We design in the sweet spot between accessible and desirable.
Lumen
Quarterly Trend Report
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Quarterly Trend Report
Join our mailing list to receive Lumen in the convenience of your inbox.
For us, staying out front involves tracking trends in the workplace, understanding technology, and implementing sustainability. The elegance of any design solution is a consequence of its appropriateness. Our talent lies in observations leading to inspiration that is synthesized into solutions for our clients. Our diligence in keeping a step ahead of what is happening now makes our next idea our best idea.
The full breadth of any of the collections we’ve designed reads like a travelogue. Along the way, our initial ideas evolve. Details change as we consider the wider view. Elements that increased cost without impacting sales or improving functionality were left behind, while others critical to the integrity of the design stayed the course, often leading us to unexpected destinations. Check out some of the places we’ve been.
Regardless of the product category or the application — and we do a lot of different things — the measure of a good design isn’t just the eye test. It’s also the bottom line test. We get the business of good design: financial, marketing, sustainability, and all the nuances that add up to a successful product. Our goal is to deliver a positive experience to the people who use the products we design.
At IDa, we’re all about good design and good relationships. We believe that good relationships make good design even better, so our process is inclusive and collaborative — with our clients, and one another. Our best clients bring us in early and keep us late, seeing the project through from user research to launch. For us, the design process is an enjoyable journey. Our clients agree.
“Grace, our youngest child, has really changed our lives in a significant way. Bringing a little girl from China into a family of four boys has changed our lives for the better.”
A good design often needs to do more than one thing. So does a good designer. IDa Design principal Mitch Bakker has done many things throughout his career, all of which add to the culture of the firm. He founded IDa Design after spending years sitting “on the other side of the design desk,” as head of product design for leading furniture manufacturers. Mitch understands the importance of putting the client goals on par with the designer’s vision and pushes our team toward results that realize both. A highly respected designer in his own right, Mitch remains very hands-on in the design process. Outside the studio, trips to Zambia and Haiti have strengthened his faith, deepened his passion, and inspired an ongoing commitment to action in the area of social justice. Mitch holds board positions with various design and humanitarian organizations, including Poetice International.
The impact of materials goes deeper than the surface of a designed object. Likewise, the impact made at IDa by Jennifer Wammack goes well beyond her extensive background in textiles. Behind the scenes, Jennifer works closely with Mitch to shape the firm’s strategic direction. On the product side, she’s a tireless advocate for improving the user experience and the life cycle of our designs. Before joining IDa, Jennifer served as director of design for Guilford of Maine, the textile manufacturer formerly owned by sustainability pioneer Interface. That experience ignited her passion for sustainability, inspiring her to earn a Masters of Management in Sustainable Business. Jennifer is also our link to the local community, currently serving as president of the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
Is there a better possible beginning to a story about an industrial designer than being born the son of a millworker? Not likely. He attended Kendall College of Art & Design and never looked back. His past product design work ranges from floor sweepers for Bissell to a bouncy seat for Sassy, not to mention several award-winning commercial furniture products. Zach worked with an ex-NFL player to develop a concussion-reducing helmet and he still burns the midnight oil making his signature rvndsgn watches. Of his role at IDa, he says, “I’m kind of doing my dream job.” His IDa colleagues might think of Zach as a younger brother, but their respect for his talent and his natural curiosity is immense.
At what point in her career did Cara Danis realize that designers needed to be well organized? “Like, day one,” she says without hesitation. Her education and work experiences have helped hone both her design and organizational skillsets over the years. Cara studied industrial design at Western Michigan University and Denmark’s International Study Program, which sparked her love of Scandinavian furniture design. Her professional career began in the RV industry, where she coordinated teams of designers, engineers, model makers, and suppliers. Since joining IDa, she has seamlessly integrated herself into our collaborative culture, contributing to ideation, design, model making, and project management efforts. She also assumes full responsibility for getting the rest of the studio addicted to wasabi peas.
Plastic. It is hard to picture a life without it, but it’s only been around since the 1950’s. In its short existence we have surrounded ourselves in a sea of plastic, literally. In this issue, take a look at the ways you could cut down on your plastic consumption and even save the world as we know it.
Oh technology, will we always have a love-hate relationship with each other? The constant beeping and screen gazing is great for a little while, but quickly gets old. Sometimes we wish we could get away from it all. In this issue we cover the people and companies that are taking tech-free zones to a whole new level.
Building large structures is a feat. The amount of time, money, and materials can be measured on a monumental scale. In this article, we tackle the increasingly popular method of building - modular construction.
Our updated trend report, Lumen, is finally available! Our featured trend in this issue is travel; we cover various trips that members in our studio has been on this year. Read the whole report here.