Book Review: Innovation X, by Adam Richardson

Core77 was lucky enough to interview Frog's Adam Richardson on Sunday, and perhaps the best way to open a review of his new bookInnovation X is the quote he closed the interview with. Listen up designers, because, "you've never had a better opportunity in the last 100 years than you have now!"

To put the end of the interview in context, however, we've got to start at the beginning. 2009 brought a huge crop of," Business, meet Design," books, including Frog's founder Hartmut Esslinger's A Fine Line and their competitor Tim Brown's Change by Design. By and large, case-study driven and written in anecdotal style, 2009's business/design books were targeted squarely at management. Those of us in design might find them of interest, but we likely already agreed with the value proposition. Instead of trying to lobby the value of design, Richardson is convinced that most large companies are already sold. Like all revelatory changes, however, this shift brings both good and bad. While both Esslinger and Brown's books entreated businesses to hire people facile in both creative and analytical realms, the front lines of high-end design consulting recognize that day is already here. Hold on to your hats, because even though it's a scant 200 pages, that's where Innovation X begins

So, with business sold on the merits of design, the future's never looked better for a working designer than now, right? Well, relatively early in the book, Richardson provides an eye popping analogy to America's favorite pastime. In baseball, we no longer see batting averages above .400 (40%), although at the turn of the last century, we did. Times have changed. The late evolutionary biologist Steven Jay Gould posited that the shift wasn't due to some vast improvement on behalf of the pitching coach. Instead, the bell curves representing the performance of the pitcher and that of the hitter have gotten closer and closer together. In the old days, a particularly gifted hitter was often matched up against average pitchers (the opposite was also likely true, but we suspect statisticians are and were more enamored with the highs than the lows). Now, with obsessive Little League parents and the High School World Series, the chances that a mediocre hitter or pitcher will make it to the big time are slim to none. It's far harder to bat 400 because the competition just got better.

For design-oriented businesses, that's the new competitive landscape, which is daunting, but Richardson's willing to hold your hand. As the world becomes more and more networked, not only do changes happen faster, but the environment becomes more complex. Seasoned greenies may have heard the term "Wicked Problem," which has often been applied to global warming. For simple problems, both the problem and the solution are clearly defined. Even if you don't know how to change the oil in your car, you know it can be done. For complex problems, the problem is known, but the solution is unclear, because you know what you need to do, but you don't know how to proceed. Wicked problems, however, are a different class. When neither the solution, nor the problem can be stated, framing the problem is the problem. For everyone trying to determine the next profit-hemorrhaging app, the struggle is not in the mechanics of coding, but in choosing what to build. In this era, where we can build nearly anything, the million dollar question is "what next?"

Richardson takes it one step further, introducing competition into the mix. When racing toward innovation goals, not only is the finish line unclear, but that makes it difficult to assess the progress of your competitors as well. In some cases, as innovation proceeds laterally, even identifying your competitors may be difficult. Richardson coins the problems faced in design strategy "X-Problems," and spends most of the book not solving them, but instead providing a framework from which to attack them.

The first element of the framework should be familiar to most product designers, and certainly to most design researchers: Immersion. For Richardson, immersion means multi-vector research, where teams address customers, trends, competitors, technology and a host of other targets simultaneously. Although it comes later in the book, and in an entirely different section, the best description of the immersion process is given by his colleague Albert Tan, observing that, "focus groups were originally called that because they were intended to focus the research; they were never intended to be the research. No one avenue of research is an end in and of itself. Instead, each vector, as it's explored, shapes and focuses the search for insight in the other vectors. If this all sounds a little vague, each section is capped off with a case study (in deference to the business readers perhaps). For Immersion, the case study involves IPC, a manufacturer of "turrets," which are really just extraordinarily expensive and sophisticated phone banks for Wall Street trading floors. While I'll leave the details for the book, suffice it to say that it provides real world examples of the concerns of different constituencies and demonstrates how a real product can be improved not only by addressing the end-user, but also strategic positioning.

