Design Philosophy

This first blog post got me thinking about the way design truly impacts all aspects of our life. As consumers we look for the most efficient as well as the most aesthetically pleasing options. Being consumers ourselves gives us the advantage as business students of knowing how consumers operate and what they are looking for in products. Our challenge is to create the unknown and to think outside of the constraining box of the norm. Designers must constantly be thinking ahead whether it is in marketing, products, interiors, or fashion.
I really enjoyed reading and learning about the designers that Jeff Mulhausen discussed. Specifically, I was interested in Charles and Ray Eames because I had seen their work at the Museum of Modern Art over the summer while I lived in New York City. In order to better understand their design philosophy, I researched them further and was very intrigued by their “banana leaf parable” explaining how a banana leaf is the most basic eating dish in India and how this demonstrates man’s ability to transform an unsophisticated object into a functioning entity. I love this mantra and believe it to be incredibly relevant to our role as marketing majors to see products in a new light and creatively present our useful discoveries to consumers.
The past two summers I have constantly been surrounded by design philosophy while interning at Teen Vogue and assisting in the launch of Lonny, an online interior decorating magazine. Design philosophy is utilized not only in the marketing of the magazines themselves, but also in the layouts and presentations of the clothing and furniture within the magazines. In the magazine industry is it imperative to know your target market so that you are constantly creating and innovating to please your consumers and to maintain their interest.
Recognizing the market for a new interior decorating magazine after Domino folded, as well as noting the future in online magazines, Michelle Adams, a former Domino editor, created Lonny as a consumer-friendly online publication. Like the music industry, the magazine and print world in general is drastically changing. Sadly, less and less people are moving away from print and exclusively to reading online publications. Many magazines are going under and therefore the market for online magazines, newspapers, etc. is greatly increasing. Since Michelle launched Lonny, she has gained a ton of support from many well-known and respected interior decorators as well as former Domino editors. She is an incredible person and a great role model who recognized an opportunity and pursued it with enthusiasm and motivation.