Dror speaks at C2 Montreal, May 26, 2017
Summary
TLDRIn this inspiring talk, designer and futurist Drawer Ben challenges the audience to change their perspective on creativity and problem-solving. He emphasizes the importance of passion, a comprehensive approach, collaboration, and experimentation, sharing projects that embody these principles. From transforming Central Park to reimagining luggage, Ben's work illustrates how rethinking design can lead to innovative solutions that resonate with people and inspire a cosmic perspective on our impact on the world.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The speaker, Drawer Ben, emphasizes the importance of broadening our perspective to solve problems with heart and creativity, not just with logic and intellect.
- 🎨 Creativity and beauty are presented as powerful tools to address the world's most significant challenges, with the belief that design and art can inspire change.
- 🤝 The value of meaningful connections is highlighted, suggesting that our relationships with products, interiors, buildings, and people should be more profound and impactful.
- 🏺 The concept of embracing imperfection and the beauty of experience is introduced, as seen in the 'broken vase' project, which became Rosenthal's bestseller.
- 🌳 The idea of creating a love relationship between nature and people is discussed, with the example of designing a park in Istanbul that encourages a connection with nature.
- 🪑 The 'Peacock Chair' project illustrates how design can address personal challenges and vulnerabilities, using three sheets of felt to create a strong, embracing piece of furniture.
- 🌐 The importance of a comprehensive approach in design is stressed, transcending specialization to integrate various disciplines and solve broader challenges.
- 🛍️ The transformative potential of luggage is explored, with Tumi's project aiming to create adaptable, transformable luggage that meets diverse travel needs.
- 🏘️ The architectural project in Cart Blanche demonstrates the power of innovative design in real estate, where hiding architecture under a 'carpet of vegetation' led to a significant sales success.
- 🔬 The necessity of investing in small experiments is underscored, as they can lead to significant discoveries and changes, as seen with the development of the 'Quadr' geometry for Swarovski.
- 🌕 The final takeaway is about gaining a cosmic perspective to change our understanding of hope and our place in the universe, with the 'Lunar Dust' art installation aiming to replicate the astronauts' experience.
Q & A
What is the central theme of the speaker's presentation?
-The central theme of the presentation is about changing perspective to solve problems with heart and creativity, and how this approach can be applied to various projects, from product design to urban planning.
What does the speaker believe is the key to solving the world's most important challenges?
-The speaker believes that creativity and beauty, along with a comprehensive approach to design, are key to solving the world's most important challenges.
What is the significance of the broken vase project in the speaker's career?
-The broken vase project was significant as it was the speaker's first project in New York and it made them realize the importance of shaping the future through experiences and embracing challenges.
How did the speaker approach the design of Central Park in Istanbul?
-The speaker approached the design by creating an environment that initially looks like an urban grid but gradually transforms into places where people can experience nature in different ways, fostering a love relationship between nature and people.
What was the unique solution the speaker proposed for the cruise ship terminal project?
-The unique solution proposed was to make the entire cruise ship terminal disappear by placing it completely below sea level, thus opening up the entire neighborhood to the public and pedestrian use.
What is the importance of the 'comprehensive approach' in the speaker's design philosophy?
-The comprehensive approach is important because it allows the speaker to not limit creativity to a specific specialty, enabling them to solve complex problems by integrating knowledge and ideas from different disciplines.
How did the speaker's design for Tumi luggage lead to a change in the company's product line?
-The speaker's design led to the realization that reducing the weight of the luggage was less important than creating a collection that adapts to different needs, resulting in transformable luggage that can change its form and function.
What was the outcome of the experiment with Tumi's retail stores?
-The experiment, which involved reducing the number of SKUs and focusing on the best-selling products, resulted in a 60% increase in average sales across the three stores.
What is the 'quadr' geometry and how did it originate?
-The 'quadr' geometry is a new structural system made out of four identical L-shaped members, which originated from a small commission for Swarovski and has the potential to be used in various applications due to its strength and adaptability.