The second section, convergence, is where it gets tricky. While it seems as though convergence would be harder for smaller firms, the major takeaway is that convergence doesn't' require a combined entity like GE-Westinghouse, um, -Toshiba. Instead, convergence can be capitalized even if your company doesn't service all end markets. Niche players can still become players on the converged landscape. Instead, convergence is about the customer journey. It works for companies like Apple (although Richardson has the good graces not to mention them as a case study), or even for a hard-drive company like Maxtor (which is a case study). Once Maxtor realized that the hard drive wasn't the product, but instead that data storage affects even facets of the customer's social life, they were able to position their product by seamlessly integrating it into their customers' lives, instead of fixating on technical specs.

Richardson goes a bit dialectic with his next section, divergence, which is really about product lifecycle management on the sales side. He views the declining portion of the S-curve as opportunity for finding lateral spaces to move into. While he can't solve the X-Problem of lateral competition, he can give you the toolkit to be a lateral competitor yourself.

Divergence dovetails nicely into a discussion of adaptation, the final prong of the X framwork. We finally get a negative case study (which are often neglected in business books), learning about the history of the Motorola Razr, where Motorola failed to capitalize on their stylish product, but also misread the customer base, who had grown to appreciate a well designed GUI. As that example illustrates, every one of these avenues is tied into the others. Motorola's loss in the end was due to a failure to adapt, but had they done a multi-vector analysis rather than closed off focus groups, they might have seen the tides changing. Likewise, an awareness of the convergence of the phone market into the user experience game that is smartphones, they would have known that flashy shells weren't going to cut it in the oughts.

There sad answer, design reader, is that there are no short cuts. Much like Alice in Wonderland's Red Queen, who had to run at breakneck pace to stand still, business has to adopt an evolutionary metaphor. Even the Red Queen needed to move from paper to screen and now on to 3D. Suddenly the strategy for an Innovation X company starts looking like the strategy of a tree. Indeed, Ricahrdson even observes, "Plant seeds, not forests," and "practice wasteful innovation." From an evolutionary perspective, a failed mutation doesn't get to propagate, but business can pick and choose its battles. Even though New Coke failed, it united the company with its customers in appreciation of its original product. Rather than an evolutionary dead end, a minor failed product is simply a scar, and a lesson learned. Gone are the days of Harley Earle, where one man dictates what should be popular for the people. Maybe Anna Wintour still has the juice, but for the rest of us, culture's gone viral. An Innovation X world can't be manhandled, can't be forced into submission and can't be prepared for. An organization planning to tackle X problems, however, can build a culture of preparedness. The good news, alluded to in the beginning, isn't that life will be a cakewalk for designers in the future, but instead that we'll be at the center of the maelstrom ... and that's just the place to be.

Theo Core77

The Core77 NY Design Week Guide - 2010

Javits Center | Meat Packing District | NoHo | SoHo | Brooklyn |Midtown and Uptown | Tribeca

Javits Center

ICFF

May 15-17, 10-5 p, May 18, 10-4 p
Opening Party: May 15, 7-9 p at MoMA
11th Avenue between 34th & 39th Streets (map)
icff.com

ICFF Programs

Materials Matter: More with Less
May 15, 11a-12n
Dr. Andrew H. Dent, vice president of Library and Materials Research at Material ConneXion, Inc. and all-around industrial science guru, offers the seeds of an inspired how to—and some pointed insights into the resultant stripped-down creativity—with a tour through the latest significant developments in materials technology.

Patricia Urquiola with Fast Company
May 15, 2-3p
Patricia Urquiola, the much-lauded Oviedo-born and Milan-based architect and industrial designer, discusses the nexus of design and business in today's global marketplace with Linda Tischler, the smart, sassy industry savant and Fast Company senior writer.

Design Deutschland 2010: Views on German Design
May 16, 11-12n
"Ich bin ein designer?" If you respond to that personal probe with a resounding "yes," and even if you don't, do not miss this exceptional, multi-pronged exploration of the German design zeitgeist now.

