clay, Freddie Hubbard
9. El Aparato, Café Tacvba
10. Tamacun, Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Photos: Akira Yoshimura

What do you listen to while you work?
I love listening to Johnny Cash when I work, from the Sam Phillips-produced Folsom Prison Blues to Rick Rubin’s American Recordings.

How do you listen?
If I’m collaborating or sharing space with another designer, I’ll use headphones. If I’m working solo in my studio, I typically stream through the cloud to my phone, computer, or television.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers?
I’m listening to The Pixies right now through Pandora as I’m doing this interview. I’ll usually connect to a station of one of my favorite artists and then let it stream.

Does music influence your work?
Most definitely. One of the first clients in my career was the STAX, the record label Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, and Booker T and the MGs made famous. The firm I was working for in Memphis – LRK – won a project to recreate the original STAX recording studio as a museum and design a new STAX Music Academy. I designed the environmental graphics and signage, which were very much influenced by STAX music and the music culture. I was probably a little spoiled early in my career getting to work on such a fun project.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste?
Having lived in Memphis, Detroit, and Chicago over the past 15 years, I’d have to say that my musical taste is highly influenced by the area I’m living in. I keep a very open mind about styles of music, and love sampling new artists.

What song or artist best represents the work you create?
I really admire Andrew Bird’s live performances. They’re a wild mixture of process and execution.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist:
Without a doubt a light blue Eames Molded Armchair with Rocker Base is the best place to listen to my playlist. Being a rocker it gives you a nice little warm up before your are compelled to jump up and start dancing. Plus, it provides the perfect amount of comfort for taking a break. Those Eameses were two clever designers.

Kyle’s Playlist:
1. Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash
2. Hands of a Working Man, Big Ass Truck
3. Shake ‘Em on Down, North Mississippi Allstars
4. Mercy Mercy Me, Marvin Gaye
5. The Naming of Things, Andrew Bird
6. Dead Millionaire, Beverly Fre$h
7. Seven Nation Army, The White Stripes
8. Chicago, Sufjan Stevens
9. God’s Gonna Cut You Down, Johnny Cash
10. Train from Kansas City, Neko Case

Photos: J.Kyle Daevel, except “Detroit Numbers” (top), by Travis Roozee

What do you listen to while you work? We’re all over the place when it comes to listening favorites — from Grimes to Beach House to Philip Glass to Bhagavan Das chants to Circle to Wolves in the Throne Room to Rhett Miller to Robyn. Everyone listens to something different. Most people are constantly in headphones while some people can’t be bothered to think about music at all. When we listen as a group we can really binge on a particular artist. Recently, we went a week listening exclusively to Kid Cudi.

How do you listen? Headphones — mostly one ear on, one ear off. If music is playing out of someone’s computer speakers anyone has the right to ask for it to be turned off without judgment if they are really trying to focus.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Spotify, Rdio, Pitchfork, and Fader, among others. And when traveling, Oh/My/Rockness. [Additionally, Fuzzco mentions great music sources like Said The Gramophone, MBV Music, Urban Outfitters Music Mondays, Cllct.com, and Largehearted Boy.]

Does music influence your work? A lot of us got into design because of music, but I can’t say it has an influence on a day-to-day basis.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? Tiny Mix Tapes, Just Outside, Pitchfork, Fader, The Wire, Twitter, Tumblr, microphones in the trees, and friends.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Kevin Blechdom or Mulatu Astatke.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist: We really do love the Eames Aluminum Group Executive Chair — because it totally recreates the Fuzzco experience. These are the seats we work in and where we listen to our own music.

FUZZCO’S PLAYLIST:

1. The Devil’s Dream, Hobart Smith
2. Are You From Dixie?, John Fahey
3. Kwantu, George Sibanda
4. Uruku Tumi Gushiku, Takashi Hirayasu
5. A Promise to Keep, Brandi Carlile
6. The Swimming Song, Loudon Wainwright III
7. Criminals, The Tallest Man on Earth
8. Rappahanock River Rag, Jack Rose
9. Big Chief, Professor Longhair
10. I Need a Dollar, Aloe Blacc
11. Tighten Up, The Black Keys

Photos: Fuzzco

What do you listen to while you work? It varies day to day, depending on my mood, the weather outside, and if I’ve had my three cups of morning coffee. A nice slow start to the morning could begin with M83, while only a few hours later I’m listening to something on the opposite end of the spectrum, like Converge.