What is the goal of the lunar dust terrain art installation project?
-The goal of the project is to provide an experience that allows people to gain a broader perspective and look back at Earth from the moon's viewpoint, potentially changing their outlook on life and their relationship with the planet.
What is the speaker's final point on changing perspective and how does it relate to the overall message of the presentation?
-The final point on changing perspective is about gaining respect for the planet, communities, and the way we consume products. It relates to the overall message by emphasizing the importance of a broader perspective in creating meaningful and sustainable solutions.
Outlines
🌟 Embracing Creativity and Imperfection
The speaker, Drawer Ben, introduces himself as a designer, artist, futurist, and inventor, emphasizing the power of vision and ideas to solve problems. He advocates for a design practice that questions everything and rethinks design typologies. The first point shared is the importance of passion for creating meaningful connections between people and their environment. Ben illustrates this with his first project in New York, which highlighted the beauty in imperfection and the power of personal experience to shape the future. This project became a bestseller, showing people's appreciation for creating their own connections with products. He also discusses a project in Istanbul, aiming to foster a love relationship between people and nature, and another involving a chair that transforms into art, challenging traditional notions of furniture and art.
💡 The Power of a Comprehensive Approach
The second paragraph focuses on the comprehensive approach to creativity, urging not to limit it to a single specialty. Ben shares an experience where his design practice was initially deemed too small for a large project but eventually partnered with a major architectural firm to solve a complex problem. The project involved creating a cruise ship terminal that disappeared below sea level, opening up the neighborhood to the public. This approach led to a successful transformation of the area, turning the building into pedestals for rooftops where people could enjoy the view. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions and data, suggesting that sometimes unconventional ideas can lead to breakthrough solutions.
🛍️ Transformative Design in Luggage and Retail
In the third paragraph, Ben discusses the project with Tumi to create the lightest luggage, which led to the realization that adaptability to different needs was more important than mere weight reduction. This insight resulted in a transformable luggage collection. He also talks about a retail store design for Tumi, where an experiment in reducing the number of SKUs led to a significant increase in sales. The new store design organized products by typology rather than collections, which was more effective and has been adopted in over 60 stores worldwide. The speaker stresses the importance of investing in experiments and collaborating with experts to innovate.
🚀 Gaining a Lunar Perspective on Earth
The fourth paragraph describes a project inspired by the moon landing, aiming to provide a new perspective on Earth. Ben was invited to NASA and was struck by the astronauts' shared experience of seeing Earth from the moon, which profoundly changed their view of the planet. He shares the concept of an art installation that mimics the lunar experience, using a dome with a non-reflective surface to create a sense of being in space. The project is intended to open on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and is about gaining respect for the planet and changing the way we view our world.
🌱 Respecting Our Planet Through Design
The final paragraph wraps up Ben's talk by summarizing the key points: passion for creating meaningful connections, a comprehensive approach to creativity, collaboration with experts, investing in small experiments, and changing perspectives. He emphasizes the importance of respect for the planet, our bodies, communities, and the way we consume products. The speaker challenges the audience to consider how they want to be remembered as a generation and to take responsibility for the impact of their actions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Perspective
💡Creativity
💡Comprehensive Approach
💡Innovation
💡Meaningful Connection
💡Experimentation
💡Transformation
💡Sustainability
💡Collaboration
💡Respect
Highlights
The importance of changing perspective on how we feel, imagine, and share.
The belief that creativity and beauty can solve the world's most important challenges.
The power of vision and ideas to solve problems.
The practice of questioning everything from a vase to a city in design.
The idea of creating meaningful connections between people and their environment.
The project that made people realize the beauty in imperfection.
The concept of transforming a broken vase into a piece of art.
The design of a park in Istanbul that encourages a love relationship between nature and people.
The creation of a chair that provides both strength and comfort.
The vision of two structures dancing and being visible throughout the city.