Interiors from Spain with Interior Design
May 16, 2-3p
Where would Americans be without Spain? Historically speaking, undiscovered? Or would that be nada? So let's say gracias to those great explorers, and to today's as well. Among them is Cindy Allen, Interior Design's effervescent and peripatetic editor, who brings to the fore the happenings design-wise in Spain's latest creative flowering.

Metropolis Conference
May 17, 10a-5p
These days, evolution is as much about speed as it is about change, thanks to the digital revolution, the volatile economy, the increasingly complex matrix of social, political, and aesthetic imperatives, and the ever-more demanding client. So if you've hit the fast forward button to reinvent your professional self—or if you know you need to—don't miss the annual Metropolis full-day conference.

Design Ride Manhattan

May 16, 5:30pm
Opening Party: May 15, 7-9 p at MoMA
11th Avenue between 34th & 39th Streets (map)
Starting at 5:30pm, bicyclists (a motley group of designers, friends and bike lovers) will roll from the ICFF at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center heading to the Tretorn Store on Spring Street in SoHo for a reception. Due to limited space, RSVP to rsvp@publicbikes.com.
www.publicbikes.com/designrideny/

Meatpacking District

STRAIGHTFORWARD: New Finnish Design

May 14-17, 11a-6p
Reception: May 17, 4-7p
410 West 16th Street, Chelsea Market (map)
A furniture, product design, a lounge and pop-up shop that explores innovative solutions to matters of everyday life by both young and established individual designers and design oriented companies from Finland.
www.straightforward-design.net

Dune presents "ENAMORED"

May 14-17, 11a-6p
Reception: May 16th, 5pm - 8pm
Milk Gallery: 450 West 15th Street (map)
Dune exhibits its 2010 Furniture Collection featuring new designs by Harry Allen, Jozeph Forakis, Karim Rashid, Carlos Gastelum, Claesson Kovisto Rune and Richard Shemtov.
www.dune-ny.com

Sounds Like

May 15th - 21st 11am - 7pm, May 16th Gallery Talk with Joey Roth at 2pm
Reception: May 14, 7-10pm
DDC Lab: 427 West 14th Street (map)
Nine designers and five musicians reinterpret American designer Joey Roth's award-winning Ceramic Speakers. Talents include Tobias Wong, David Lynch and Matthew Waldman. Surface magazine is the media sponsor. Transactions, artist inquiries, and free mp3s by Subports.
soundslike.org

Hudson Furniture

ICFF 2010 Event: May 14th 6:30pm - 9pm, Surface Magazine Event: May 15th, 6:30pm - 9pm
Reception: May 17, 4-7pm
419 West 14th Street, 2nd Floor (map)
Hudson Furniture's showroom showcasing new designs, furniture, and lighting.
www.hudsonfurnitureinc.com

Transformation Installation at Hugo Boss

May 10th - June 10th; M—Sa, 11am—7pm, Sn 12:30pm—5:30pm
Hugo Boss Concept Store: 401 West 14th Street (map)
Hugo Boss presents a 3-D installation with integrated audio and visual elements; including a time lapse video of the store's construction and a graphic animation of the "superstructure". Italian architectural designer Matteo Thun created this unique bent diamond-shaped wood framing that encloses the store; the structure is inspired by the fibres of woven fabric.
www.hugoboss.com

Katrin Schnabl's "Limb" at Rubin Chapelle

May 12th-31st, M-F 11am - 7pm, Sa 12pm - 7pm, Sn 12pm - 6pm
410 West 14th Street (map)
Katrin Schnabl's installation, Limb, is a limited edition series of framed, knitted plastic membranes. The structures—a lit tube and a screen—are each hand knit from a distinct variety of recycled plastic bags and suspended from a welded frame. Over time, climbing plants suspended below weave themselves into the porous tissue.
www.katrinschnabl.com

