There is a renewed interest in craft taking place. This slow means of production is in contrast to the globalized, high-speed markets of seasonal collections and mass-produced products, often devoid of human touch. Offering authenticity and provenance, craft gives us the feeling that someone has done a great deal of effort to make something good. How can we reconcile the nature of craft with the speed of our world today?
Modern industrial products
To make good industrial products, we believe it is a prerequisite that the craft is present at all levels. Modern industrial production methods offer an abundance of opportunities for stable and efficient production, but craft and quality can be hard to recognise in this context. Yet, we maintain that these concepts are central to the development of a strong heritage.
From the human hand to the industrial hand
Craftsmanship must be translated from the human hand to the industrial hand without losing its core qualities. It requires production with care, professional competency, and respect for the material.
Good craftsmanship today continues to have a strong foundation in the craftsperson’s years of experience and a deep understanding of a material’s properties, possibilities and limitations. It is about the specific cohesion that arises when a tool becomes a natural extension of the hand.
Industrial production is to be seen as a natural extension of the craftsperson’s traditional tools, and “modern craftsmanship” comes about when industrial tools are carefully employed to take over costly manual processes without losing the sensitivity for the materials. It requires considerable knowledge and insight at all levels: the dialogue, the connection from the design process, the prototype development and the production stages are all of great importance.
We see the skilled craftsperson as the link between designer, product and industrial production process. We believe that insight into and experience with craft is vital for making good industrial products. We experience the world through our senses, and in this dialogue, there is an exchange between our personal perception and a world of impressions and tactile experiences.
When we introduce new design products to the world, the key to the experience of quality is the translation of craft to modern production methods and the harmony that maintains recognition and presence.