A concept in progress by Jeremy Walton 2008.

GlobalMade Local is a concept, or a working theory, that developed through a 50/50 collaboration between Jeremy Walton and the cabinetmakers at PP møbler for the SE 2008 Fifty Fifty exhibition. The ideology is still in progress, slowly.

If you like the idea of it, or would like to be a part of it, get in touch for further information.

What is GlobalMadeLocal?

GlobalMadeLocal is a global furniture collection that is made locally. It is a community of cabinetmakers (and designers) that share design knowledge to form a global collection of furniture pieces. The GlobalMadeLocal Collection stems from the collaboration of designers and cabinetmakers from all over the world. The final production of each piece is made locally to the customer who is commissioning the piece, irrespective of where the piece was originally developed.

The GlobalMadeLocal idea came about through the 2008 theme for SE (The Danish Cabinetmakers Autumn exhibition). The theme for the 2008 exhibition was to partner designers together with producers from the outset. This was done by drawing names out of a hat. The exhibition theme was named 50/50, exactly how the members of SE interpreted the theme was up to each pair.

PP Møbler and myself (Jeremy Walton) were paired together. The result of our 50/50 project is not a single piece of furniture but a common ground, a combination of both parties, 50/50. The result GlobalMadeLocal.

I worked together with PP Møbler the previous year and have for a long time greatly admired their world renowned ‘collection of unavailable furniture’ built up over half a century. Having already worked on a forward thinking and responsible armchair, (see Danse floor for the homed) that has since been added to PP’s ‘Collection of unavailable furniture’, this year I didn’t feel the need to repeat the accomplishment.

PP Møbler has always given time to exploration. In my view these explorations are not only about quality of materials and craftsmanship, but also the ideas of the different artists in relation to the period of time. So it was no surprise to find PP Møbler being positive about looking at the whole process, the way both the cabinetmakers and designers work together, before thinking about an end result. Today there is more creativity and ideas than there is need or opportunity to tool up and put single ideas in to large scale production.

How can so many ideas become ‘ACollection of Available Furniture’ in the future?

The basis of GlobalMadeLocal is to design furniture that does not need to be selective and reliant on tooling investment. Furniture that can be picked up and made one for one. In that sense why does it need to be restricted to being made in the same place and reserved and protected by one producer?

It is hoped that the concept can work, expand and develop. Yet for the time being GlobalMadeLocal is just a prototype, a response to the theme for the purpose of the SE exhibition taking place in November 2008. It is an example of a different set of parameters and some examples of inspiration created through a response to the new parameters.

If it goes further beyond the exhibition, that will be dependant upon further funding, interest and the commitment of other designers and cabinetmakers to adopt the parameters and the willingness to share.

Development of design Knowledge.

Members, both designers and cabinetmakers work together to develop the design knowledge. There after, the cabinetmakers share the production knowledge so that each cabinetmaker can market a large global collection of furniture and supply it direct to their locality.

It connects people and increases awareness of local cabinetmakers. It offers an alternative way of thinking and a challenge for designers and cabinetmakers. It frees designers of the selective production process, creating an open creative opportunity and more choice for customers. The customers choose what is made. It also avoids the transportation of furniture around the globe and more importantly helps prevent cabinetmakers from getting tennis elbow.

Registration of authenticity.

Each commissioned piece is registered and given an authenticity number that is attached to the piece. The individual authenticity number can be used to reference the information of the individual piece, who originally developed it, where it was commissioned and who commissioned it and when.

The registration of each piece of furniture includes a payment contribution that tracts back to the original developers of the piece. There is a fee structure of G = Grand,  L = Large and M = Medium. Both Medium and Large are fixed prices while Grand is variable. The registration fee is additional to the price of commissioning the piece and is paid by the cabinetmaker.

The first tags 01 to 50 use seqeuntial numbers printing on ear tags, commonly used for the registration of cattle. The type of tags used might change periodically but the number sequence will continue.

Membership.