Breakable at Heller Gallery

May 7-28, T-Sa 11a-6p
420 West 14th Street (map)
The American Design Club (AmDC) in association with Heller Gallery will curate and present an exhibition of contemporary design based on the theme of glass.
www.americandesignclub.com

Whitney On Site: New Commissions Downtown presented by The Whitney Museum of American Art

May 8-June 23
Gansevoort Street and Washington Street, outdoor exhibit (map)
Guyton\Walker, comprising artists Wade Guyton and Kelley Walker, inaugurate the first of a 3-part series of large-scale, commissioned works on the site of the Whitney's future downtown building. This installation responds to the site's dynamic urban context and heralds plans to bring a downtown Whitney to the neighborhood.
whitney.org

Inter-Connected by Touch

May 13-16, 11a-7p
Opening: May 15, 7pm - 9pm
805 Washington Street (map)
Sponsored by Surface Magazine and curated by Zoe Melo, this exhibition features the work of twelve product and furniture designers from Brazil and Portugal. The content focuses on the use of materials, production method, and sustainability as a starting point.
www.do-not-touch.com

Uncomfortable Conversations

May 15-18, 11am - 6pm
Opening Reception: May 16, 6pm - 9pm
803 Washington Street (map)
"A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have."—Timothy Ferriss. Inspired by this quote, we've challenged 15 designers to create something with provokes an uncomfortable conversation. Why? We believe it is the role of creatives to start the difficult conversations that ultimately cause people to grow. Sponsored by NYDesigns, Subports, Fast Company, Publicide, and Pomp&Clout.
www.uncomfortabledesign.com

The 111 Navy Chair Launch Party

Reception: May 16, 6pm - 10pm
Design Within Reach, 408 West 14th Street (map)
Come celebrate a special collaboration between Coca-Cola, Emeco, and Design Within Reach. Cocktails courtesy of Bacardi and Coca-Cola and tacos courtesy of the CalexicoCart. .
www.dwr.com

Vitra. presents the 50th anniversary of the Panton Chair

May 15, 11am - 7pm, May 16th 11am - 4pm
Q&A session with Vitra Head of Product Development May 15th, 3pm - 4:30pm
29 Ninth Avenue (map)
In collaboration with Creation Baumann, Vitra is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Panton Chair. Visit the showroom for an exhibition on the life of Verner Panton along with Creation Baumann's latest fabric designs.
www.vitra.com

Royal Botania

May 14th - 16th 10am -10pm
Spice Market Square, 13th Street and Ninth Avenue (map)
Presenting signature pieces from their new collection of modern, all-weather furniture, including the Wave hammock.
www.dapostrophe.net

Itre Light Lounge

May 14th - 16th, 10am - 10pm
Pedestrian Plaza, Little West 12th Street and 9th Avenue (map)
To mark the occasion of New York Design week the premier Italian lighting manufacturer ITRE will create a "lounge of lights" in front of the New York City gastronomic favorite, Pastis.
itreusa.com

Trina Turk presents Litill

May 13th - June 15th, M-Sa, 11am - 7pm; Sn, 12pm - 6pm
Champagne reception: Sn, May 16th 12 - 6pm
67 Gansevoort Street (map)
LÃ till a line of desert-inspired, hand-blown glass terrariums creates sustainable and ephemeral mini-worlds that incorporate rare cacti and air plants. The vessels produced in the Pacific Northwest, come in organic shapes, and their beauty and inspiring colors bring nature ever closer. Pedestals provided by Alma Allen in Joshua Tree, California.
litill.com

Mr. Brainwash presents: ICONS

May 1st - 31st, M-R12pm - 9pm, F-Sa 12pm - 12am, Sn 12pm - 7pm
415 West 13th Street (map)
15,000 square feet of art and installations brought to you by the neo pop-artist Mr. Brainwash.
mrbrainwash.com

PSFK Salon NYC : Design

May 16th, 2pm
427 West 14th Street (map)
PSFK hosts a special salon where collaborators of the Sounds Like exhibition will discuss design and its role in the world. Panelists include: Mathew Waldman, Nooka; Sougwen Chung; Savania Davies, DCCLAB; Joey Roth
psfkicff.eventbrite.com