How do you listen? While at the office/studio during the day, I listen with headphones. It’s a shared space, so I can blare the music without affecting anyone else, and it really helps keep me focused. At home, freelancing at night, I have fallen in love with my Jawbone Jambox. It’s a Bluetooth wireless speaker with great sound that sits nicely on a shelf. I tend to play music at a lower volume at night so it’s perfect. I think I should be their spokesman.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Absolutely. Rdio has changed the way I listen to music. It sounds kind of cheesy to say, but honestly, it has allowed me to take music with me everywhere I go, is great for discovering artists, and allows me to connect with other designers and what they’re listening to throughout their workday. And the interface is gorgeous. Very well thought out and designed.

Does music influence your work? Music sets the tone for each project I work on. As soon as I’m pulling a new job in, I’m finding a sound and atmosphere that fits with what I’m wanting to communicate visually. Sometimes fun, sometimes dark, sometimes I just need background music to help me zone out.

Where do you find music recommendations? Who influences your musical taste? I find 99% of my new music recommendations on Twitter and Rdio. The majority of people I follow on both services are friends and other designers. A lot of designers tend to be music snobs and overly picky about music, so while it can be at times annoying, it makes it easy to find good new stuff that’s great to work to.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Meatloaf. No question. Big and boisterous, while at the core, simple. And the dude likes to eat.

Ideal place to sit and listen to your playlist: The Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair with Wood Base. That chair is gorgeous. It’s so simple and modern. I’d say that’d be a right pairing for these great tunes.

BRYAN’S PLAYLIST:

1. The Reflection of You, Bear in Heaven
2. Wild, Beach House
3. Lafaye, School of Seven Bells
4. Dreamlike, Vacationer
5. Soft, Washed Out
6. When to Let Go, Violens
7. Reaching Out, Nero
8. Bavarian #1 (Say You Will), Miike Snow
9. All of Me, Tanlines
10. I Can’t Stay, Ben Browning

Photos: Tom Barrett

1. Love Heart PLYprint, $95.00 Made from formaldehyde-free maple plywood, this panel honors designer Alexander Girard’s playful graphic style and commitment to using natural materials. Get it: modernseed.com

2. Bon Journey Bag, $70.00 Hand-painted on cotton canvas, this study carryall is perfect for toting a portfolio to a client meeting—and big enough for a weekend getaway (it is Valentine’s Day, after all). Get it: thenewdomestic.com

3. Libratone Live Speaker, from $699.95 This simple (yet striking) audio solution lets you stream music wirelessly from an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Mac/PC using Apple’s AirPlay technology. Get it: libratone.com

4. Twist a Twill Blanket, $139.00 The triangular shapes found in traditional twill patterns inspired the design of Tina Ratzer’s cozy wool blanket. Get it: gretelhome.com

5. Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair, $909.00 Time magazine declared Charles and Ray Eames’ chairs The Best Design of the 20th Century: “something elegant, light, and comfortable. Much copied, but never bettered.” Get it: hermanmiller.com

6. Josiah Lighting, from $200.00 A braided textile cable in bold crimson makes designer Terence Woogate’s bone-china hanging pendant pop. Get it: thefutureperfect.com

Photos: Linked to sources within text.

For the past few weeks Susan Lyons, our Materials Creative Director, has covered Herman Miller’s five material design principles over on our Discover blog. We’ve heard about honesty, utility, economy, pleasure, and possibility and the role these principles play in helping us choose the materials for our designs.

One principle is particularly relevant to Lifework readers: It’s the idea of utility. Lyons talks about utility in connection to Embody – a chair that finds its way into many a home office. “When we talk about material utility,” Lyons says, “what we really mean is that we use materials to solve problems.”

To hear Lyons talk about the rest of the principles simply follow these links: honesty, economy, pleasure, possibility.

To find a home office chair check out our tips on how to choose the right one for you. (And FYI – we’re now shipping our most popular office chairs for $29. Read all about that here.)

In the last decade your firm has grown to over 30 architects, designers, technical and administrative staff. When you were starting out did you plan on heading up a firm such as this? When I started out, I did not imagine heading up a firm. I studied architecture out of a passion for architecture in itself. I did not have a vision for how I would practice in the future, although I am very happy with my practice and love working with everyone in the office.

