We at People of Resource were pleased to debut our design exhibition, Yall & Us, on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at our studio in the historic Telephone Factory at the end of Modern Atlanta’s design week.

Although the focus was on design from all over the US, it was certainly our goal to put a bit of a Southern accent on the proceedings.

Toward that end, we sought to align every aspect of the event with that combination of scrappiness and hospitality for which the American South is known. In contrast to the typical trappings of the design exhibition world (wristbands, “no sit” signs, and corporate sponsors), Yall & Us attendees paid no admission and enjoyed complimentary Bourbon & Blenheims and Pimm’s Cups while admiring 40 design objects by 15 designers from across the US.

Hands-on interaction with the objects was encouraged and those who were especially intrigued were able to order prized pieces for themselves from their mobile phones thanks to e-commerce support from Subports.

The design of the exhibit itself drew on the utilitarian language of workshops: information about the objects and designers was displayed clearly on clipboards throughout the space. Illumination was provided by generic, everyday clamp lamps fitted with halogen bulbs.

FEATURED DESIGNERS

Craigton Berman, Chicago
Design Glut, Brooklyn
Et. Al., Etc., New York City
Jason Miller, Brooklyn
Joey Roth, San Francisco
Jonas Damon, New York City
Kiel Mead, New York City
Materious, Chicago
Object Group, New York City
Refined Sugar Studio, Cincinnati
Rich Brilliant Willing, New York City
Studio 1 AM, Chicago
Thoughtbarn, Austin
Von Tundra, Portland
Wintercheck Factory, Brooklyn

COLLABORATIONS

One exciting aspect of planning, designing, and producing this exhibition was the opportunity it presented to work with talented friends on various components of the show. We were pleased to commission Jason Travis to photograph the weekend’s events. In the weeks leading up to the show, we commissioned Farbod Kokabi of Armchair to create the exhibit’s bold, minimalist promotional graphics. Finally, we designed an e-commerce site filled with objects from the exhibit for Subports. For their part, Subports handled development of the site and provided their innovative text-to-buy platform as the e-commerce backend for both the site and the exhibit itself.

Melissa and People of Resource have a brief but vivid history together. When we’ve needed extra hands and brains on deck, Melissa has enthusiastically pitched in. Her talent and intelligence have been a boon to us and we were honored that she would trust us with the fabrication of her lamp prototype, a project many months in the making.

The video above details some of the work that went into bringing this piece to life. For more on the concept, see Melissa’s description below:

“I started out trying to create a lamp that would also function as a calendar. Wanting to get something that dealt more with form than numbers, I thought for a long time about the ways that we’ve marked time throughout history, and how we experience time in seasons. I also didn’t want to limit the accuracy of the lamp by location, and in the end what sifted out was the concept of the solstice. It’s just so wonderfully ancient, and the length of the day marks our lives in an innate way that transgresses barriers of culture and location.

From a form standpoint, it breaks the year into two segments of continuous movement as we move closer and further from the sun. The diameter of the nested hemispheres reflects the eclipsis, (the arc of the sun through the sky) which becomes measurably longer and longer, as the length of the day increases.”

For Yellawood’s Spring 2010 marketing campaign, Armchair developed a contest wherein Yellawood fans could win various prize packages. Our contributions were toward a Backyard Games Prize Package: thirty-two custom-painted croquet mallets and the eight Yellawood-clad crates that contains all the games.

Our good friend Jason Travis made the photograph you see above. You can find more images of the project in links to Flickr in the sidebar of this post.

The Jones Group, one of Atlanta’s leading advertising agencies, brought together a team of professionals to completely overhaul their offices. Led by interior designer Caryn Grossman, the team consisted of lighting designer Christopher Moulder, artist Michi, contractor Shane Benefield, and People of Resource. Our contribution was the design and fabrication of all the workstations, along with breakout and conference tables.

Solution

The primary material used is Kirei board, a compressed ply board material created from reclaimed sorghum straw. We utilized Kirei along with 3-Form Chroma, powder coated steel, and formaldehyde-free MDF.

Features of the designs include integrated power routing in the table tops, under-table computer mounts, and magnetic whiteboard partitions.

Results

Upon delivery and installation, the space immediately appeared more cohesive and efficient, with the interaction of Kirei board and antique brick taking on a romantic undertone. This project won People of Resource a 2009 Atlanta Downtown Design Excellence Award.

Malcolm Fontier’s eponymous modern travel accessory line was an instant darling upon its debut. Well-deserved nods from noteworthy publications like Wired, Dwell, and Lucky are a regular thing for MF’s clean, stylish, and vegan-friendly carryall line.

Nevertheless, the designer’s success begged a question: what next? How could his brand’s solid reputation translate into new products? How could the audience for MF products increase? What would those moves look like?

Solution

To answer these questions, Malcolm Fontier again turned to People of Resource. Our relationship began several years ago when Malcolm tapped People of Resource to fabricate his trade show displays. We count it as an honor that he continues to trust us as a collaborative partner.

To gain increased control over interaction with his customer base, we initiated a two-pronged video campaign that would demonstrate the products’ usefulness and also convey Malcolm’s modern explorer brand message.

To reward loyal retailers and, again, tighten control over direct communication with customers, we developed retail displays that use high-quality materials in creative ways to keep production costs low.

Through a series of creative workshops, we worked alongside Malcolm’s team to research, understand, and expand upon the opportunities that laid in front of the company.

Results

As a result of our video and retail display work, we were able to deliver more meaningful connections between the Malcolm Fontier brand and its fanbase.

As a result of our product design workshops, we were able to expand Malcolm’s audience by creating new bag designs that increase his product offering variety. Further, our design for a new, lower-priced bag, delivers a broader audience while maintaining his reputation for top notch quality.

David Daniels is an Atlanta-based architect with an extensive portfolio that includes restaurant interiors, private residences, and modern live-work spaces. With experience at nationally-recognized firms like Cooper Carry and Ai Group under his belt, David approached us ready to accelerate his private practice.

People of Resource’s relationship with David goes back – we’ve designed and fabricated furniture for a variety of his interior architecture projects. This history allowed People of Resource the luxury of already being familiar with David’s distinct style. The longevity of our relationship with David is something we take great pleasure in.

Solution

David’s work features distinctive contemporary forms. We approached the identity for David Daniels Design particularly inspired by his local residential projects. We elected to represent this work through a form that resides in the area between two- and three-dimensionality.

By developing an architecture based on project type, creating project pages that focus on imagery, and highlighting his best work through a rolling feature page, we established the breadth and variety of his portfolio.

Results

We created a clean environment that allows David’s work to be viewed at a high resolution, highlighting the striking character and precise details of his spaces and exteriors. The identity we created for David aligns with the aesthetics and quality of his architecture to reinforce his brand and build awareness of his practice in the marketplace.

It was our great pleasure to fabricate this ruler on behalf of Armchair. Also, it bears mentioning that the precise and excellent screen-printing that you’ll see on each device is the work of our good friends at Danger Press.