The comprehensive approach to design that transcends speciality limitations.
The innovative solution to a cruise ship terminal problem by rethinking its placement.
The transformation of a luggage collection to adapt to different needs.
The success of a 'carpet approach' in real estate that led to a significant sales increase.
The value of investing in small experiments for potential large impact.
The discovery of a new geometry with strong supporting capabilities.
The concept of an art installation that provides a lunar perspective on Earth.
The goal of changing perspective to gain respect for the planet and its resources.
Transcripts
M ladies and
Gentlemen please welcome draw Ben
[Music]
treat good
morning what if we change
perspective what if we change
perspective on what we
feel what we
imagine what we
do and what we
share what if we gain a broader
perspective on how we
live our
communities our
parks are parts of the cities that can
become
Parks what if we gain a broader
perspective on the cities of the
future what if we gain a cosmic
perspective I want to share with you
today what I believe that it's time to
solve problems with our heart not just
with our
brain I believe that creativity and
Beauty can solve the world most
important
challenges my name is
drawer and I'm
uh damn I always get stuck
here I'm a designer I'm an
artist I'm a futurist I'm an
inventor I believe that vision and idea
have the power to solve a lot of
problems so my practice is a design
practice that focus on
Visions focus on ideas we question
everything we question everything from a
vase to a
city we like to rethink design
typologies that's the goal in every
Challenge and we always want to partner
with the world best
knowhow inspiring change is our
responsibility beyond the project that
we just create so I brought today five
points that I want to share with you
that I strongly believe have a profound
way of changing how we think about our
problems the first one is
passion passion for creating meaningful
connection meaningful connection between
us and our product us and our interior
us in our
buildings and Us in other people this
project is the very first project that I
did when I moved to New York and open my
practice and it solved for me a huge
problem
it made me realize that we unlike a vase
that breaks and shudder and ends his
life cycle we actually shape our future
by the experience that we take on
ourselves and when we feel like that we
embrace the challenges that we go
through so when we showed this project
to rosentel they said we've been trying
to perfect porcelain for 125 years here
you come and you show the beauty in
imperfection
the beauty of experience very quickly it
became rosenal bestseller because people
loved the idea of creating their own
connection their own reasoning for why a
broken
vase
transformation sometimes metaphorical
like the vase sometimes physical like
this
chair why to let our guest sits on the
chair that we're not proud of the chair
that we actually put in the closet it as
soon as they
live What If instead we let them sit on
the art piece the art piece that we
actually enjoy that is on the
wall and once we realize that all we
created essentially is a canvas with
hinches we invited our friends our
artists to have their own art to have
their own interpretation of what a chair
versus art is two-dimensional art
versus three-dimensional
product when we were invited to think
about Central Park of Istanbul a city
that doesn't have a Central Park we
realize that we need to create a love
relationship between nature and people
if you're not exposed to Nature you're
afraid of nature so how we can create an
environment that is at first familiar at
first looks like an urban grid and
slowly evolves and transform into
places where you can experience nature
in different ways when you can actually
create conditions for people to fall in
love with nature to experience different
heights between the trees and actually
then discover a places to jump not just
to walk and to see through the Tre
Tops This is a project that got
permission uh from the government to
move forward just a couple months
ago this chair was not created for
Rihanna it was
actually me trying to solve a problem
for myself a breakup with a
girlfriend we all go through those
moments in life where we realize
that sometimes it's about this
vulnerability where we ask ourself are
we doing the right
things peacock oped up his feathers for
two completely opposing reasons
attraction and
defense to basically say look I'm big
stay away or the opposite come closer so
how we can take three sheets of felt and
actually weave them in such a way that
they create strength and they give that
same feeling when you sit on it they
embrace you they give you that power and
they hug you at the same
time
Montreal first time I came to Montreal
to see the
biosphere it
felt like a lonely
structure it felt like an
orphan and I thought if you want to
create a movement you can't dance alone
you have to have a compan
companion what if we create a 21st
century
companion bminer Fuller used to say that
the sun and the moon are Dancing in the