Above, top and below: The 3,000 square foot Rabbit Hill Road house in Warren, CT forms a compound with a garage, pool and pool house.

How would you describe your work and do you see a common thread running through all your residential designs? The common thread in all our residential work is subtle elegance rooted in the site. We design houses that are comfortable, clean, and have a clear and distinctive style.

Above: The Miller House, commissioned by industrialist J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia Simons Miller in 1953, was opened to the public in May this year and Berke spoke at the inaugural symposium.

You recently spoke at a symposium celebrating the opening of Eero Saarinen’s Miller House to the public. The strongly horizontal buidling has a timeless quality and is still as striking today as it was in 1957. Can you share your impressions of that house? I love that house. It is a great work of architecture. It’s also an environment carefully calibrated for a large and happy family, and that is part of its success as a design.

Above: Berke (middle) at the Miller Symposium.

Above and below: The 3,400 square foot Darby Lane House in East Hampton, NY.

Managing a firm, speaking commitments and designing takes a lot of time and energy. How do you strike a balance between work and the rest of your life? I don’t strike a balance. I work hard and I play hard, and I don’t get very much sleep. However, I love everything I do.

What inspires you in your work? I love books and contemporary art. But my real inspiration is the endless variety of everyday life.

Above: The Tulip Avenue House in New Jersey.

That commitment to good stewardship hit new heights in the late 90s with the work of Gabe Wing and Scott Charon. Under their watchful leadership Design for the Environment (DfE) protocol was born.

Studio 7.5′s Mirra Chair was the first piece to find itself under the bright lights of Wing and Charon’s new guidelines. Was that a smooth process? Bill Birchard in his book Merchants of Virtue tracks the development of the chair as it faced resistance from within the company by people under pressure to meet deadlines and budgets. Mirra’s initial design garnered a DfE score of 63 percent. After serious work and much heated debate it hit 80 percent on completion with 96 percent of the pieces that make up the chair being recyclable.

We’re also proud of the fact that we’ve reduced the shipping times for most Mirra models. When you order Mirra through the Herman Miller store most models will now be shipped within five days.

And while you’re waiting we’ll send you a copy of Birchard’s Merchant of Virtue so you can read some more (this is for store orders only). Birchard has written a really compelling book – and I know it’s about our company but I just finished the book and it certainly doesn’t sugar coat how hard it is to honor De Pree’s commitment to being good environmental stewards. It’s a frank look at what it takes to run a successful company that takes its environmental responsibility seriously.

Above: Gabe Wing, left and Scott Charon at Herman Miller headquarters.

We went to Wing to find out more about Mirra and the role it played in our ongoing commitment to sustainability.

1. The Mirra was the first design to be impacted by the environmental standards you were setting up back in 2003. What obstacles did you face getting the design to meet the new standards? The big obstacles were in obtaining detailed chemical formulations on all of the materials used in the chair down to 0.01%. This is like going to Coca-cola and asking for their secret recipe. It is easier now since our suppliers understand our design for the environment process but it was difficult in the beginning. Also we needed to develop alternatives to materials that we had used for decades like PVC used in arm pads.

2. Tell us about collaborating with Studio 7.5 who designed the chair. How did that process work? Working with Studio 7.5 was great. Very early on in the project, we shared our sustainable design protocol with them. We explained our focus on safe chemistry, designing for disassembly, recyclability and recycled content. They were already thinking in these terms. Working with our engineering team, they helped create what was called by Bill McDonough, “the most compete and thorough example of Cradle to Cradle design.” (Need to lookup actual quote. )

3. How did the work of Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart ( of MBDC) support and feed the work you were doing? C2C is one of the key  tools we use as part of our sustainable design process. Working together with Bill and Michael, we embedded the principles of C2C into the development process that launched Mirra.  We were struggling to find a replacement for PVC in the arm pads. The project team was dealing with a shrinking schedule and wanted to launch with PVC and fix it later. A visit from Bill inspired the team to find a solution which led to a material breakthrough and allowed the chair to launch on time.

4. You were brought on at Herman Miller to develop and launch Design for the Environment protocol. What was your background? I have a BS and an MS in chemical engineering. I spent the first 8 years of my career working in various roles in the plastics industry.  I have been with HMI for 10 years, as part of our sustainable design team.  My background in polymer science has been very helpful as we work with our suppliers to develop more sustainable materials.