To become a member one must develop at least one piece for inclusion in the collection. All members can make any of the pieces in the collection. The collection is an open book and is not subject to any limitations or selection panel. Members decide their own criteria for each piece. GlobalmadeLocal aims to encourage and celebrate diversity rather than similarity.

While the creative person may be professional or amateur, the cabinetmaker needs to show suitable qualification as a cabinetmaker to be approved as a member. The creative person just needs to convince a cabinetmaker to work with them. Which is easier said than done.

Active Cabinetmakers.

Cabinetmakers are responsible for how active they are in promoting the collection in their own locality (posters in libraries and articles in local newspapers, etc). Downloadable pdf promotion packs and support is all part of the on going discussion within the GlobalMadeLocal community. Some cabinetmakers such as larger factories may not wish to be so active in taking commissions, but still be interested in developing pieces for the collection. All sale and service takes place between the person commissioning the piece and their local cabinetmaker.

The Collection.

The expanding collection stands as an inspiring assemblage of the freedom of creativity, skill and craftsmanship. All of which can be commissioned should a piece demand it.

The Gallery.

Showcasing and presenting furniture based on themes or projects. Highlighting exhibitions and events in relation to the GlobalMadeLocal way of sharing.

The Community.

Information mainly aimed at members for debate and discussion about the workings of GlobalMadeLocal, cabinetmaking and wood etc.

Representative of Designers. Jeremy Walton

In the summer of 2008 through fate and a chance meeting with PP Møbler, JW began his revolutionary march across the globe, spreading his teachings and recruiting members as he commenced his journey around the globe in 80 chairs.

Representative of Industries. Kasper Holst Petersen. (PP Møbler)

As early as 1955, PP Møbler embraced the more experimental sides to cabinet making – and not least the possibilities of wood, which has been a characteristic for the workshop ever since. In the early days, together with artist, Gunnar Aagaard some highly interesting prototypes were developed. As such, this is the beginning of the extensive developmental work with designers and artists, which has set some remarkable marks in Danish design history.
‘Furniture experiments should not be resigned to be prototypes, they should be available locally and for the people to have the choice of what is made.’

]]> http://www.walton.dk/walton/about-theories-in-process/about-globalmadelocal/about-global-made-local/feed/ 0 http://www.walton.dk/walton/about-theories-in-process/about-designyoumake/designyoumake/ http://www.walton.dk/walton/about-theories-in-process/about-designyoumake/designyoumake/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:17:36 +0000 admin http://www.walton.dk/wordpress/?p=193 An alternative by Jeremy Walton, 2006.
Product downloads as e-craftbooks.

LINK to www.designyoumake.com
DesignYouMake is about people-led design, it is about involving people in design. It positions design as knowledge rather than an object and craftsmanship as something to be appreciated not judged.

‘Design is knowledge,
craftsmanship is a state of mind.’

You can download design and make-it-yourself. No packing or transport. You can be part of the ever growing Peoples Museum of Design. The digital download may even become part of the object or be used physically as a tool, helping to construct the object. The design is based on the abilities and resources of the maker, in this case the people.

DesignYouMake is a creative solution to allow me to continue my work as a designer maker. All be it, that the making is now in the hands of the people and that I do it for pleasure not work.

For you to make my objects, you wont need high incomes but you will need the luxury of time. The question is, do you have this luxury?

As a designer I develop the object, keeping in mind the abilities and resources of the maker (the people). People can make things at home, it is an almost forgotten art. My job is to do all the working-out and then communicate this working-out, in a simple and effective way, in the form of a digital download.

Working-out

Even myself, someone that is creative, can’t manage to make all the things I think I might have a go at making. The reason for this is because, I just don’t have enough time to work out the solution, the working-out bit at the beginning that holds up the end, the pencil chewing, the scratching your head part. Plus my children are not too patient when it comes to watching daddy scratching his head while trying to work-out the best way to make a toy castle. Plus, when I do manage to make something, I only work-out how it could have been done better, first after I have done it.

People can make things, it has been done in the past.

Inspired by the likes of Victor Papanek, my fathers do-it-yourself manuals and the charm of hand made objects, that were once created in sheds by grandfathers.

