EAMES® LOUNGE AND OTTOMAN
For Herman Miller
The iconic Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman (1956) designed by Charles and Ray Eames, inspired me in the past and continue to inspire me today. When Charles and Ray Eames designed Eames Lounge Chair, they were inspired by “the warm, receptive look of a well-used first baseman’s mitt.”—Charles Eames. I appreciate their desire to take familiar fixture like a lounge chair and made it sophisticated and simple. I love the combination of soft and luxurious leather with sleek modern lines of molded plywood. The construction of contrasting materials coming together beautifully as one sophisticated piece really inspire me.
“Design is an expression of the purpose.” Charles Eames
When I look at the lifespan of Eames Lounge Chair, I am reminded when an artifact is well designed, it stays connected with the world of today and tomorrow. As a designer I strive to be more creative and more expressive in my designs. However, at the end of the day if I’m not focused on the end user, I would have failed as a designer.
Hi Robin, thank you for your post. Couldn’t agree more with you on the importance of focusing on end intended users if one’s goal is to deliver useful and delightful product(s) for those users. I’d love to know what you think happens when you’re trying to create something digital with ever-changing technologies. How might the shifting landscape of technologies either stifle or lead to incremental innovation? What do you think could potentially help designers make lasting products like the lounge chair and ottoman as they grapple with such changes?