5. Which chair do you sit in at work? I sit in an C-size Aeron chair at home and at work. I am fairly tall and find that I am just outside 95% size that Mirra was designed for.

1. You are a designer based in New York. Tell us about your background. What led you into this field? In high school I thought about going into architecture. A friend of my mother’s who was an enviably strong woman and feminist suggested that it was a great field for women.  Everyone in my family were doctors so in my sophomore year in college I told my mother  I’d finally decided to declare my major as “pre-med”. She was silent and finally she blurted out that she’d hoped I would do something with my creative abilities. That summer  I spent as an intern at an architecture firm and I studied art in Paris during my Junior year. When I finally decided to study architecture my mother was the one who helped me apply to transfer to UC Berkeley while I was in Paris –I will always appreciate that encouragement from her!

After I graduated I ended up in New York City. It was a recession and there weren’t many jobs out there. One of my professors who I had worked with at William Turnbull Associates suggested that I specialize in Historic Preservation. It made sense. I had spent a few summers as a “site architect” at a dig in Crete and was interested in architectural history.  I’m glad that I followed his advice, mostly because I ended up in New York and haven’t left ever since…

2. Your work exudes a warm minimalism and I think part of that is your use of timber in your projects -whether it be a beautiful wood dining table or kitchen island. How would you describe your style? Are you conscious of keeping spaces spare but soft-edged? Yes, I think one of the things that is very important to me is to “showcase” certain elements in a space –to allow enough space and “quiet” around an object for it to be seen.  That often translates into wood against a painted surface, or a colorful item beside a white surface.

I experienced this in a very powerful way the first time that I visited the Tate Modern – when I was riding the escalator down from the Mezzanine to the grand Turbine Hall space –the very spare and muted materials served as a beautiful background for the hundreds of people moving through the space –let alone the art!  I appreciate well-considered, calm interiors with exciting splashes of life, color or texture.

3. Tell us about your own space –  a 5,500 square foot Italianate brownstone in Brooklyn. Did you glean anything from working on your own space that you are able to use with your clients? Yes, I tried hard to avoid design decisions that would remind me of my self –that may sound strange, what I mean is that I wanted my home to serve as a neutral background for the many years of changes that it will endure.

I tried hard to keep it a space that could be personalized by my family but that would also benefit from my years of experience renovating other people’s homes.

I share this lesson with clients –that bigger, more permanant design decisions should be appreciated by everyone in the house –the crazier design decisions are often best kept to furnishings and art that can be changed more easily.

4.  How do you strike a balance between your work and the rest of your life? Do you find your work following you home to the kitchen table? In fact I do find my work following me home because my office is in my home!

This arrangement has been a huge benefit for me –it not only allows me to see my 2 year old son as much as possible, it also has allowed clients and potential clients to see my work.  Meetings often begin in my office but move to the kitchen or one of the bathrooms where they can experience dimensions on drawings and touch and feel finishes that I recommend.

Above: Tape shadow by artists Joe Penrod. You can check out more of his work here.

5. What inspires you in your work? Travel is a wonderful way to recharge and become inspired.   I try very hard to find places to stay while traveling that will provide me with a new and inspirational experience; whether it be a nice hotel, a house exchange or a tent in a beautiful location.

On a more daily basis – NYC provides me with so much inspiration – I love to see how creative New Yorkers can affect our every-day environment.  I particularly appreciate creative endeavors that make something beautiful out of the mundane. I also love spending time outdoors in Prospect Park or in my garden, nature can be the best inspiration of all.

1. Metropolis magazine for their multimedia section. Check out the photo essay by Michael Wolf titled Transparent City - makes me glad to work from home!

2. Domus for their amazing website – go straight to the architecture section for some wonderful residential and commercial projects.

3. New York Times for their interview with the authors of the new Unhappy Hipsters book It’s Lonely in the Modern World.

4. Cool Hunter for their piece on an annual clock designed by Scott Thrift. Very nice video (below) explaining this cool new design. It’s a Kickstarter project so if you like the idea you can help bring it into production.

