Easy does it.

In my daily internet wanderings, most of it work related, some of it not, I stumbled on the latest work by filmmaker, performing artist and writer, Miranda July. She has a new book, a collection of stories, coming out in May. If you don’t know of her, she also wrote, directed and starred in the feature-length film, Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005), which won a special jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival and four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Camera d’Or. If you haven’t seen it, add it to your Netflix queue now. I really love her work, but what made me think about things differently, was the website supporting her new book. Its design is completely simple, relying mostly on text. Its message is totally clear, here’s my book, buy it now. And best of all it does it in a unique, compelling way (she probably wouldn’t want me to say cute, but it is). I think much of what I see being designed for the web is overly complicated. I appreciate how July goes utterly simple. See what I mean here. She’s coming to Modern Times bookstore in San Francisco on May 18th. I’ll be there, first in line I hope.

Passion For Taschen

Benedikt Taschen has finally landed in New York’s SoHo district, after closing a pop-up shop over a year ago, and the only grievance that comes to mind: What took so long? Taschen has long been the go-to publisher for coffee table books that march to their own drummer. Taschen’s books are not for the masses. They’re for people who get “it.” And by “it” I mean style, design, countercultures and sex.

Judging from recent Taschen books, including Butt Book, a compilation from the gay Dutch sex/fashion mag and The Big Book of Breasts (the title says it all), you’d think their minds (and books) were in the gutter.  But this is also the company that recently compiled Domus in the form of a twelve-volume reprint.  So they know what their doing.

The NYC shop was designed by DWR fave Philippe Starck and features a colorful mural by Beatriz Milhazes  It has quickly become our favorite place to browse books full of the art we wish we could afford and the houses we wished we live in. And the people watching is not bad to boot!

Leadership is an art.

Part of the fun of working for Design Within Reach is discovering and falling in love with the products we sell, their designers and the companies that bring good design to the masses.  One of my great loves is Herman Miller, home to the iconic designs of Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, George Nelson and Alexander Girard. They're also the manufacturers of Chadwick and Stumpf's Aeron chair and the new Leaf Light designed by SF-based Yves Béhar. Their catalog is a design-junkie's dream.

What is equally impressive about Herman Miller is the culture that exists at their Michigan corporate headquarters.  After recently reading Max DePree's wonderful book Leadership is an Art, I am even more impressed with HM.  DePree is one-time Herman Miller CEO (and son of its original visionary). The book was written in 1989, yet its lessons still resonate today. Not only has it helped me to become a more effective leader, but it has also allowed me a glimpse into the design of Herman Miller's people, and they're much more impressive than any piece of furniture. I even sent a copy to our CEO.  I suggest you grab your own.

www.hermanmiller.com

Data Design

I took a day off from work yesterday to attend a conference featuring Edward Tufte. He writes, designs and self-publishes books on analytical design, which have received more than 40 awards for content and design. Yesterday he spoke on “Presenting Data and Information.” Sounds a bit dry, right? But it’s actually fascinating to web geeks like myself. Anyone who has to share information with customers, co-workers, managers – anyone really – should consider checking out his books. And, if you have the chance, try and catch a lecture. Warning, he’s a wee bit, full of himself. At the end of the conference, the music started up  (perfectly cued), and he took a bow – for a second I felt like I was at a music concert. Nevertheless, what he has to teach is pretty powerful, so I had to agree that the clapping was well-deserved.