Sky all the
time what if those two structures can
actually dance and be visible throughout
the city in such a way that they are
constantly eclipsing one
another and what if that space is the
place where we share
watch
concerts and enjoy that was a vision
that we created on our own for the 50th
anniversary of the
Expo my second point is about a
comprehensive approach don't limit your
creativity to speciality and this is a
this is the fundamental reason why we
practice design
comprehensively the first example is a
project that first we were not invited
to the client said draw your practice is
too small for this project we have a 1.2
kilm of bosserous front right in front
of the old city and we need to think of
a big problem a problem of how to solve
the cruise ship terminal needs that have
to stay on that
side but is actually sitting on the most
valuable piece of land of the
city so we teamed up with g
the largest architectural firm in the
world and we say now we have
strength and we realize that solving
this
problem through a product design
challenge is what we need to do how do
we make the entire cruise ship terminal
disappear how can we basically tack all
of the needs of the cruise ship terminal
below sea level this is going to be the
first cruise ship terminal that is
completely below sea level the boardwalk
opens up reveals a hydraulic gangways
that take the passengers from the ships
directly straight to the basement level
and by doing that opening the entire
neighborhood to the public opening the
entire neighborhood for pedestrian so
all the vehicle circulation all the
needs of the terminals are going below
sea level and this is an example of how
creativity across different disciplines
a product design that can solve a master
planning challenge so once we realize we
took the attention away from the port
and we gave it to the ground the
building now serves as pedestals for the
rooftops to basically be the places
where people interact with and actually
enjoy the beautiful boss
forus this project is in construction
right
now a comprehensive approach is also
also
about questioning what you've
told sometimes data will not get you
there Tumi came to us with a request
make the lightest luggage we're going to
have why because every customer that
come to the store asks for the lightest
luggage so that's what we need to give
them so what do you do when you ask that
kind of question you start taking the
lightest luggage you can find the part
and you weigh the wheels and you weigh
the handles and you weigh the zippers
and then we realize that the differences
are similar to the weight of underwears
a couple of
underwears none of us ask ourselves well
that's too many underwears on that trip
I can't take
that so we realize that we travel with
different content at different time we
need different
things and more important than reducing
the weight of a couple of underwear is
creating a luggage and bag collection
that adapt to our need transform in
different ways transform for our
transformable
needs so a backpack that doesn't look
like a backpack all the time can
actually become a toad bag when you're
walking into a meeting and then switch
back the suitcase that you saw is the
first hard case that actually changed
from 30 L to 45 to 60
l so the entire collection is about
transformation thank
you we have to collaborate to
innovate I've been struggling for the
last 15 years with the
word specialist versus
generalist there's something really odd
about being a
generalist so I'm a comprehensive
that sounds much more sophisticated so
we need to collaborate with best
knowledge we need to collaborate with
people that really know what they're
doing so we can stay the childish
creators that are curious this is our
very first architectural project when
the client came to us and said we want
to create the most luxurious homes on
this island cart
blanch what would you do if those people
already have five and six homes around
the world so I thought the Persian golf
is the place that I know for carpet
making why don't we shove all the
architecture underneath this massive
carpet of
vegetation because I don't want to see
15 Neighbors from one side and 14
Neighbors from the other side I want to
feel that I'm part of a community but I
don't want to see my neighbors that's
luxury in that type of setting
originally this project was intended to
be $154 Million worth of real estate
because of this carpet approach that
became the idea that governs this
project the client actually sold
976 million doll worth of real estate in
less than 72
hours so a little bit better than Avatar
on its first weekend
out and we were sitting in New York
thinking what just happened how is this
possible that this
idea lead to this kind of approach
invest in experimenting this is
something that is very important for me
in my own practice and it's something
that I encourage all of our clients to
do all the time when Tumi invited us
after the success of the collection to
think of their retail store they asked
us to design their store we said well we
want to really change your retail