5. Klat for their piece on Korean designer Giha Woo’s pencil holder.

6. Architectural Digest for their library slideshow. The Eames Lounge and Ottoman certainly looks at home amongst all those books.

7. Media Bistro’s Unbeige blog for reminding me that it is National Design Week next week.

8. Lifehacker for this backyard shed turned home office piece.

9. Photographer Byron Edwards‘ home office via flickr. It’s his most stolen image. And yes that’s a kitty on his Mirra chair (pic above).

10. Emmas Designblog because it’s a constant source of inspiration (below).

Where to start? LACMA has outdone itself with curator Wendy Kaplan’s ambitious “California Design: Living in a Modern Way.”  This is the show that includes the reconstructed Eames living room. The whole show houses around 350 objects—furniture, ceramics, fashion, textiles  graphic design and includes Herman Miller pieces that are still in production like the Eames Elliptical table and the Eames Storage Unit. This exhibition, which is the first major  show to look at mid century modern design attracted over 1500 people to the opening night reception.

Photos: Cerentha Harris and Stefanie Keenan

Giovannoni is  probably best known for his iconic Bombo stool. Its soft organic seat is formed with injection-molded plastic sprouting from a chrome stem and base. Using advances in that same air-molding technology Giovannoni designed Chair First. This time there was no chrome. The whole chair is one durable, sturdy, lightweight piece of plastic that is 100% recyclable. For all its elegant simplicity of form it is a major breakthough in chair design – hence the name Chair First.

For more on Giovannoni check out the post over on Discover.

Herman Miller + Magis: Jasper Morrison, Konstantin Grcic

2. Oras Stripes Pieva Wall Mobile, $180.00 Designer Vilija Marshall’s minimal-cool wall mobiles are made in Northern California using stainless steel and aluminum. Get it: Design Public

3. Fuyuh Bamboo Laminated Ceiling Mobile, $730.00 Japan’s Riki Watanabe crafted this now-classic bamboo design in 1975. Get it: NOVA68.com

4. Marine Modern Mobile, $130.00 This ocean-inspired piece reflects the contrasting forms of glossy seaweed, sea sponges, weathered shells, and coral. Get it: Puka Puka

5. Abstract Rhythm Mobile, $798.00 The simple form of this aluminum Flensted Mobile—a traditional handicraft in Denmark—adds interest to any workspace. Get it: Amazon

1. Abitare for its interview with Julius Iacchetti who designed Moleskine’s new line of pens and pencils (above). Just click translate – unless of course your Italian is up to speed.

2. Design*Sponge for their post on how to get organized online. Lots of helpful info here.

3. Designboom for their design coverage. They always find the most interesting homes – like this one in Salentina, Italy (below).

4. T Magazine’s blog ran a great piece on Steve Jobs where they had the design community weigh in on Jobs’ contribution.

5. Modern House for their post on quirky wooden computer accessories.

6. Design Spotter covers a cool clock for the iPhone (below).

7. Three by Three sells all things magnetic including cool new round magnetic balls. Perfect for keeping your office papers organized.

8.Wallcandy Arts for their newly patented chalk board decals. Clever.

9. Core77 Design Awards has its very own site. Lots of amazing designs here including our own SAYL chair.

10. You Are The River because sometimes its nice to let someone else pick through all the dross on the internet and find the good stuff. You’ll find lots of beautiful interiors here including the author’s own home (below).

1. CondeElevator on Twitter. I know it’s shallow but these tweets makes me laugh. This person publishes comments they overhear in the Conde Nast elevator – mostly snippets from Vogue employees.

2. App.Itize.Us is a great spot to find new apps.I love the Crouwelclock by Dutch designer Wim Crouwel (below). Thanks to Lifework reader Marc for the tip.

3. Kitka for their post on designer David Ericcson. Great workspace.

4. Design Skool for their coverage of Estudio Manus (office below).

5. Better Living Through Design because they’ve got a great eye for interiors and homewares. I really like the desk set by Mateo Ilasco.

6.  BKids for their tour of Nerissa Coco’s home and office (below).

7. It’s Nice That is a beautifully designed blog and curated on art and design (check out the cat scan!)

8. Found By James is a site that offers up objects discovered by global traveller “James”. These pocket pencils, which he found in London, are wonderful.

9. red.house for their interiors coverage including this Swedish apartment in Malmo (below).