The Shop at the Standard Hotel, New York

Open Daily, 10am - 10pm
The Standard Hotel, 848 Washington Street (map)
Come check out the Standard Hotel's boutique shop, featuring a curated selection of cool and hard to find small gifts and artsy objects, accessories, and more.
www.standardhotels.com

Cameo by RUX - Launch Event

Sunday, May 16, 6pm - 9pm
Three Squares Studio, 444 West 17th Street (map)
Come celebrate the launch of a new line of personalized jewelry and limited edition art objects designed from the contours of faces.
www.ruxdesign.net/

Noho

Areaware 5 Year Anniversary

May 15—16, 12pm-7pm; May 17—18, 12pm-6pm
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Great Jones Lumber Building, 45 Great Jones (map)
Areaware is presenting both classic and brand-new designs from its first five years, including pieces by Harry Allen, Jonas Damon, David Weeks, Jason Miller, Rich Brilliant Willing, Ross Menuez, Kiel Mead, Patrick Townsend, and Tobias Wong. Rich Brilliant Willing is also exhibiting new furniture and lighting pieces in a special exhibition space, while Confetti System is installing custom handmade piñatas and The Jewels of New York will be making Gourmet S'mores—torched on the spot—for the opening party.
www.areaware.com

Billy Reid: New works by Brothers Dressler and Andrew O. Hughes

Saturday May 15 and Monday May 17—Tuesday May 18, 11AM to 8PM; Sunday May 18, 11AM to 7PM
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Billy Reid, 54 Bond Street (map)
The Bond Street men's and women's boutique Billy Reid presents custom glassworks by the Long Island City—based artist Andrew O. Hughes and salvaged hybrid school chairs by Brothers Dressler, the Toronto-based twin woodworkers.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Daryl K: Works by Paul Leonard, Charles Lahti, and Marlo Pascual

Saturday May 15 and Monday May 17—Tuesday May 18, 12PM to 7PM; Sunday May 16, 12PM to 6PM
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Daryl K, 21 Bond Street (map)
Fashion designer Daryl Kerrigan has invited three New York—based artists to exhibit work in her eponymous boutique: painter Charles Lahti, Brooklyn woodworker Paul Leonard, and multimedia artist Marlo Pascual, who shows with the Casey Kaplan gallery in Chelsea and whose sculptures and installations incorporate found film and imagery.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Design Sale

Saturday May 15, 12PM to 4PM; Sunday May 16, 12PM to 8PM
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Relative Space showroom, 2 Bond Street (map)
Stephen Burks of Readymade Projects, in association with the Relative Space showroom and Azure magazine, has asked fellow aficionados like David Weeks, Dror Benshetrit, Jamie Gray, Lindsey Adelman, and Todd Bracher to put their gently used designer products up for sale.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

The Future Perfect Presents

Saturday May 15—Tuesday May 18, 12PM to 7PM
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
The Future Perfect, 55 Great Jones Street (map)
The Future Perfect Great Jones presents new furniture and lighting by four talents during New York design week 2010: Paul Loebach, Alexandra Randall, and Lindsey Adelman in collaboration with Nancy Callan.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Japan Premium Beef: The Art of Butchery

Saturday May 15—Tuesday May 18, 10 AM to 8 PM, CLOSED MONDAY
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Japan Premium Beef, 57 Great Jones Street (map)
Japan Premium Beef blurs the line between art gallery and meat market—in a storefront once owned by Andy Warhol, no less. Against a backdrop of besuited butchers, this exhibition presents the work of Sam Baron, art director at the Benetton design research center Fabrica, who will present a new series of sausages rendered in glass.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