experience overall we want to gain a
bigger perspective so we really looked
at how Tumi sells their product and
really first analyze what is being sold
in the store so we created all kinds of
infographic this is one of them and we
asked the
question we think you maybe have too
many
skus what if we actually reduce all of
those very low selling
products and take them off what if we
run a small experiment in three stores
when instead of showing the the entire
collection we take the worst 20 salale
20% of the
sales they called us after a month and
said you wouldn't believe in all three
stores we sold 60% more on
average so having 20% less product and
selling 60% more that's mean a lot for
this
company but then we also realize that if
the entire collection can be
compartmentalized into those three
categories then the storees should be
designed in such a way not by
collections by by
typologies wheelway bags and accessories
so this is how we translate it into the
store floor walls and tables this is the
first Tumi store with our design now
they already enrolled more than 60
stores around the world there is doing a
lot better than the previous
design invest in experiments this tiny
little commission for
Swarovski started for us something much
bigger than that we discover a new
geometry we discover something that have
tremendous strength and tremendous
capability to become all kinds of
supporting system so we call it quadr
because it's made out of four identical
L-shaped
members it's basically have the ability
to be a solid surface or an open trussle
frame the strength of those units is
tremendous it collapses flat it can
become barriers of different kinds it's
have also an amazing acoustic bearing
capability because of the geometry and
we started experimenting we started
looking at what other applications this
can be beneficial for one of the things
that we always do is look at Art
installations as ways for us to further
the R&D further our understanding of
what this can become and this is an
ongoing experiment in our practice ways
of understanding how this geometry can
be beneficial for all kinds of projects
from small saw horses to a support of
slams and favellas
potentially Deployable structures of
different kind
kinds and the exoskeletons of
buildings my last point is about
changing
perspective and this is a project that
started when I was invited to
NASA to see what they are working
on gaining
perspective almost 50 years ago
we landed on the moon an event that
really changed our definition of Hope
really Chang so many different
Industries so many things that we have
today are because of this event but
there is one thing that we have not paid
attention
to every astronaut that landed on the
moon said the exact same thing if every
person in the universe would gain this
perspective it will change us as
people what does that
mean what does that mean it will change
us how can we gain this kind of
perspective can we gain this kind of
perspective here on
Earth so this is what we set to do let's
try and create an art
installation that tries to do that
taking something similar to a
planetarium but instead of having a
postered seat an exit sign actually
having a lunar dust
terrain having a lunar rover projection
of planet Earth inside of this black
space there's a company that now makes
99.97 non omitting light surface so
you're actually standing inside of a
dome and you have no idea where the
walls are because light does not project
on them and this is one of the most
exciting thing that every astronaut said
being in a brightness of the surface of
the Moon extremely bright surface but in
the darkness of
space can we try and gain that
perspective and look back at ourselves
from
here July 20th 2019 is when we're going
to celebrate 50 years anniversary and
this is when we're all when we are
planning to open this
venue this is a about trying to
understand this is where art can change
our feeling
potentially we want to try and do that
but this project is much
bigger than this
experment this project is about gaining
respect so as a venue it can be used for
more than just the experience it's a new
type of venue so hopefully we can have
C2
2019 in that space
too thank
you but this project is really about
changing
perspective what if we bring a
delegation of best companies in the
world to show how they show respect for
our planet how they show
respect for all kinds of things for our
body for our neighbors for our
communities for the way that we consume
product how do we want to be remembered
as a
generation as the one that cut all the
forests in the world and pollute the
ocean or do we want to take
responsibility and actually
think about what respect means five
point one passion to create meaningful
connection comprehensive approach don't
limit your creativity to just
speciality collaborate with the Best in
Class invest in small experiments small
experiments can lead to a lot of change
and change your perspective gain a
broader
perspective so now you understand what I
do
we help company change
perspective thank you very
much
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