Here is the second half of our interview with Diane. If you haven't already, make sure to check out yesterday's post.



Domestic Aesthetic
www.domestic-aesthetic.com

...It was such a learning process for me. As this whole thing has been. For better or for worse, I really am in love with this process. Because you're just constantly learning something.

Yes, exactly!

Sometimes, obviously, you feel tired. You start to feel like you're on this treadmill and you can't get off.

Right. You feel like you can't get off, EVER.

That has definitely hit me before. If you talked to me in February, I would have said, "Oh my god, what am I doing? Nothing's happening!" And you feel like there's no progress, because you don't have any perspective and you're not getting any feedback. You have no idea what people are thinking and you're taking these little baby steps forward. You're just doing it and hoping for the best. The Incubator was very helpful in terms of getting advice and support and having people to talk to, especially in that first year, when everything is super, super hard.

It all sped up in May when we did ICFF. This theoretical thing suddenly turned into, "Oh shit, we're actually showing stuff!" It was kind of like what you described about your experience doing the Designboom Mart. You think, "I only have one product, and I need to have a lot more. So, hmmm, let’s just start busting stuff out!"



Totally.

And you just do it and see what happens.

Which is kind of great, because you get in this creative space where you have to come up with something, so you do.

You have to do it! Otherwise you just look lame.

What was the response like at ICFF?

ICFF was like a “soft-launch” for me because at that point we had prototypes but weren’t ready to take orders. I basically fell into it. Another group in the Incubator had actually gotten the space at the show, and then at the last minute decided they didn't want it and offered it to me. I decided it would be a great way to get feedback and it was pretty risk-free. I had no expectations for what would happen.

It ended up being hugely, hugely positive. Not to sound immodest, but I’ve been really pleased with the press we’ve gotten in such a short amount of time. ICFF was only 4 months ago. It started with coverage on Treehugger, which I was really happy about, and then New York Magazine last month, and then I just found out that the New York Times is doing something either this Sunday or next Sunday. I am so thrilled; I would never in a million years have expected it. It makes all the hard work seem worthwhile. I still don't know what's really going to happen though.



It seems to be in the nature of what we're doing that the next step is always kind of unpredictable. What advice do you have for someone embarking on the journey?

It's just such an incredibly complex animal. It forces you to be good at a lot of different things. And if you're not, you have to ask yourself what you're going to do about it. I'm always stepping back and asking, "What am I not that good at? And how am I going to address it?"

What other people do you work with?

As a one-person show, I would love to be designing all the time, but realistically I can't. I had to bring on people to help with the design. One of the benefits of the Design Incubator is that they connect you with Pratt students, so that brought Nick Foley on board. He walked in, I liked his portfolio and I just knew he was it.

I thought the dynamic would involve me dictating my design ideas to him, and he would do all the sketching and ideation. He's so talented, though, that it got to the point where I just said, take it. I put aside my ego and let him be the designer, while I was weighing in as creative director.

I never studied industrial design formally; I got into furniture design through just working for someone. As Domestic Aesthetic grew, I realized that I needed someone who really knew design, manufacturing, materials, and ideally sustainability. Then I met Kristina Drury. She became our design director, and she does a fantastic job because she brings all those things to the table.

How did you meet her?

I actually met her at Green Drinks. But ironically, she is also at Pratt as a grad student. She has a great background; she came from architecture originally and had familiarity with LEED certification, which is important. She is also one of the co-founders of Collective Four, which is a sustainable furniture-design studio.

Then ICFF happened and I needed more products, so I brought on another designer, Andrew Garrison.



How do you see your team growing?

I'd definitely like to work with more designers. I think that keeps things fresh. It's nice to have this constantly evolving team as long as I'm overseeing it as creative director and making sure that everything stays consistent.

That's one big way I'm evolving. The next way, now that the design team is kind of in place, is strengthening the business side. I'm bringing on, for lack of a better term or title, a Vice President. He's really good; he brings with him 10 years of consulting experience and also managed a textiles company, which means he knows the finance and production end of things.

He also has a genuine interest in helping to build the company. We’re still finalizing a lot of details, but it’s a really big step. In this business, it’s all about volume and growth and If you're not hitting that volume, you need to find people who can help you do that or at least prepare you to do that.

I'm excited about having another person with me there who can help strategize about these things. It's an interesting time right now.

Yes, that all sounds really exciting, it sounds like you're sort of nearing the tipping point.

That's kind of how I feel!