Yesterday our design team had the pleasure of sharing a morning with David Trubridge. For those who don’t yet know David, he is one of New Zealand’s most successful designers. His iconic lights and furniture have tapped into the New Zealand identity and are celebrated globally. His Icarus light is on permanent display at the Pompidou Centre and his TED talks challenge and inspire.
A Disconnect from Nature
Trubridge shared with us his belief that a lot of the problems that we’re encountering today in our world are because of a disconnect from nature over the ages. Craftsmen have been replaced by the economist and the engineer, resulting in an imbalance with focus on function overriding form.
Accordingly David feels that the disconnection from nature has resulted in today’s emphasis on novelty and gimmicks at the expense of genuine originality. Without beauty there can be no real care. This is where David’s talk, Beauty Matters, provided great inspiration for us.
At PLN Group we share several values with David and his team and this is largely why we work so well with them. Notably the shared belief that what the world needs now is NOT just another piece of furniture – unless it has some specific purpose that is not being adequately filled by alternatives.
Seeking to understand the greater meaning of why we come to work each day, our company has resolved to support an enhanced life through original thought and design. In today’s world of rapid change and pressure on budgets, beauty is often considered a luxury rather than a necessity.