New Useless Machines

Oak: Saturday May 15 and Monday May 17—Tuesday May 18, 11AM to 8PM; Sunday, May 16, 11 AM to 7PM
Rogan: Saturday May 15 and Monday May 17—Tuesday May 18, 12PM to 8PM; Sunday May 16, 12PM to 7PM Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Oak, 28 Bond Street (map) and Rogan, 330 Bowery (map)
Inspired by the useless machines of Italian design legend Bruno Munari, Sight Unseen has curated an exhibition of hanging mobile designs taking place at the downtown fashion destinations Oak and Rogan.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Noho Next

Saturday May 15—Tuesday May 18, 12PM to 7PM
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
350 Bowery (map)
In partnership with StyleFactory and Wabnitz Editions, the Noho Design District introduces its first annual emerging talent showcase: Noho Next, featuring the work of nine up-and-coming designers under one roof.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Partners & Spade

Saturday May 15, 12PM to 7PM; Sunday May 16, 12PM to 6PM. CLOSED MONDAY AND TUESDAY
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
40 Great Jones Street (map)
Partners & Spade, the storefront and studio founded by Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti, hosts three installations during New York design week. The first, co-curated with Sight Unseen, is a collection of beautifully packaged foods from New York's outer boroughs, including a large selection of items made by small-batch producers in Brooklyn.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Roll & Hill Launch

Saturday May 15—Sunday May 16, 12PM to 7PM; Monday May 17—Tuesday May 18, 12 PM to 6 PM
Noho kickoff party: May 15, 7-10pm
Great Jones Lumber Building, 45 Great Jones Street (map)
A new manufacturer of contemporary lighting, Roll & Hill makes its debut this year both at ICFF and in the Noho Design District, in the former home of Great Jones Lumber.
www.nohodesigndistrict.com/

Personalissimo: Ethical Design > Italian Style

Reception: May 14th, 2010 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Italian Trade Commission, 8 Bond Street (map)
An opening party to celebrate "Personalissimo: Ethical Design > Italian Style." "Personalissimo" is a themed exhibition that recounts an idea and a brand dedicated to new trends in international design and consumer expectations in which the Italian way of living is highlighted.

Soho

Alessi: Designers' Passion

Reception: May 17th, 2010 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Alessi, 130 Greene Street between Prince and Houston (map)
Designers' Passion is a collaborative celebration launching Moleskine's Passion Collection, Recipe + Wine Journals, and Alessi's dedication to the culinary arts. RSVP required to rsvp9@bdeonline.biz.
www.alessi.com

Alessi Takes the Cake: Essentiels de patisserie design, matali crasset and Pierre Hermé

Reception: May 17th, 2010 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Alessi, 130 Greene Street between Prince and Houston (map)
"Alessi Takes the Cake" will celebrate their "Essentiel de Patisserie" collection. The collection, which is comprised of several objects for cooking and baking, is the result of a collaboration between renowned designer matali crasset, and famed French pastry chef, Pierre Herme.
www.alessi.com

MatterMade Collection Number One

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 15, 6-9pm
Matter, 405 Broome St. (map)
MATTER is pleased to announce the debut of MatterMade Collection Number One, a new collection of furniture, lighting and accessories.
mattermatters.com

Bocci presents Omer Arbel

Reception: May 17, 6-10pm
Matter, 405 Broome St. (map)
An installation by Omer Arbel.
mattermatters.com

CITE Goes America

May 15 - June 11, 11-7PM, Sun: 12-6
Opening: May 15th, 6-8:30pm
CITE Showroom: 131 Greene St. (map)
Curators Alissia Melka-Teichrow and Jan Habraken have created a 400 sq. foot skeleton house that they've filled with a selection of current work made by young, old, renowned and emerging American-based designers and companies. Transactions by Subports.
www.citegoesamerica.com

Moroso

May 15-18
Moroso, 146 Greene St. (map)
Patricia Urquiola's new Rift collections, inspired by the Great Rift Valley and new designs by Doshi Levien, Philippe Bestenheider and Rajiv Saini.
moroso.com

Poetic License at Moss

May 15-18
Moss, 150 Greene St. (map)
Deliberate deviations from normally applicable rules and practices by Michael Anastassiades, Mathias Bengtsson, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Michele De Lucchi, R&Sie(n), and Oskar Zieta
www.mossonline.com

