It is with pleasure that we look back on a wonderful Dutch Design Week. Our exhibition, called "Why product design matters," was a harmonious addition to DDW's overarching theme, "Picture This."
Not only did we present new products, but we also shared the in-depth stories and visions of the Designers behind these creations. This gave visitors a deeper insight into the added value of product designers, how they play an important role in various ways anno 2023 and broaden our perspectives with their Design.
During DDW we specifically showed four new acquisitions in the Vij5 collection: the OER Dinnerware Eindhoven by Lotte de Raadt & Kirstie van Noort, the Stainless Steel Mirror by Theodora Alfredsdottir, the Foarme porcelain by Idwert Petter and a preview of the new Tube Cabinet by Maarten Baptist as a foretaste of what is to come.
Important added value
The value of a product designer's craft goes beyond just coming up with fun ideas or beautiful shapes. Our exhibition was an ode to this craft and offered a unique look into the world of these Designers.
A process of change
As DDW itself so nicely describes it: “Aesthetics and beauty are incredibly powerful ways to open the door to meaning and get people moving. Designers are experts in formulating and visualizing other perspectives, allowing them to take people into a process of change and break through paralysis.”
Understanding the added value of product Designers
Especially for DDW, we made room in our workshop for the ‘Why product design matters’ expo. In this expo, divided into several relevant themes, we presented a series of New products and explained the vision of the Designers behind these products. This offered a deeper understanding of the added value of product Designers. The following products were central:
New product: OER tableware Eindhoven
To turn groundwater into drinking water, it is intensively filtered. During this process, various residual substances are released. One of these is naturally formed iron oxide-containing water, or oer. This material is characterized by a deep reddish-brown color.
At the production site in Eindhoven there is currently no Application the iron sludge and so this iron oxide-containing water is seen as waste and flushed back to the sewer. For the OER project, Lotte de Raadt & Kirstie van Noort tap this turbid water from the water production company's so-called buffer pond to use in their products.
The iron sludge is processed into pigment in their own studio. First, it is filtered and dried again. This creates chunks that are ground and sieved into a rust-like powder. This pigment is mixed with liquid porcelain clay and poured into plaster molds. The products are then fired in a ceramic kiln at 1250˚C. The heat causes the iron pigment to turn into a beautiful beige color with small dark brown speckles.
The OER tableware consists of six different shapes that can be combined with each other, it is of course food safe and can be put in the dishwasher.
WHY (this product is important)
Making people more aware of the use and origin of our raw materials, and seeing the value of residual flows. The OER that is used to color the porcelain represents a piece of awareness. It refers to one of the most important resources of our planet; water.
New product: Stainless Steel Mirror
The Stainless Steel Mirror is carefully manufactured from a stainless steel plate with a high-gloss finish. First it is cut with a laser and then folded twice to create depth. Then the brushed part is finished by hand.
In this way, an industrial stainless steel sheet is transformed into something with more character, while adding or subtracting as little as possible to its original shape. This takes both the usability and character of the material to a higher level.
With this product, designer Theodóra Alfreðsdóttir wants to encourage people to become more interested in how things are made. By understanding how everyday things are made, she hopes that more respect will be created for the materials used and that we will all take more responsibility for our choices as consumers.
With its remarkable design, this mirror adds a beautiful graphic element to any interior. The semicircle forms a soft, organic contrast to the straight lines creating a fascinating geometric shape.
WHY (this product is important)
This project makes people more aware of our material world, teaches them to appreciate what you have and inspires them to use materials and products responsibly and respectfully.
New product: foarme porcelain
The double-walled foarme porcelain offers an innovative solution for unnecessary waste in the porcelain production process. In traditional production processes, a lot can go wrong: cracks, deformations, and waste are often the result. A large part of the production, therefore, often fails to be sold. The foarme series, on the other hand, prevents this waste by thinking from the material itself, not just from a shape.
This unique series is sustainably designed and made from colored porcelain, with a gradient of colors composed by Idwert Petter. The double-walled porcelain uses tension lines in the shape, resulting in a strong product that always comes out of the oven as intended.
Foarme, the Frisian word for "shaped," was the result of Idwert's graduate work at the Design Academy
Eindhoven. In the process, she conducted thorough research into both desirable and undesirable deformations in porcelain. The series consists of espresso and coffee/tea cups, as well as a matching
tray.
WHY (this product is important)
This project not only emphasizes the importance of traditional craftsmanship, but also the need to dare to make adjustments for greater sustainability and energy efficiency. It shows that the world of design is constantly evolving, with old crafts and New ideas able to coexist.
Preview: Tube Cabinet
Maarten Baptist has a unique design philosophy: he likes to show the production process without making too many adjustments. His goal is to CREATE functional and reproducible items, with the beauty of simplicity in form and function taking center stage.
The Tube Cabinet is a beautiful example of this approach. It has a unique design, made from 3D laser-cut aluminum tubes and sturdy solid wooden shelves. Precision is essential in production, and advanced 3D laser cutting technology ensures that each piece is perfectly shaped and suitable for its intended purpose.
What makes this cabinet so special is that you can completely customize it to your space, thanks to the variable lengths of the tubes and shelves. You can even add side and back panels or doors to the front to CREATE a closed section if you want.
Whether you are looking for an elegant place to display your favorite books, plants or artworks, or need a handy storage solution for your home office, this cabinet is the perfect choice.
WHY (this product is important)
Optimizing production processes and striving for minimal residual waste contributes to a more sustainable future. Customization and flexibility in the design also align with sustainability principles by reducing waste and extending the lifespan of products.
Vij5 Showroom
During the week, our showroom was of course also open to visit to see, feel and experience a large part of the Vij5 collection in real life. There were also a number of scoops to see of products we were working on at that time: a new version of the Angled Cabinet, the Tube Cabinet, and an upholstered version of Stoel 18×36. There was also an installation of the colored special editions of the Alf wandhaak. On the wall of the showroom were the beautiful colors THORGRØN and LYSNING from the Aqualinum series of the Danish brand 'Linolie & Pigment', of which we are ambassadors.
DDW 2023 RECAP
Did you have to miss Dutch Design Week this year, or do you feel like enjoying it again? Dutch Design Week made a recap of all design areas during the festival. An overview of all the videos can be found here or watch the video of the Hallenweg including the Vij5 expo directly below: