"Imagine a booth where you can not only see, but also touch, feel, and shape the design of the products. Where you can leave your feedback, your memories, and your ideas for the future. Where you can interact with the designers and the company behind the products. Where you can be part of the design process."
That is the vision IYOBE and me have following the concept of “shift design to people”. We believe that design is not something that is imposed on people, but something that is created with people. We want to involve people in the design discussion and create products that suit their needs and preferences.
We had a vision of creating a booth that would not only display our products, but also engage our visitors in the design process. A booth that would invite them to share their feedback, their memories, and their ideas for the future. A booth that would create a dialogue between us, the designers, and them, the users. A booth that would embody our mission of “shift design to people”.
That’s why we named our booth ENGAGE, and designed it with sustainability and interactivity in mind. We used recycled materials such as MDF and cork, and created different zones and scenarios to showcase our products. We collaborated with different designers, each with their own style and vision, and featured their products in each island. We added a description of the product and a QR code that linked to the website of the designer and IYOBE, so that the visitors could learn more about the product and the designer, and also leave their comments and suggestions.
The stand also had a central corridor, where visitors could find gadgets about the new products, such as folding postcards that simulated the booth design. On this shelf, visitors also encountered post-it notes and pencils that they could use to directly edit and participate in the design. They could leave their notes on the walls, creating a mood board of their impressions and ideas.
The layout used the design of IYOBE’s new products in a way that recreated different situations, such as the lobby space, the living room at home, the office area, and the recreational area.
The materials and shapes of the stand were designed to bring users closer to warmer feelings, using pastel colours and natural finishes. The concept followed IYOBE’s new “Joint Lab” showroom concept, where customers could find the same mood at the fair.
This exhibition aimed to create a dialogue between the designers and the visitors, and to revive the common design sensibility that has been lost due to mass production and standardization.
A portal for dialogue and not just exposure, as there is no furniture market without people. This space wanted to lead visitors to be generators of design through the spontaneity of a small gesture, such as a small note to leave on the walls.
IYOBE’s quest toward “shift design to people” started here.