Blu Dot ICFF Party

May 15th, 6:30 pm
Blu Dot Soho, 140 Wooster St. between Houston and Prince (map)
Please join us at the Blu Dot SoHo showroom to celebrate the launch of our latest products, including our new lighting collection. RSVP: judy@theloukincompany.com.
www.bludot.com

IDNY Meetup

May 13, 6:30-8:30 PM
Blu Dot Soho, 140 Wooster St. between Houston and Prince (map)
Short presentations and raffle by Dror Benshetrit and Steven Haulenbeek.
www.designerpages.com

Sunny Memories

Reception: May 13, 7-9pm
Panel: Sun May 16 at 5PM
The Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, between Bleecker Street and West 3rd (map)
The future of solar energy in design: Speakers include Nicolas Henchoz of EPFL+ECAL Lab in conversation with Paul Thompson, rector of the Royal College of Art, Yves Béhar of fuseproject and Rick Lewis of seven02 design both teaching at CCA, and Anna Dyson, director of the MATERIALAB at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, moderated by Laetitia Wolff of futureflair.
cfa.aiany.org

Artemide's "Nice White Ice" Party

Reception: May 17th, 2010 from 6 pm—9 pm
Artemide, 46 Greene St. (map)
Artemide will be showcasing their extensive collection during their "Nice White Ice" ICFF party. In addition to a display of bright white lights, white-themed cocktails and decor will add to the ambience. RSVP is requested to RSVP15@bdeonline.biz.
www.artemide.com

TOTO Gallery: New Product Launch Cocktail Party

Reception: May 15th and 16th,11 AM to 5 PM
TOTO Gallery, 25 Mercer Street between Grand and Canal (map)
View new environmentally sustainable designs from TOTO - the world's largest bath products manufacturer. RSVP: marketing@totousa.com.
www.totousa.com

Arik Levy @ MolteniDaDa

Reception: Monday, May 17, 2010, 6-8p
60 Greene St. (map)
Arik Levy for Molteni & C. RSVP: rsvp@moltenidada.com.
www.molteni.it

Kartell: Welcome Black

Reception: May 17, 2010; 6-9pm
30 Greene St. (map)
Black is smart, black is sharp, black is mysterious, black is magical...black is black! RSVP: rsvp18@bdeonline.biz
www.kartell.com

Shimna + CP Lighting

May 13- June 5, M-F 9am-8pm, Saturday 11am-5pm, and open Sunday May 16
Reception: May 13, 7-9pm
325 Lafayette St. (map)
In conjunction with CP Lighting, we will have a unique installation of furniture, lighting and textiles in an open studio for the duration of the show.
www.shimna.net

The Crystal Collection

Cocktail: Monday, May 17th 2010, 6.30 pm—9.00 pm
Bisazza Flagship Store, 43 Greene Street (between Grand & Broome Street) (map)
Bisazza presents "The Crystal Collection", a new series of decorative patterns in glass and white gold mosaic bejeweled by Swarovski crystals.
www.bisazza.com

De La Espada

Monday to Friday 11am to 7pm, Saturday 12pm to 6pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm
Reception: Monday, May 17, 6pm to 8pm
33 Greene Street, corner of Grand Street (map)
Join us at the De La Espada Greene Street store, where Autoban, Leif.designpark, Matthew Hilton, and Studioilse will exhibit. RSVP: nyc@delaespada.com
www.delaespada.com

Brooklyn

Bklyn Designs 2010

May 7 - 9, 2010, 10am to 8pm
St. Ann's Warehouse, 38 Water St. between Main St. and Dock St., DUMBO (map)
Now in its eighth year, BKLYN DESIGNS is New York's premier exhibition of designers and manufacturers of contemporary furnishings and accessories made and/or designed in Brooklyn.
www.bklyndesigns.com

