NeoCon

It has been a while since I last posted but here we go. I will try and post a great deal more as I just got internet again. I have recently moved to Chicago and am currently looking for Architectural/design work, more on that later.

Last we the annual interior design convention NeoCon was held here in Chicago at the Merchandise Mart. A small group of my design friends and I spent a day wondering the endless halls looking at, sitting on and, oogling this years latest and greatest in design. Here is a quick overview of some of my fav. stuff.

Probably my favorite exhibit was the of Steelcase. The entire theme and design of their space was so fluid and clear. this was one of the first exhibits that we looked at and it set us up for the slew of other designs that seem to be following some sort of classic 50's/60's motif. Bubbly pods, avacodo green upholstery and Jetson like workstations were all the rave. It seemed that the Modular office unite was in full force also. No longer content with simple cubicals it seems that every office design group was working out a new way to fit the wolf in sheep's clothing. this was all done with an flare for exagurating the sustainability of the products. This was the same with every company. I was floored by how many firms had chosen earthy coolers such as browns and of coarse greens. This was all good and well and the few that chose sexy reds and blues really popped. Most displays were very careful to annotate the sustainable properties of their designs. this meant recycled materials, recyclable materials, and low emission manufacturing to name a few. Whether this is something of just a gimmick or whether this is acctually the start of the needed paridigm shift in design is unclear at this point. more on that in later posts.

Some other firms that i was impressed with included the Heworth, AllSteel, and surprising to me KI, a Green Bay WI based company that is not always known for their "high" design. Slightly disappointing this year was Herman Miller. Though they took top honors at the convention i felt that their exhibit was a bit bland for such a perennial favorite.

Over all the Convention was a great look at some beautiful new designs and a chance to see the direction design is heading in as far as mass production goes.

My fav. things at NeoCon 08...

Steelcase's Graphics, and overall brand identity that carried through all of the designs.
Allsteel's Interactive touchscreen chair choosing desplays
KI's acrilic chaise lounge and supper easy hide a bed designs.