Managing For Innovative Design Nashville TN

I talk a lot about managing the shop in this corner of the magazine, as I should, but recently, the idea of "managing for innovative design" was brought up to me, and what a great idea it was.

For many solid surface shops that rely mostly on residential work, business has been in a slump. Yet there is a whole field of untapped markets just waiting for the solid surface field to grasp. It may take a little effort and review of your business plan to take advantage of this emerging market. Read on and see if you can glean a few points that will help you explore the versatile and innovative possibilities of solid surface.

As designers look for different and unique designs, many surfaces become, well, just flat. That's where solid surface comes in with numerous possibilities. It is one of the few surfaces with the ability to transcend all aspects of design. Of course it will always make great traditional countertops, but a new wave of designs is starting to sweep the industry. Many designers see the surface for all of its value.

Hopefully, your management style will allow for the folks in your shop to take advantage of the things that set solid surface apart from other materials. Don't hole yourself up into just doing countertops and encourage your shop personnel to be creative; try new things and offer their creative thoughts on the process. Here are some great attributes of solid surface that you can experiment with and that designers can also take advantage of.

Translucency

One value afforded by solid surface that can really grab the eye of designers is its translucency. This quality makes it perfect for ambient lighting designs. It can be used for anything from light being reflected off the surface to set a mood, to making traditional lampshades. The light shining though a solid surface lampshade can be breathtaking and cannot be duplicated by many other surfaces.

Thermoformability

Unlike many other surfacing options, solid surface has the capability to be thermoformed. What is thermoforming? Basically it is the process in which fabricators heat up the solid surface material and then bend it to take on a desired shape. Once the material cools, it holds that shape. If you have examples of it to show what can be done, designers can take advantage of this feature of the product to make a variety of objects, from furniture to dishware and even cabinets. Do you have this technology in your shop? Do you encourage your staff to learn and understand the principles of thermoforming? Do you let your more creative fabricators experiment with the possibilities?

Harnessing Your Imagination

Really it's up to the imagination what can be done with this unique material. A classic example of imagination and well thought out design using solid surface would be the Z. Island Kitchen Design by Zaha Hadid. It consists of two islands, wall cabinets and thermoformed wall cladding that emphasize sound and light technology. While much of this came from the mind of the designer, a fabricator had to be able to turn those thoughts into reality.

Now it's true Mrs. Smith on Maple Street USA isn't going to put this kitchen concept into her kitchen this year, but there are many elements here that we can incorporate into the kitchen design now. Why not an LED message board on your full backsplash? Or how about an island countertop that has a thermoformed dropped apron that reaches to the floor? The possibilities are really endless.

Solid Surface And Industrial Design

One type of designer that has really taken hold of solid surface is the industrial designer. They are always looking for materials to use for a variety of projects. A classic example of this was seen at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) held last May in New York City.

DuPont Corian had a booth that was inundated with designers whose curiosity and imagination were piqued by what the surface could be used on, which runs the gamut of anything from watches to flooring. Being at an event such as this gave me a good idea of how to appeal to this type of designer and what to prepare my staff for in the future.

I even had the opportunity to interview one such designer — Demet Billici — who was commissioned by DuPont for its 40th anniversary of the Corian event. Her design was called the Manager's Table, and she is recognized as a leader in the industry with regard to solid surface design.

I asked her as a designer what parts of solid surface appealed to her and here is what she had to say about it.

"First of all, the material, especially Corian, has an emotional impact on the user," she explained. "It has a silky look but is hard when touched and this irony excites me. Also, it is like dough to shape. You are free to give it almost any form — you can thermoform it like plastic and then chip it like stone."

I also asked her about the colors of solid surface and the impact they have when designing.

"Most of the materials need to be painted as a final process for the product to be presented on the market, and there is always a chance that you might not get the true color you wish, so you make many trials," responded Billici. "But with solid surfaces, you know your choices from the start. Besides, the wide variety of colors and textures, be it like granite or marble, trendy or old-fashioned, provide the designer with a chance to use solid surfaces in many different purposes and areas."

Finally, I asked Billici where she sees solid surface headed with regard to the design world, and she had some good insight to pass on.

"I think the designers are beginning to realize the value solid surface brings to their works," she explained. "At first it was seen as an expensive equivalent to plastics or granite, but slowly it gained its real value. It has a high-class look in terms of plastic, and it is much more easily manufactured than granite or other stones. So I see solid surfaces as rising stars shining in the design world of tomorrow."

40 Years Young

Solid surface has been around for 40 years and we are still discovering its potential. What about you? Are you ready for the "next" great surface? As a fabricator are you ready to bring designers ideas to the next level? And are the guys in your shop ready to move past flat design when there are so many options available.

So how does one get involved in this type of work? As mentioned earlier it takes effort. First you need to find out where this target audience is. Most of the work mentioned in the article was designed by architects and industrial designers.

The best way to reach architects is to go to them directly. They seem to have very little free time so coming up with a brief presentation is a must. Highlight the strengths of the product. Comparing and bringing down other surfaces will not impress them. They just want the facts.

Consider making a brochure to bring with you. We use a photo-sharing site called FLICKR to host pictures of past jobs. You can also put your experimental work on the site, and if you let your more creative fabricators come up with some innovative ideas, this type of place would be a great way to share the ideas with potential customers. You can also have brochures made up using this site. It is an amazing tool, and I urge you to check it out.

Lastly, I can't think of a better way to show the solid surface world what you can do than to enter the design contest held each year at the Surface Fabrication Design Expo. This is a great way to get your staff thinking out of the box, and if they come up with something really interesting or unique, there is a stage available to showcase it. Information on the contest is available at www.surfacefabricationdesigncontest.com.

In this 21st century of new and exciting uses for solid surface, we need to be ready to try managing for innovative design.

About the author:

Jon Olson is the production and operations manager for Sterling Surfaces in Sterling, Mass. He has been a solid surface fabricator since 1982 and can be reached at jon@sterlingsurfaces.com.