Lift, Hold, Roll

May 10 - May 24, Noon—7P daily
The Future Perfect Brooklyn, 115 N 6th St. (map)
Designers were asked to create an object using one of these three ubiquitous mechanical tools: a pulley (lift), a clamp (hold), and a caster (roll).
www.thefutureperfect.com

Neo-Utility

May 10 - May 24, Noon—7P daily
The Future Perfect Brooklyn, 115 N 6th St. (map)
neo-utility is interested in promoting products that are inherently useful and bring a new and dynamic approach to design.
www.thefutureperfect.com

Midtown and Uptown

Model Citizens NYC

May 15, 16 & 17, from 11:00 AM - 7 PM daily
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 15th, 2010 from 5- 8PM
Hosfelt Gallery, 531 W. 36th Street, 2nd flr, between 10th and 11th streets (map)
Truly an independent venue, the 2nd annual Model Citizens NYC showcases the diversity of 50 independent international designers, and introduces the shows new exhibit shop open to the trade and the public.
www.modelcitizensnyc.com

A Night of Diversity in Design

May 17th 6pm-8:30pm
Cliff Young Showroom, 200 Lexington Avenue (map)
Meet and greet the designers profiled in the "Diversity in Design" ebook while drinking and perusing many of their latest designs in a mini showcase.The night culminates with a discussion made of panelists that include a design blogger, two shelter publication editors, and a design show tv producer as they discuss the global influence of representing all cultures in mainstream design.
diversityindesign.eventbrite.com

Valencian Design Showcase

May 15 - 28, 2010
May 17, 2010, 6-9pm
181 Madison Avenue @ 34th Street, Lower Level (map)
The Valencian Design Showcase highlights 12 of the most renowned design companies from Valencia. Companies including Almerich, Viccarbe, Uno Design, Verdeguer Martin, LZF, Capdell, Gandia Blasco, Bonestil, Fambuena, Koo International, Point 1920 and Naturtex will present and introduce their latest product innovations in New York during ICFF. This event is presented by IVEX - the Trade Promotion Agency of the Valencia Region of Spain.
www.valenciandesign.com

Moleskine: The Hand of the Designer

Reception: May 16, 6:30-8:30pm
Moleskine America, 210 11th Ave. Ste. 1004 (map)
Four hundred and sixty-two signed drawings by some of the greatest contemporary designers. RSVP: rsvp6@bdeonline.biz.
www.moleskine.com

Refined Sugar Studio and Joon & Jung Presented by Fair Folks and Subports

May 13th, 5-9pm
4 East 88th St., 3rd Floor (map)
The newest designs in lighting, furnishing, and home accessories from Refined Sugar Studio, and Joon & Jung are on display at Fair Folks & a Goat, a gallery and boutique located within a 19th century townhouse. Tonight, see our exciting collaboration with SUBPORTSâ„¢ come to exuberant life on location. SUBPORTSâ„¢ lets you use SMS commands from your mobile device to purchase items. Sign up for SUBPORTSâ„¢ prior to the event in order to interact with the designs on display by going to their website.
www.fairfolksandagoat.com

Tribeca

IIDA NY Pioneering Design

May 18, 2010, 6:00-9:00pm
92nd Street Y, 200 Hudson Street (map)
A presentation by Piero Lissoni, award-winning architect.
www.iidany.com

Merchant No. 4 presents The Secret Shop

11am -7pm daily
52 Walker Street, 4th Floor (map)
Titled The Secret Shop, our store will be located in a prohibition era style loft, high above the bustling streets of TriBeCa's once industrial district. Highlights will include the new stacking vase, Totem, by Boym Partners,Balloon Shakers by Masayuki Kurokawa, Kami Glasses by Hidetoshi Takahashi, ceramics by Emogayu and much more.
www.merchant4.com

lerival: furniture by architects

through June 1st, Monday - Saturday: 11am-7pm, Sunday: 12pm-6pm
Issey Miyake, 119 Hudson Street at North Moore (map)
Lerival's collection of furniture by architects.
www.lerival.com