1. Rebuilding What Was Lost: The Eames Design Firm in the Information Age SAI SHIVANI SOUNDARARAJ, LEILA LI, GABE PERSONS http://nicholasspyer.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/53950.jpg

2. Ray and Charles Eames – A Brief History  Cranbrook Academy of Art 3  Ray, the painter; Charles, the architect  Extending their fields  Married in 1941

3. The Eames Lounge Chair Wood  “30-year flash” or laborious process?  Organic Design in Home Furnishings (1940)  Affordable, modern pieces 3

4. The L.A. Experiments  1942: Venice Beach  U.S. Air Force  Molded leg splints – “Kazaam!”  Designing within constraints 2

5. The Eames Design Philosophy  What is design?  Arranging elements for a purpose  How does Eames design?  Learning by doing  “Never delegate understanding.” 2

6.  What is design for?  “The best for the most for the least.”  “Common man” 2

7. Where are we now?

8.  “Recently I was furnishing a multi-million dollar mansion, but the owner is not willing to pay $4700 for the Barcelona chair. But with a $650 knock off? He said, ‘Go ahead and get me 4!’”  “…the legit versions bring me much more satisfaction to use, look at and enjoy. I regret buying the knock-offs even though they were cheaper, and don't regret any of the vintage purchases.”  Would purchase multiple pieces, but a single one looks out of place.

9. Current Line of LCW  $849.00 – Base walnut model  Overpriced  Competition

11. Who are they?  Founded in 1905  1930: Modernist furniture  1946: Charles and Ray  4 models

12. How do they function?  Online store  Distribution  Shop by type and designer  Selling designers

13. The Good

14. Marketing Techniques 1. Production video 2. Images of chair use  Distinctive, conforming design 3. 3D models 4. Collaborative experience

15. The Bad

16. Lack of Focus  Eames design and philosophy?  1. Work as play  2. Fulfilling need  3. Coincidence of design

17. PRICE POINT  LCW too expensive  Inflation  Cost of plywood

18. Competitors

19. Other upscale furniture? -- too expensive  Molded plywood, solid beech arms Designed by Norman Cherner, 1958 Made in the USA by The Cherner Chair Company $1029  Grete jalk gj chair Design Grete Jalk, 1963 Laminated plywood Made in Denmark by Lange Production $2700

20. Competitors – Reproductions

21. Who are they?  Online furniture stores  Kardiel  Mid-century reproductions  Rove Concepts  Affordable luxury pieces

22. The Good

23.  Low cost  Detailed specs  Structure  Materials  Comparisons  Market niche  Clear Information

24. The Bad

25.  Finish options  Kardiel  Designer information  Rove Concepts  Vague comparisons  Clean sites, but boring

26. User Scenarios

27. Upper Middle Class: Returning Buyers

29. New Buyers – Familiar with Eames

31. New Buyers – Unfamiliar with Eames (but want designer pieces)

33. References 1. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2. “Charles & Ray Eames: The Architect and the Painter” – Jason Cohn & Bill Jersey 3. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History – Metropolitan Museum of Art 4. “Organic Armchair” – Vitra Design Museum 5. “What is Design? An Interview with Charles Eames” – Madame Amie, 1972 6. “The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: Exhibition and Book Review” – Nicolas Maffei, Spring 1999

34. Undercutting Designers 1. Value of designer 2. How HM improved designs

35. Collaborative Effort  Where does credit go?  Flow of furniture  Distributed photographs 6

36. Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen  Plywood, upholstered shell  Production issues  Departure of Eero 2

37.  Design from learning  Splint holes  Splitting chair  Know your users  Eames as hosts 2