Prototypes
Vancouver designers put their process on display
In conjunction with Vancouver’s Interior Design Show West last week, local design firm Burnkit launched Prototypes, showcasing the process of a group of notable Vancouver-based designers. The smartly-curated exhibit, impeccably staged within Burnkit’s hip studio, was touted as the first event of its kind in North America to explore the unique role of prototypes in designing and building products.
Bensen founder and featured designer Niels Bendtsen offered insight into prototyping as part of concept development. “Although people may be aware of prototyping as a way to try out new ideas,” he explained, “they often forget, or aren’t aware of, the industrial aspect of industrial design.”
He went on to clarify that while it’s interesting to explore how a new piece will look and function, the step “is essential to resolving the huge number of hidden details and problems in order to be ready for mass production.” He adds that these details, “are often as fascinating and beautiful as the finished product itself.”
Highlights of the show included Bendtsen’s own prototype for the evolution of a chair design, as well as
Omer Arbel‘s stunning sand-cast copper and sand-cast iron
bowls .