I ask myself, what if design is regarded as knowledge that can be transported digitally and then crafted by people themselves.?

Originality is easier when working with a hypothesis in mind, it gives new possibilities and freedom from expectations. One thing leads to another and here, new and unique unexpected ideas and craftsmanship can be found. But can people see beyond the idea of craftsmanship presented to them in glossy magazines?

Having always been interested in involving people and reflecting society within my design, the idea of considering design as knowledge that people use to create an object themselves, has come as a natural progression and an interesting challenge.

Who in their right mind will find this interesting?

People that appreciate design but don’t wish to spend half their income on buying it. People that have the luxury of time. People that are trying to give up smoking and need something to do with their hands. People that have a conscience about material waste, energy waste and the sustainability of the environment, People that were looking for something else, but found this site, People that are bored of just reading about design in glossy magazines, Materialists that feel bad about being materialistic, Parents that would like to show their children that they can make things, Children under five (coming soon) get them while they are young! (I learnt that from my bank), Grandparents that are not busy polluting the skies.

Who won’t find it interesting?

The industry that taught me everything I know about working for free.

Why they might have the wrong idea.

The more people understand about materials and the work that goes into making things, the better they will appreciate other quality products. Thus the more likely they are to wish to save up and invest in objects that are well designed and skilfully crafted. That’s my theory.

The background to DesignYouMake.

In 2006 I was at a crossroads with my own range of products. Do I invest in becoming a business or do I step aside and focus on my creative ideas.
As a designer maker I found that too much of my time was spent dealing with sales, packaging and distribution. Less and less time and resources were available for new ideas. Customers were paying more for the transport, than for the items themselves.

I offer creative solutions, so I had to look at my own situation and make some decisions. My heart is in creativity and i know for sure it would not be a good idea for me to try and compete with the growing number of good design brands set up by people that are as passionate about business as I am about being creative. The best way for me to be in business with such competitors is not to compete with them. By removing myself from the competition, I have no competition, that is my business strategy, how rewarding it will be, time will tell.

So the small time i have for working on my own ideas, can now be more effectively used for actually working on my own ideas. The result is near to 100% design.

A Design process by Jeremy Walton 2004

A slowly expanding collection of objects made using a designed process, where locally found furniture parts (urban drift wood) get used to determine variable end results.

Each item is individually numbered. The collection is on going and the initial collection of 01 to 60 will be presented at MM gallery Copenhagen in 2005. Selected items are part of the Lauritz Passion day Aution 2005.

Standing Lamps from the Fake Dane Collection. 2005

Donated chair from Ishøj, Copenhagen, 2005.

• “Hr Larsen, what colour or colours do you feel are particularly Danish?”
• “Blue and white.”
• “Why and what sort of blue?”
• “The blue of the sea in Skagen when it joins the white sky.”
• “What sort of blue is it?”
• “It is very bright blue.”
• “Can you give some examples of other things that are the same blue?”
• “It is like the blue of this pate [Leverpostej] packaging or letmælk cartons.”

Dear Hr Larsen
I have a close match to Leverpostej (pate) packaging. I have recently been to Skagen, it was grey and rained but during moments of sunshine it hinted and I can imagine the sea being blue and joining the white sky.

Found table from Vesterbrø Copenhagen, 2005.

• “Fru Daugaard, what colour or colours do you feel are particularly Danish?”
• “Brick Red like the roof tops.”
• “That is straightforward. Are the tiles of that colour found commonly in towns all over Denmark?”
• “It’s all over. Also provincial towns have that red brick colour.”

Dear Fru Daugaard,
This looks much more red than some of the newer orange looking tiles. It is quite similar to the older weathered tiled roofs. From a distance this red might also look less red, everything looks different from a distance.

Full collection archieve underconstruction.

The service. The basics of the service, is to allow people to come to the shop and hand over their old , tiring house hold products.
These products would then be worked on and used to create new products. The customer has the choice of discussing their needs or taking pot luck in what the product will return as. Or they can part exchange with another product off the shelf.

Original proposal to be conducted from Designers Guild store.