10. Design Observer for their poetry posts. It’s so nice to come across contemporary poems in this context. Thoughtful addition to a great site.

2. The Design Files for Lisa Madigan’s home and home office (below).

3. Houzz for it’s collection of home offices. Can you tell I’m looking for new spaces.

4. Wanken for the post on an incredible holiday house in Argentina – it would make the perfect backyard office.

5. Kinfolk is a gorgeously designed new online food magazine. Now I  know what to have for lunch.

6. Design Sponge’s Sneak Peek because it’s nice to see the Eames Molded Plastic chair with dowel legs mixed with other pieces so beautifully.

7. De Vetpan Studio’s blog for its luscious photography and their review of a Wacom Bamboo iPad Stylus.

8. Fast Company’s story on a bamboo bike where the frame is grown in shape.

9. Brain Pickings for the Power of 10 Flipbook post.

Powers of Ten, Flipbook from Joe Marianek on Vimeo.

10. NPR’s 3-Minute Fiction for the perfect work break. Great stories that take 3 minutes to read.

1. Fast Company for Alissa Walker’s insightful piece on designing through a downturn.

2. Designspiration for its cool collection of home office images. A new image site that will only get better as it grows. A photo from the home office collection above features our Mirra chair and Airia desk.

3. Home Designing for a strong mix of interiors including home offices.

4. Designwire Daily for the post on the Ennis House (above). This gem in Los Angeles designed by Frank Lloyd Wright finally sold for $4.5 million. It was on the market for 2 years.

5. Remodelista for the best screened-in porch I’ve seen in a long time. The perfect semi-outdoor office?

6. Finnish Design Shop for these cool magazine racks.

7. Marie Claire Maison for their wonderful apartment tours (great use of color in the apartment pictured below).

8. The Curated Object for news on the world of design and decorative arts.

9. 2 or 3 Things I Know for its simple clean inspiring design coverage.

10. Flodeau for a fresh take on interiors. It’s one of the better online interiors magazine.

1. Mike Perry Studio for his sense of humor. He is also donating 100% of his online sales to help Japan.

2. GOOD’s design and architecture stories always hit the mark. I also love the Infographic coverage.

3. BOOOOOOM! Not sure if I got all the ‘o’s in there but forget the title of this blog and go straight to their design posts. Lots of great finds.

4. Notcot which has been redesigned and now boasts even more great design, architecture, homewares, fashion and food.

5. Materialicious for their round-up of office spaces.

6. Lovely Clusters for a good dose of pretty interiors.

7. Picked by Six reminds me that simplicity is often the key to a well-designed blog!

8. Pilar Viladas on The New York Times site for her strong design coverage.

9. Zeospot for their home office round ups.

10. Aterlier A+D for architect Michelle Linden’s take on modern architecture and design.

The book also explores the worth of things, the making things, the greed imperative, planned obsolescence, and even fetish objects, all the while using product examples from companies like Nike, Bling H2O, and Herman Miller.

He was inspired to include Herman Miller in the book not just because of the iconic nature of some products but also because of the company’s values, including the way it embraced design early and for the right reasons, its emphasis on durability (the 12-year warranty), and sustainability. And he admires the way the company engages external designers. It’s a great way, he says, for the company to get “a fresh perspective every time.”

1. Tiny Ass Apartment As her title suggests Simone Chavoor tackles small interiors with a cheeky gusto that makes reading her blog as much fun as looking at it. Where to start: With the weather warming up check out Simone’s garden post and get a few ideas on how to bring some green into your home office.

2. Modish Portland, Oregon-based Jena Coray,  has been blogging about cool vintage finds at Modish since April 2006. She’s also the owner of the Miss Modish Vintage shop. Where to start: A nice post on vintage office accessories.

3. My House Party A design blog from a husband and wife team who make little wooden houses. Sounds quirky? Trust me it is worth checking out. Where to start: Their Up houses – I want one for my office.

4. Black Eiffel An interesting mix of fashion, interiors and accessories for the home and body. Written by graphic designer Rachel Jones who has a nice eye for design Where to start: The peonies on her desk are lovely.

5. Seesaw Angela Hardison, Raquel Raney and Lindsay Tingstrom of creative agency Seesaw Designs blog about their work and design that catches their eye. The studio turned 3 last month. Where to start: The cool bookshelf post.