Walking Neocon can be exhausting, all 1.2 million feet of it. The crowds, waiting for elevators, 3d forms, colors can be exciting and after five hours certainly exhausting. Of course you will be meeting new customers while running into friends, past coworkers, mentors, and nemeses. For me it's also about what chair I worked on... Maybe a prototype will be showing? I worked on a new KI chair and that prototype was showing in the KI showroom. We have a hand full of past students currently working at Herman Miller... which chair and what role did our past students have on new furniture? I am told that all the new Herman Miller showings were off site since they are not into tooling phase yet. Neocon can be a great sensory overload experience. The current buzz in the air for the big three furniture manufactures is the economy slowing down. Because of the cost savings the third floor is now a home to Steelcase, Herman Miller (all moved from the from the 10th floor) and reduced the size of their showrooms. The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacture Association BIFMA foretasted a 6 percent point drop from last years shipment level. The next few years will require tighter design and leaner engineering recourses. The Bernhardt Design completion among the Art Center students turned out three amazing winner pieces. See the top images below. It was a pleasure too see furniture designers Lee Weitzman, Scott Wilson walking the showrooms and to meet Gioncario Peretti and Gioncario's son. The Chicago Design Engine office is decked out with Steelcase Leap Chairs by the way. - Bart Brejcha, Design Engine | 
Posts
