FRIEZE ART FAIR NEW YORK 2012
MILAN 2012: SALONE INTERNAZIONALE DEL MOBILE
MILAN 2012: SATELLITE EXHIBITIONS
MILAN 2012: BRERA DESIGN DISTRICTAt one point or another, most designers working for companies will wonder what it'd be like to break off and do your own thing. Scot Herbst recently found out: As an industrial designer for Silicon-Valley-based Lunar Design, Herbst spent ten years working on projects like Hewlett-Packard's Touchsmart before branching off to start his own firm.
The move was possible because evolving technology and the global supply chain ecosystem can enable a guy to design products in his San Jose home, have them built in China and be delivered to the United States on time. And this venture was launched with less than $100,000. "I don't have to sell one billion dollars in inventory to make a profit," he said. "I don't have to have a mega officeplex in Cupertino. I don't have to send a product manager to Asia one week out of every month to make sure everything is going smoothly."An agent helped him locate a reputable manufacturer and other partners in China. After a trip to Guangzhou last spring, Herbst worked with Chinese contractors over Web cams and by swapping digital photos across the Internet. Had he launched his venture just a few years ago, he would have had to make a half-dozen trips to China and spend weeks in factories. "The fact that I've been to China on only one occasion and I'm launching my product is nothing short of a miracle," he said.
Herbst's firm, Kaiku Design, produces non-toxic, plastics-free children's toys. Read more of his story here.
via mercury news
