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Design Glut's in-house product design studio is known for our line of intelligent, socially-relevant products. We also provide innovative design solutions to outside clients. Learn more.
LATEST NEWS
November 19, 2008
NEW PRODUCTS
Check out the online store for new products by Design Glut! We've launched the World Links necklace, which has the continents of the world connected by links of chain around your neck. And our new Cubic Switchplates play tricks with your eyes. They're only 3mm deep, but it looks like they're protruding inches off the wall.
October 14, 2008
NEW ONLINE STORE AND PRESS
We just redid our online store to make it easier for our customers. The new layout is simpler to browse and has some additional functionality. Fancy Schmancy! We also have new press to report: Elle Decoration, Max, and 5 Au Clock.
September 21, 2008
NEW PRESS AND STORES
The October issue of Metropolitan Home covers the Slow Food Tray as part of a group of products using words as decoration. We also have three new stores: Spring and Stewart and Stand here in NY, and Composition in Colorado.
September 2, 2008
NEW PRESS: SURFACE
The new edition of Surface reports of the trend of designers "using oil as fuel for thought." Crude Black is included.
August 22, 2008
NEW PRESS: DFUN
The Crude Jewelry was just featured as the cover story in the current issue of DFUN, a Taiwanese fashion and design magazine.
July 15, 2008
NEW PRESS: WALLPAPER
The August '08 issue of Wallpaper is hitting newsstands right now. Check out the interviews with "NYC's new design wave": Todd Bracher, Design Glut, Takeshi Miyakawa, and Test Collective.
July 10, 2008
NEW PRESS: WATCH
The Smoking Gun was just featured in the latest edition of Watch.
July 9, 2008
ABOUT DESIGN GLUT
We’ve expanded the About Us area - check it out to get a better feel for who we are and what we do.
June 30, 2008
NEW PRESS: MAX
The fashion magazine Max just published a great-looking piece on Crude Black. We can't actually read it, but we're hoping they said nice things.
June 23, 2008
SMOKING GUN NECKLACE
The Smoking Gun is now available on a chain! It makes one pimped out necklace.
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Are you a creative entrepreneur? Tell us your story. If it's a good fit for the site, we'd love to interview you.
ALL INTERVIEWS
(Alphabetical)
• Brad Ascalon
• Brooklyn Salsa Company
• byAMT
• Cake
• Character
• Citizen:Citizen
• Curatorium
• Diaroogle.com
• Domestic Aesthetic
• Exit9
• FuckOffSarahPalin.com
• Harry Allen
• Mint
• Nooka
• NOTCOT.com
• Pomp&Clout
• redstr/collective
• Reiko Kaneko
• Robert Langhorn
• Skinny Vinny
• Sonic Design
• Supermarket
• Swiss Miss (upcoming)
• Todd Bracher
• TZ Design
MONTHLY ARCHIVE
• July 2008
• August 2008
• September 2008
• October 2008
• November 2008
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Posts [Atom]
ALL INTERVIEWS
(Alphabetical)
• Brad Ascalon
• Brooklyn Salsa Company
• byAMT
• Cake
• Character
• Citizen:Citizen
• Curatorium
• Diaroogle.com
• Domestic Aesthetic
• Exit9
• FuckOffSarahPalin.com
• Harry Allen
• Mint
• Nooka
• NOTCOT.com
• Pomp&Clout
• redstr/collective
• Reiko Kaneko
• Robert Langhorn
• Skinny Vinny
• Sonic Design
• Supermarket
• Swiss Miss (upcoming)
• Todd Bracher
• TZ Design
MONTHLY ARCHIVE
Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]
July 31, 2008
Rae Dylan of Character
Character is a little shop in Nolita, full of strange oddities that can't help but make you smile. Its merchandise ranges from nostalgic childhood objects, such as the Little Prince, and Tin Tin lunch boxes, to high end design. Much of the work in the shop has a story behind it, and if you linger for just long enough, they'll be sure to tell you. Keep reading to hear Rae, the store manager, explain to us why the person behind the design, they story, is just as important as the object itself.
Character
19 Prince Street
NY,NY
212.274.1966
www.characternyc.com
When did Character open, and how did it start?
Character started in 1999. It was at that time that all the European character work was coming out. We were bringing things over from Belgium- Tintin, Astrix, The Little Prince, I'm sure you remember. The current owner bought the store in 2004, and wanted to put a different spin on it. At that point the store became much more design oriented. We focused on up and coming designers, current events, and really the celebration of fantastic ideas. It became much less about the traditional definition of a character, and more about the character of an , its personality, the story of how it came to be. I think the word character is the one thing which really connects the store- from the products we carry to the staff and designers. There's nothing that cant be seen or done here.
What do you look for when you bringing new product into the store?
We don't like to put limits on what product we bring in, it just has to be good. Obviously, as you see, we have a little bit of everything. You can find anything from a baby gift to a bad ass necklace. We look for products that aren't trend driven, but rather unique and creative, that catches peoples eyes - conversation pieces. Our customers tend to be more interested in the intellectual pieces, as well as the stories of the designers behind them. Obliviously if a product doesn't work with the clientèle, I can't do anything about it, but we're always looking for work with a story- objects that people can connect to.
