Designed to start a conversation
Fig40’s B-Sides.
“Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child).”
-Bruce Mao, An incomplete manifesto for growth
In the days of vinyl singles, the song you bought was the A-side. But there was always a B-side, and you never new what that song was. The B-side was often viewed as a song that didn’t quite make the cut, a kind of filler to inflate the value of the A-side — but there is another, far more intriguing way to look at them — they are the safe place to try something new. I often find that the b-sides, or any of the tracks not released as singles are the more interesting songs — this is where the magic is.
Almost all of the design work we experience on a daily basis is commercial work — it’s work that is the result of a specific set of activities focussed on addressing the needs of a particular group of people by a company that can address those needs and turn a profit in the process.
Anyone involved in a creative profession knows intimately that this is the majority of their work, but there is always another side, it’s the pursuit of the niggle in the back of your head, or the connections you make between seemingly disconnected things that you can’t shake but are not certain what to do with. This year we have pursued a collection of these b-sides and are presenting them at DesignTO 2020 this coming January in Toronto, with the aim of starting a conversation.
We’ve selected 4 pieces that in varying ways embody an experiment in tension:
Bench 78: This long bench is an exploration of lighter forms and tensile structures. A thin hardwood seat supported with wire legs, all kept rigid with a tension cable.
Stitched Stool: Using tension and compression forces to create a simple elegant seat. Leather laced to a steel frame eliminates the need for fasteners and creates a lightweight, compliant stool with a very natural and dynamic sitting surface.
Stool33: Durable material choices create a multi-environment stool. A high performance concrete seat and a powder coated steel frame comprise an elemental stool for outdoor or indoor use. The contrast in materials results in a subtle, visual character.
Thread Table: Using an unconventional assembly and the properties of materials to create a functional and visually curious side table. Light in form and stable, this pull-up table leverages; the weighted concrete in the base; the steel stiffness in the frame, and warm wood on the surface.
Oki Sato of Nendo talks about intentionally forgetting about the project you’re working on when you hit a block in favour of taking a walk and letting your mind wander. The point is to let indirect thoughts converge and enter from places unexpected to help with the project. Great work cannot be scripted, or forecast, it’s a balance of observation, experimentation, judgement and instinct. The b-sides create a place for this.