Do you have a typical customer?
There are a wide variety of people that come into the store. The clients vary depending on who's working, the music, the weather, the specific time of day - I'm generalizing - but our product range is so vast you can't really typify a customer.
For example, I know that my older clientèle comes in the early morning, on Saturday we're going to be rocking out playing music and giving out free condoms, and if there is going to be a little granny in the store on Sunday, well I certainly still don't want to have bowls of condoms out. All three of us that work here, Adam, Tyler, and myself all have a very different personalities, and as a result, we draw in very different customers.
You've talked about connecting people in the store to the staff, as well as products, do you think it is important for the customer to be able to connect to the designer behind the piece?
I think it's critical for us to be able to present the designer as well as know their work. This is especially true with the local designers. Customers love it when you can tell them the product there buying was made by someone based in Brooklyn. The locality makes the work much more tangible.
Have you noticed any current buying trends?
Summer is a very interesting time because we have a lot of tourists. This year its been people from Mexico and California, less Europeans. The trends change with the demographic. In the last three weeks we've sold a lot of jewelry and mirrors. The Harry Allen mirrors in particular are doing particularly well.
How does display and packaging of a product affect the sales?
The placement of a product in the store is extremely important, and was a big part of my professional career in merchandising. When people first walk into the store, especially if it's empty, they're going to be a little trepidacious. We like to place relaxing, inviting items near the front of the store - work which is easy to grasp and will draw people further in. I also like to create narrative with some of the smaller items, place them in glass cases, use putty to stand the product up, it makes them more visually engaging.
What is your favorite object in the store and why?
I have the pieces that I've always loved, and had for a while. I love the Harry Allen mirrors, but every product in here is really a favorite of mine, I wouldn't keep ordering it, or work on selling it, if I didn't believe it was great. I'm very selective about what we carry, simply because if I'm not passionate about an object, I certainly can't sell it.
Character
19 Prince Street
NY,NY
212.274.1966
www.characternyc.com
When did Character open, and how did it start?
Character started in 1999. It was at that time that all the European character work was coming out. We were bringing things over from Belgium- Tintin, Astrix, The Little Prince, I'm sure you remember. The current owner bought the store in 2004, and wanted to put a different spin on it. At that point the store became much more design oriented. We focused on up and coming designers, current events, and really the celebration of fantastic ideas. It became much less about the traditional definition of a character, and more about the character of an , its personality, the story of how it came to be. I think the word character is the one thing which really connects the store- from the products we carry to the staff and designers. There's nothing that cant be seen or done here.
What do you look for when you bringing new product into the store?
We don't like to put limits on what product we bring in, it just has to be good. Obviously, as you see, we have a little bit of everything. You can find anything from a baby gift to a bad ass necklace. We look for products that aren't trend driven, but rather unique and creative, that catches peoples eyes - conversation pieces. Our customers tend to be more interested in the intellectual pieces, as well as the stories of the designers behind them. Obliviously if a product doesn't work with the clientèle, I can't do anything about it, but we're always looking for work with a story- objects that people can connect to.
Do you have a typical customer?
There are a wide variety of people that come into the store. The clients vary depending on who's working, the music, the weather, the specific time of day - I'm generalizing - but our product range is so vast you can't really typify a customer.
For example, I know that my older clientèle comes in the early morning, on Saturday we're going to be rocking out playing music and giving out free condoms, and if there is going to be a little granny in the store on Sunday, well I certainly still don't want to have bowls of condoms out. All three of us that work here, Adam, Tyler, and myself all have a very different personalities, and as a result, we draw in very different customers.
You've talked about connecting people in the store to the staff, as well as products, do you think it is important for the customer to be able to connect to the designer behind the piece?
I think it's critical for us to be able to present the designer as well as know their work. This is especially true with the local designers. Customers love it when you can tell them the product there buying was made by someone based in Brooklyn. The locality makes the work much more tangible.
Have you noticed any current buying trends?
Summer is a very interesting time because we have a lot of tourists. This year its been people from Mexico and California, less Europeans. The trends change with the demographic. In the last three weeks we've sold a lot of jewelry and mirrors. The Harry Allen mirrors in particular are doing particularly well.
How does display and packaging of a product affect the sales?
The placement of a product in the store is extremely important, and was a big part of my professional career in merchandising. When people first walk into the store, especially if it's empty, they're going to be a little trepidacious. We like to place relaxing, inviting items near the front of the store - work which is easy to grasp and will draw people further in. I also like to create narrative with some of the smaller items, place them in glass cases, use putty to stand the product up, it makes them more visually engaging.
What is your favorite object in the store and why?
I have the pieces that I've always loved, and had for a while. I love the Harry Allen mirrors, but every product in here is really a favorite of mine, I wouldn't keep ordering it, or work on selling it, if I didn't believe it was great. I'm very selective about what we carry, simply because if I'm not passionate about an object, I certainly can't sell it.
